2024 in review
An incomplete recollection of last year's highlights
January was hiking Runyon Canyon Park at the start of the new year. celebrating ten years in NYC. watching I Love Dick and being amazed by Katherine Hahn. attending an Alice in Wonderland-themed surprise party. crying during Iron Claw. watching May December, being captivated by Charles Melton. watching Carol for Cate Blanchett. watching Tár for more Cate Blanchett. reading Madeleine Cravens’s “Leaving.”
February was reading Sloane Crosley’s I Was Told There Would Be Cake in background holding. finishing Six Feet Under, replaying the final scene a dozen times, weeping. reading Leslie Jamison’s Splinters in one burst on a Saturday. viewing Elton John’s unreal personal art collection at Christie’s.
March was listening to Sia’s “Breathe Me” on repeat and—surprise—more weeping (see Six Feet Under finale above). watching a drag queen lip sync Hilary Duff’s “Why Not” and healing my inner child. sipping Prosecco at the Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism reception. rocking out to friends performing at Lucky 13 Saloon. escaping the Ghost Light room at Mysstic Rooms with time to spare. biting my nails down to the quick watching Yellowjackets.
April was playing Cowboy Carter nonstop, amazed at how something so beautiful and innovative can bloom from the compost of an ugly experience. May was listening to writers read in St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church at the 5 Under 35 ceremony. cackling through Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. replaying Cage the Elephant’s Neon Pill—lost in a dream state. finishing Succession, screaming at the television, dancing to Nicholas Britell one last time. June was attending Jami Attenberg’s 1000 Words launch and writing in a silent bar with other writers. watching loved ones lose money in Atlantic City. attending the Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion reception. watching incredible dancers at 8 in Show at Dixon Place. sitting beneath a bridge, watching fireworks in Astoria Park.
July was having one of the most gorgeous beach days of my life, drinking fresh juice, and waking at seven in the morning. finishing Kaveh Akbar’s Calling a Wolf a Wolf. starting Hanif Abdurraqib's The Crown Ain’t Worth Much. hearing talented readers at the Cleveland Review of Books launch party. drinking bellinis at a New Yorkers comedy show. collaging old Costco booklets instead of doom scrolling. reading an essay about death and hiking at Wine and Pine. wandering around Queens Botanical Garden with dear friends. watching The Dangerous Summer headline at the Sultan Room. (accidentally) watching the Red Not Chili Peppers at Brooklyn Bowl.
August was being influenced by TikTok and eating at the Cheesecake Factory for the first time. watching a family of black bears in Sequoia National Park. September was completing another trip around the sun. experiencing the Uffizi, Piazza de’ Pitti, Accademia Gallery, crowded sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo, and cobblestone streets in Florence. taking in the brightly colored houses, salt air, and postcard pretty blues of Cinque Terre. riding the water bus on glittering canals, eating cicchetti, visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, sipping champagne from paper cups, and navigating a train strike in Venice. visiting the ruins of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, navigating a train strike in the pouring rain, and tossing a coin the Trevi Fountain in Rome. searching for the blessing of shade in St. Peter’s Square and viewing stolen gold in Vatican City. eating the best meal of my life, sipping Aperol spritzes, and touring tunnels in Naples. wandering the streets, learning about the mafia's impact, and eating on a fairy light-covered balcony in Palermo. listening to the record on repeat. laying on a beach for hours, eating on a mountain, laughing with friends, attending a magical wedding, and swimming in the mediterranean sea in Sicily.
October was replaying Brat and it’s completely different, but still brat and meditating on how much can change in a few months, how many ways there are to tell a story. dancing with other millennials at a 5 pm rave at The Stranger. committing to a yoga practice, strengthening the body, clearing the mind. transforming into other people for Halloween. November was listening to GNX and being forever amazed at Kendrick’s lyrical prowess. watching short films at Origami Studios. voting for a woman who looked like me to lead our country. crunching over dead leaves on an 80 degree day. learning how to transform trauma into comedy with Elissa Bassist. finding joy reading Bill Cunningham’s Fashion Climbing. finding joy watching Bill Cunningham New York. feeling excessively proud of crafting a Thanksgiving charcuterie and cheese board. wandering around the New York Botanical holiday train show. December was laughing and learning and sighing while reading Elissa Bassist’s Hysterical. starting the final season of What We Do in the Shadows. sipping more Prosecco at the Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt reception. drinking margaritas and belting out Chappell Roan at girls night. rocking out at Our Wicked Lady. reflecting on and giving gratitude for the last twelve months, setting intentions for the next twelve.
With all its messiness and mayhem, 2024 was a year overflowing with magic, learning, laughter, and personal growth. May this year be filled with more of the good—with resilience, with power, with compassion, with strength for us all.