Great newsletter! I had a cool story I wanted to share, but I couldn't find it in my FacePlant memories, sadly, because I had a picture and everything. But anyway I was returning from a mini-USO tour in Abu Dhabi (where I have zero doubt that we covered Devil Went Down to Georgia because I'm the fiddle player and it's mandatory lol) and a cute 20-ish young woman sat next to me on one plane ride. We didn't really speak beyond the smile and nod, so I was surprised when the plane took off she GRABBED MY HAND in a death grip! Of course I was supportive, because I've got BigDadEnergy like our next veep, tho not THAT much obv lol. Anyway we talked, and it turns out shes a Romanian (Bulgarian?) former olympic gymnast. Not super famous but enough so that I found her on Wiki. She teaches now in the US. I admit I fangurled. I'm so old I remember watching live tv when Nadia Comenice's 10 happened. I wish I could find that memory for more deets and serious name-drop. Alas. Anyway... GREAT newsletter!
When you're googling gymnastics books and you randomly find your gymnastics soulmate (aka the author) online. Thank you for this day Alicia, I feel so seen!
Hahaha crying at “Oh no, I’m just a fan.” That’s so cool that you got to co-write with your gymnastics idol, the dream!
There were SO many YA/middle grade gymnastics books back in the day! I remember reading that one another commenter referred to where the mom had cancer (though I had completely forgotten the MC was a gymnast). Another one sticks out in my mind where the protag’s parents were kind of hippie-ish so her family was poor, and they had a van named Murgatroyd that broke down in a snowstorm on the way to the big meet. So much tension!!
ALICIA!!!!! THE WAY I *GASPED* AT THE REVEAL (which I def knew at some point before but had totally forgotten) THAT YOU WROTE A WHOLE MG SERIES WITH YOUR CHILDHOOD IDOL DOMINIQUE MOCEANU!!! haven't read a twist that shocking since Gone Girl!! anyway sometime I'll tell you about the gymnast/swimmer romance that was the first (bad) book I queried and had a very similar pitch to Break the Fall lolll. delightful newsletter as always!
omg it didn't even occur to me how many kids might be doing unsafe landings just to try to replicate hers! I used to "vault" over the couch and practice sticking it.
I've loved watching gymnastics at the Olympics since following Kim Zmeskal in 1992, but became a huge fan with that 1996 group and their epic win. Lately, I've come to equally appreciate men's gymnastics, especially the scrappy current US team that seems like a great group of guys.
I agree -- this Olympics in particular has really unlocked men's gymnastics in a way that no other team had ever done before (although I did generally watch it, I remember John Roethlisberger in his competing years, the Hamm brothers, etc.)
omg, I’ve never known another person who remembers Starting Over. I watched the first season when my son was a newborn, and for 21 years I thought it was a fever dream because it seems to have vanished from the collective pop culture consciouness. It’s been 21 years and I still think about these women and wonder how they’re doing. Thank you for confirming that I did not just make this up in a sleep-deprived state. (Also, if you saw this message in your Instagram inbox, no you didn’t. I was so excited about Starting Over that I immediately went over there and committed that social media faux pas before realizing I could comment here.)
It honestly DOES feel like a fever dream! And you committed no social media faux pas by going to instagram, although I'm glad you brought the comment over here if only because I'm only instagram less and less lately!
YOU WROTE A BOOK WITH DOMINIQUE MOCEANU?! OMG ALICIA!!
sorry, just had to scream because holy shit. i was also a big DM in '96. i had the olympic gymnast Barbie, and she came with a little ring you could snap onto her waist that let you do flips and stuff. i loved that doll like i loved the Magnificent Seven. this was such an enjoyable read! did you see the SELF Mag feature with the Dominiques and Shannon Miller??
1. I was OBSESSED with the 1984 TV movie Nadia, about gymnast Nadia Comaneci. I had it recorded on VHS and watched it so many times.
2. There was a book I loved as a kid that I would read anytime I wanted a good cry because it was a SAD book, called You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes. In it, a thirteen year old girl's mother gets cancer and eventually dies, but the girl is a gymnast at her school and there is an entire subplot about her mom being too sick to attend the gymnastics show and how the girl wants to do something wild and dangerous in her ropes routine, but then the mom IS there and so she doesn't do it. And I don't know why, but when I see any gymnastics, I always think of this book.
I remember the Nadia movie!!! I'll have to check out that Patricia Hermes book because I love those old nostalgic reads, although I should make sure I'm in the right mood for it!
our shared love for the chris mccandless is further proof to me that we were best friends in a former life. have you listened to their nancy grace deep dive??
wow, so this is how I find out we're not best friends in THIS life, huh? lol but seriously, I'm saving the Nancy Grace deep dive!! I'm working my way slowly through.
I love that meme, because my husband has definitely heard my hit lecture, Toxicity in Women's Gymnastics (ft. They Didn't Need That Vault) while he has watched basically every minute of Olympics coverage.
You wrote a book with Dominique Moceanu?!?! My 14-year-old self (and current self tbh) is blown away by this news. What an iconic team that 1996 team was… my best friend periodically reminds me (as recently as a few days ago, in fact) that he can name all 7 members. I’ve forwarded him this newsletter. What a day this will be for him.
Great newsletter! I had a cool story I wanted to share, but I couldn't find it in my FacePlant memories, sadly, because I had a picture and everything. But anyway I was returning from a mini-USO tour in Abu Dhabi (where I have zero doubt that we covered Devil Went Down to Georgia because I'm the fiddle player and it's mandatory lol) and a cute 20-ish young woman sat next to me on one plane ride. We didn't really speak beyond the smile and nod, so I was surprised when the plane took off she GRABBED MY HAND in a death grip! Of course I was supportive, because I've got BigDadEnergy like our next veep, tho not THAT much obv lol. Anyway we talked, and it turns out shes a Romanian (Bulgarian?) former olympic gymnast. Not super famous but enough so that I found her on Wiki. She teaches now in the US. I admit I fangurled. I'm so old I remember watching live tv when Nadia Comenice's 10 happened. I wish I could find that memory for more deets and serious name-drop. Alas. Anyway... GREAT newsletter!
lol I bet I've heard of the Romanian/Bulgarian gymnast!!
When you're googling gymnastics books and you randomly find your gymnastics soulmate (aka the author) online. Thank you for this day Alicia, I feel so seen!
ahhhh I love that! Thank you!
Hahaha crying at “Oh no, I’m just a fan.” That’s so cool that you got to co-write with your gymnastics idol, the dream!
There were SO many YA/middle grade gymnastics books back in the day! I remember reading that one another commenter referred to where the mom had cancer (though I had completely forgotten the MC was a gymnast). Another one sticks out in my mind where the protag’s parents were kind of hippie-ish so her family was poor, and they had a van named Murgatroyd that broke down in a snowstorm on the way to the big meet. So much tension!!
Murgatroyd!!! I love that detail.
ALICIA!!!!! THE WAY I *GASPED* AT THE REVEAL (which I def knew at some point before but had totally forgotten) THAT YOU WROTE A WHOLE MG SERIES WITH YOUR CHILDHOOD IDOL DOMINIQUE MOCEANU!!! haven't read a twist that shocking since Gone Girl!! anyway sometime I'll tell you about the gymnast/swimmer romance that was the first (bad) book I queried and had a very similar pitch to Break the Fall lolll. delightful newsletter as always!
lol should I be writing thrillers?!?! I'd love to hear about your gymnast/swimmer romance one day!
Watching the 1996 US Gymnastics team was a transformative experience!
I feel like it's one of those things where if you were There, you just know!!!
Okay but I also had the tattoo thought while watching the gymnastics this year. It*would* be really funny!
Also Kerri Strug forever! I used to practice landing my tumbles with one leg so I could be like her...LOL
omg it didn't even occur to me how many kids might be doing unsafe landings just to try to replicate hers! I used to "vault" over the couch and practice sticking it.
I've loved watching gymnastics at the Olympics since following Kim Zmeskal in 1992, but became a huge fan with that 1996 group and their epic win. Lately, I've come to equally appreciate men's gymnastics, especially the scrappy current US team that seems like a great group of guys.
I agree -- this Olympics in particular has really unlocked men's gymnastics in a way that no other team had ever done before (although I did generally watch it, I remember John Roethlisberger in his competing years, the Hamm brothers, etc.)
omg, I’ve never known another person who remembers Starting Over. I watched the first season when my son was a newborn, and for 21 years I thought it was a fever dream because it seems to have vanished from the collective pop culture consciouness. It’s been 21 years and I still think about these women and wonder how they’re doing. Thank you for confirming that I did not just make this up in a sleep-deprived state. (Also, if you saw this message in your Instagram inbox, no you didn’t. I was so excited about Starting Over that I immediately went over there and committed that social media faux pas before realizing I could comment here.)
It honestly DOES feel like a fever dream! And you committed no social media faux pas by going to instagram, although I'm glad you brought the comment over here if only because I'm only instagram less and less lately!
YOU WROTE A BOOK WITH DOMINIQUE MOCEANU?! OMG ALICIA!!
sorry, just had to scream because holy shit. i was also a big DM in '96. i had the olympic gymnast Barbie, and she came with a little ring you could snap onto her waist that let you do flips and stuff. i loved that doll like i loved the Magnificent Seven. this was such an enjoyable read! did you see the SELF Mag feature with the Dominiques and Shannon Miller??
I remember that doll!!!!! And YES I saw the SELF Mag feature, it was such a cool blast from the past!!!
Loved this newsletter. Two things:
1. I was OBSESSED with the 1984 TV movie Nadia, about gymnast Nadia Comaneci. I had it recorded on VHS and watched it so many times.
2. There was a book I loved as a kid that I would read anytime I wanted a good cry because it was a SAD book, called You Shouldn't Have to Say Goodbye by Patricia Hermes. In it, a thirteen year old girl's mother gets cancer and eventually dies, but the girl is a gymnast at her school and there is an entire subplot about her mom being too sick to attend the gymnastics show and how the girl wants to do something wild and dangerous in her ropes routine, but then the mom IS there and so she doesn't do it. And I don't know why, but when I see any gymnastics, I always think of this book.
I remember the Nadia movie!!! I'll have to check out that Patricia Hermes book because I love those old nostalgic reads, although I should make sure I'm in the right mood for it!
our shared love for the chris mccandless is further proof to me that we were best friends in a former life. have you listened to their nancy grace deep dive??
wow, so this is how I find out we're not best friends in THIS life, huh? lol but seriously, I'm saving the Nancy Grace deep dive!! I'm working my way slowly through.
not best friends in this life YET! you’re gonna love that series! can’t wait to hear what you think.
I love that meme, because my husband has definitely heard my hit lecture, Toxicity in Women's Gymnastics (ft. They Didn't Need That Vault) while he has watched basically every minute of Olympics coverage.
ha, on the same page yet again!
You wrote a book with Dominique Moceanu?!?! My 14-year-old self (and current self tbh) is blown away by this news. What an iconic team that 1996 team was… my best friend periodically reminds me (as recently as a few days ago, in fact) that he can name all 7 members. I’ve forwarded him this newsletter. What a day this will be for him.
Your best friend is an icon! I am also very proud of my ability to name all seven members lol.
I love that you wrote a book with your gymnastics idol! I am older than you and my obsession was Tai and Randy in the Winter Games.
Ooooh good one!