Monday is the one-year anniversary of this newsletter. One year of oversharing. One year of creative fulfillment. One year of pensive gazes out of coffee shop windows in the hopes that I look like a real writer.
Like with any reflective moment, I want to thank you all, again, for following along on this journey. The quality and number of DMs and emails I have received are surprising and uplifting through one of the tougher years.
I would like to take some time this week to reflect on the very best of the year. There is no academy or voting system, the rules are arbitrary, but there are plenty of surprises and snubs.
So, without further ado…
The 2021 McMillennial Awards
the starting point:
I think my very first post reflects well on my motivation for starting the newsletter in the first place, cracking the door just a little into my psyche. Even though life can be rather mundane compared to childhood fantasies there is still room for creative purpose.
the click bait:
One of my rare attempts at music journalism is also the most viewed post. It also generated the most new traffic after catching the attention of Aly and AJ (more likely their PR team) who posted it to their Twitter.
the sleeper hit:
In my not-so-humble opinion, this is some of the best work I’ve produced (my sometimes editor, Hailey, agrees), and it is also one of the least viewed, a real crime.
the pride and joy:
This is one of the most personal pieces and one of my favorites because it encapsulates who I am as a person and as a friend.
the fan favorite:
You guys really enjoyed this song analysis of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”. I know this because I received the most DMs on this piece, especially recognition for the vignette of a sleepover. Did we all go to the same sleepover?
the participation trophy:
I will stop sharing my fiction work when enough people tell me to stop. I am especially proud of this one because it is the only short story started in 2021 that I completed—my desktop is littered with various half drafts. I am gracious that most have been open to this kind of thing because sharing fiction is more terrifying that sharing non-fiction.
The Hummer piece was the absolute best!!!