i was listening to an episode of be there in five the other day where kate, the host, mentioned the opening montage of 2006 classic the devil wears prada, iconically scored by kt tunstall’s ‘suddenly i see,’ and it sent me into a whole spiral.

reader, i cannot overstate the impact of this cinematic sequence on my preteen self. the chic underthings, the slow dramatic lipstick application, the statement earrings!

i wanted that impermeable gloss the ‘clackers’ emanated amidst gritty nyc streets. i’d imagine strutting down lower manhattan, barely registering the inevitable awe of measly pedestrians around me. i’d be heading to my fancy magazine job where i’d tap out important stories on an imac, triaging requests from press that wanted to feature me in roundups of creative wunderkinds.

i don’t think i clocked the fact that i literally wound up attending the same journalism program andy had just graduated from in that scene until this very moment. i won’t say anne hathaway was the reason i went to medill for grad school, but i won’t say that’s not the case.

i also just remembered that i did see the anna wintour documentary in theaters with my mom in 2009.

journalism has been so glamorized in pop culture. especially, i think, in the early aughts when people around my age were constructing their own identities (see rory gilmore, andie anderson, jenna rink, and carrie bradshaw, et. al).

needless to say, virtually nothing about my miranda priestly-governed fantasies materialized in my life as a working writer (nor would i want to work at any of tdwp’s real life media empire analogs). but this burst of nostalgia is inspiring me to channel ‘that wasn’t a question’ vibes.

now i need to know — what pop culture moments shaped your identity growing up?? respond to this email!

links

speaking of childhood influences…

i loved both of mary h.k. choi’s previous books, permanent record and emergency contact, so i can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of yolk, her latest release!

julia turshen coming out with a new cookbook means she’s blessedly making the rounds on some of my fav pods. she spoke about her evolving relationship with food and her body, cooking as self care, and the universal importance of food justice on a recent episode of forever35. highly recommend a listen!

growing up, i helped fold hamantaschen with my grandma every year. coming up with a plant-based recipe for this purim treat felt really special.

these little chunky keychains are so cute.

in an unlikely turn of events, my sisters and i wound up as extras in an episode of apple tv’s losing alice while we were in tel aviv the summer before last. catch us dancing in the background at the 1:02 mark of this clip.

i’ve watched this 5 million times. hypnotizing.

intersectional environmentalist has a hotline now?? hit ‘em up with all your enviro justice q’s.

catch me on that’s my truth podcast this week! i talked about how i started working at closed loop cooking, making plant-based eating accessible, and lots more :)

trying to remember this.

thanks for being here!

click clack,

<3 maia