Letter from the Cities Editor
Dearest gentle reader,
I write you this letter while listening to the Bridgerton soundtrack, so allow me to borrow the above salutation from Lady Whistledown. I recall my hesitancy to watch Bridgerton since it was described to me as an elegant version of Gossip Girl set in the British regency period with diverse casting. I wasn’t like the other young ladies, you know, I only watched niche, cult-classic television. I was shackled to this idea that to be unique and authentic was to diverge from what was mainstream. Thus, I never allowed myself to enjoy the music of pop artists nor watch reality television for the fear of being a “basic b*tch.” However, to be stuck in this tale as old as time immemorial, was not my desire. In the past two years, I have flung open the gates to my heart, urging any and all musical artists, television writers, podcasters, and authors to excite me anew.
This process, though, has met its fair share of obstacles along its path. The population of “cool” people at the Wake is abounding. On the one hand, I was thrilled to work amongst such inventive, authentic colleagues, but on the other, I was abashedly intimidated by them. I find myself lost, unable to wander back into the comfort of 80s English rock bands, nostalgic sitcoms, and kids TV nor embrace the light of Lizzo and Stranger Things. Media that I previously exalted as “cool” when I was amongst my peers in STEM, wasn’t cool enough, according to my own biased scrutiny, when I was at the Wake.
This untenable quest of mine to be suave and admirable that was exacerbated by working at the Wake is evanescing, ironically, by working at the Wake. I am slowly recognizing that I sit amongst friends that consume media that pleases them and adhere to fashion trends that energizes them. I notice their eyes light up when talking about a certain celebrity or subreddit they like during our icebreakers and staff presentations. I bear witness to their true, authentic, and unapologetic selves. I see how creative and passionate my colleagues are and it inspires me to explore and find my niche in this expansive world, rather than conform to what I believe identifies me as a member of the cool coterie.
Likewise, our writers who so vulnerably illustrate similar experiences have alleviated the loneliness I endure as a byproduct of this identity crisis. The Wake offers a place of refuge for a lot of the contributors, including myself. Albeit the fact that I don’t write so much anymore, when I do write for the Wake, I am permitted to not only unburden myself of my chaotic thoughts and sentiments, but also discover and acknowledge revelations previously unbeknownst to myself.
I elected to focus on this aspect of how the Wake has influenced my existential journey because the opportunity to write of my experiences and my identity, or in this case, my lack of clarity in that concept, drew me to the Wake as a bright-eyed first year.
As an end to this rabling piece of correspondence, I commend you to draw inspiration from the Wake staff and independent contributors and commit yourself to the adventure of self-discovery and self- growth.
Yours truly,
Lady Vishalli
Cities Editor