STARGIRL

This week, I share my observations on the dominant cultural patterns of Fall 2025, most of which can be traced back to the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) craze sweeping through New York and hot girl Internet circles (think: breakfast soup, seasonality, heightened Lunar awareness, lymph and fascia care, etc.). Also discussed: the grifter energy of the online healer community, leaning into political grayness with health-related interests/intuition, some recent mainstream criticism of GLP-1s and SSRIs, and reflections/intentions after my birthday last week <3Links:Alix Earle on DWTS (Maleficent, Maneater/Sports Car Mashup)Emily Gates on TikTokBallerina Farm addresses criticism for the first time (to my knowledge?)Sigh Swoon Ayahuasca Recap VideoALP Sponsors Red Scare after Dasha gets dropped from her agencyGetty Museum Twelve Days of Medieval Illuminations exhibitTCM on TikTok“How the Right Coopted Psychedelics" Justin Smith-Ruiu in GQ“The MAHA-Fueled Rise of Natural Family Planning” Caroline Kitchener in NYT“More Teens are Taking Antidepressants. It Could Disrupt Their Sex Lives for Years” Daniel Bergner in NYT“Life in Beige: Are GLP-1s Worth a Life Devoid of Pleasure?” Allison P. Davis in The Cut

This week we’re joined by Dr. Aumatma Simmons, a naturopathic doctor and double board-certified endocrinologist, and the founder of the Holistic Fertility Institute and Madre Fertility. Dr. Aumatma shares her journey from conventional to naturopathic medicine, research that complicates the prevailing myth of mid-30s fertility dropoff, her views on traditional intervention models (egg freezing, IVF, etc.), simple things that people can do to support their fertility (read: Vitality), and why she views fertility as the optimal lens through which to assess health

Lily Sperry is a writer and brand consultant. She runs the newsletter Health Gossip. In this magical episode, we discuss the origins of her project, the larger esoteric fairy-girl moment we’re living through, and why creation is the ultimate antidote to ennui. Plus, Lily shares her definition of “health” as maintaining a “clear channel,” and we reflect on the benefits of not centering our days around consumption, why New York can feel hostile to femininity, and the connection between femininity and fertility. Thank you Lily for your wisdom and grace! Links:Health Gossip on [email protected] on InstagramLily on Instagram

*Full episode on Patreon*Checking in after a busy fall season... in this month's letter, I reflect on the current biggest sources of meaning in my life (work, creative partnership, my marriage, dance, and spirituality), voice my desire to be a formal student again, get nostalgic for the first time I encountered D'Angelo, and keep the good vibes going after the STARGIRL party last week. Sending love XOXO!

This week we welcome the writer Marisa Meltzer back to STARGIRL to discuss her new book It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin (out this week!). We discuss the myth of Jane Birkin and Marisa’s project to animate her beyond a 2D moodboard figure, and use Jane as a vessel to revisit classic STARGIRL conversations such as Artist vs. Muse, Narrative Control, and Nature vs. Artifice. We discuss Jane’s lifelong Lolita energy, character as a mother, natural aging process, and comfortability as a vessel for others’ creative and sexual projections.Plus, I reflect on seeing Addison live after 5+ years of indulging my fixation in my imagination, give my take on the various Showgirl vibes in culture right now, and answer the elephant in the room: Is Jane Birkin a Stargirl or an It Girl?Discussed:It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin, Marisa Meltzer (2025)Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Life of Emily Weiss’s Glossier, Marisa Meltzer (2023)STARGIRL episode on Emily Weiss with Marisa (2023)“Do the right thing Addison Rae…” @_artsartsarts on X“Addison Rae Wants More Than Virality” Alex Hawgood, W Mag (2025)Alix Earle on DWTS (so good!)“Margaret Qualley Manifested This Cover Story” Willa Bennett Cosmopolitan (2025)The Power Notebooks, Katie Roiphe (2020)“Why I Got a Neck Lift at 41 Years Old” Sophie Pavitt in The Cut (2025)Jane B. par Agnes V. (1988)