Here We Go Again!

*taps mic* Is this thing on? Welcome to "season two" of this newsletter—and a little rebrand, too.

I spent a week in October 2024 with dear friends in Ipswich, Mass., and this was our view every day. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Starting my Substack was one of the best things I did in 2024. It’s weird to say—especially considering how painful the end of the year was for everyone I know—but last year I felt more like myself than I ever have in my life. With my husband firmly in recovery from his mental health crisis, it finally felt like we had the opportunity to get out of our house, explore Pittsburgh and meet new people. I liken it to being in the dark for a long time and blinking into the sunshine. This newsletter was a big part of that.

And then I just… stopped writing.

I didn’t want to, but life started life-ing hard. On the one hand, someone I love very much was diagnosed with a devastating illness; there was the election and its aftermath; I came down with some kind of never-ending crud that wasn’t the flu and wasn’t Covid but required two rounds of antibiotics; and, of course, there’s the general pressure of just trying to be a decent human in this wild world. On the other, there was so much good. I made new friends and got more involved with organizations like Bunker Projects; I got a promotion/title bump at work; I flew to visit loved ones in Boston, Oklahoma City¹, Sarasota and Orlando; and Rob and I had a great holiday season and started hanging out with and hosting our friends more we have in the almost-six years we’ve lived in the ‘Burgh.

But I’ve missed being here, and I’ve missed interviewing cool women doing cool things, and if there’s one thing the current dumpster fire that is American life is teaching me, it’s that community is more important than ever. I have a skill set that allows me to highlight the people who are doing good in our community, so I’m going to use it.

A New Name

This newsletter was eventually called “The Interview,” but then the New York Times stole it from me. Just kidding, of course—but to avoid feeling like I’m the one who copied, I changed the name to “Em Dash.” This is for a few reasons: I love punctuation, and the em dash (—) is my favorite. It forces the reader to pause between clauses and really think about whatever idea the writer is emphasizing. My first boss and forever mentor is a big proponent of its use, and that certainly influences my love of it, too. Plus, my first and last name start with M, so there’s that. “Em Dash!” Yay!

Some Housekeeping Notes

I’ve got an interview coming up next week with one of my favorite people in Pittsburgh who’s using her voice and business to make the city a safe place for everyone, and I can’t wait for you to read it. Until then, catch up on past Q&As:

Interview No. 05: Jessie Rommelt, Bunker Projects

Issue No. 4: Rona Chang, Otto Finn

Issue No. 3: Ta'lor Pinkston, the Heart Advocate

Issue No. 2: Quelcy Kogel, Creative Director, Food Stylist and Cookbook Author

Issue No. 1: Nisha Blackwell of Knotzland

Also, for my sanity, interviews are now going to be released once a month. Aiming for one every two weeks was just… too much. That doesn’t mean you won’t hear from me, though: I plan on writing more here this year, whether that means personal essays or just sharing stuff I love (books, clothes, memes, etc.). Depending on how this year’s interviews go, I may share extra/bonus content outside the usual Q&A framework/monthly schedule, too.

A Few Recs Before I Go

In the spirit of the “Three Things” section of my interviews, here are a few decidedly non-current-events-related recommendations that have brought me pleasure and that you might enjoy, too.

To read: God of the Woods (Liz Moore), Real Americans (Rachel Khong), The Rachel Incident (Caroline O’Donoghue), Be Ready When the Luck Happens (Ina Garten), The Cliffs (J. Courtney Sullivan). These were my favorite books of 2025, all written by women, all super-engrossing. I needed reads that would take me right out of real life last year, and these did the trick.

To watch: After the election, I couldn’t bear to look at the news beyond skimming headlines, so I decided to watch every single back episode of Barefoot Contessa on Discovery+. Ina, it turns out, makes for excellent background noise. Also, like everyone else, I’m watching Severance and am so glad it’s back.

To listen: Similarly books and TV, after the election I unsubscribed to every news podcast I followed—sorry, Ezra Klein and The Daily—and leaned hard into pods like Everything Is Fine, A Thing or Two, Radio Cherry Bombe, Culture Study and back episodes of Home Cooking.

To cook: Listening to all those food pods and watching all that Ina has inspired me to cook more. Recent wins: homemade marshmallows, homemade hot chocolate, brioche, this perfect chicken Alfredo from The Kitchn, Thai-inspired chicken meatball soup (which I now call “healing meatballs” because my friend who is sick loves them); another hearty soup that is packed with every green vegetable you can imagine but tastes amazing²; roasted salmon with anchovy butter; the easiest French fries in the world, lemon-bergamot curd that tastes like sunshine, and the fluffiest pancakes (pro tip: warm up your maple syrup while you’re cooking your pancakes for a transcendent morning experience).

To remember: Joy is an act of resistance.

Thank you so much for being here! See you again soon.

1. I realized when flying to OKC that I had absolutely no idea where Oklahoma actually was. It’s after Arkansas?! For some reason, in my head, it was like right next to Kentucky and below Ohio. A revelation!

2. Thai-inspired chicken meatball soup and green veggie soup c/o my friend Phyllis, who is an incredible cook.