At my university, you had to take an introductory fiction writing workshop before you were eligible to apply for the more advanced workshops. Admission to these big leagues was by no means guaranteed. The first time I got in, I experienced about a week of absolute elation followed by several months of intermittent terror and imposter syndrome. At the time, it all felt very high-stakes, which is perhaps why I was so profoundly distressed when I showed up on the first day and realized that 90 percent of the class brought little black Moleskines to the table in lieu of normal notebooks. I rectified the problem immediately, of course, but the psychic damage was done.
Today’s story is about another fledgling taking her first steps into another artistic realm: the theater. What better backdrop for a bunch of young people to take everything too seriously, from their roller skates to their dramaturgy, from their secret affairs to their reviews in the campus newspaper? Get ready to be revolutionized by disco Les Misérables.
Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix are friends, writers, and co-hosts of Higher Ground's pop-culture podcast Lemme Say This, which is often described as a "glorified group chat."
Hunter and Peyton brought Rachelle some gossip about a sorority scammer, and then Rachelle introduced them to a world full of sequins, glitter, and secret smooching.
You can support the show by subscribing on YouTube, Pocket Casts, Overcast, or wherever else you listen! You can also follow Normal Gossip on Instagram. The transcript of this week's episode can be found here. You can sign up for the Normal Gossip newsletter here.
Send your gossip to normalgossip@defector.com, or leave a voice message at 26-79-GOSSIP.
