2026 Update: Julia
6/18/202636 min
In grade 8, Julia was bullied so badly by a group of girls that she changed schools without telling anyone. Soon after, the girls from her old school showed up at her house and rang her doorbell. She didn’t answer it. For the past 20 years, Julia’s been wondering what those girls wanted.
Ten years after the release of this episode, we check back in with Julia, to hear how her life changed in the aftermath of the episode.
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This episode was produced by Jonathan Goldstein, Chris Neary, and Kalila Holt, with senior production by Wendy Dorr. Editing by Alex Blumberg and Jorge Just. Special thanks to Emily Condon, Maya Goldberg-Safir, Lina Chambers, Emily Kennedy, Laura Scott, and Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Haley Shaw. Music for this episode by Christine Fellows, with additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Keen Collective. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records, and our ad music is by Haley Shaw. Mixing on this update by Sarah Bruguiere, with production by Lisa Wang.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJonathan Goldstein· Host0:00
[intro music] Pushkin.
Speaker 20:06
Hi.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:11
Hello.
Speaker 20:12
We're back again in the studio.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:15
Yes, and in your earbuds.
Speaker 20:17
Yep.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:18
And who do we have on the docket today?
Speaker 20:20
This one, her, her name's Julia.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:22
Okay, this episode is the first one that I ever did with a stranger.
Speaker 20:25
Yeah.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:26
Like, someone that wasn't a friend or a family, and it was a little scary. It was a little intimidating. Um, Julia's a journalist, and I needed to, like, step up.
Speaker 20:34
Um, it's a great episode.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:37
Partly because of Julia kept me on the straight and narrow.
Speaker 20:39
Yeah. No, I was gonna say it's great not because of us, but because of Julia and, spoiler alert, another woman we talk to.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host0:46
Uh, if you stick around, at the end of the episode, I talk again with Julia, and, uh, what was really very gratifying to me was how the episode really did have, uh, an important impact on her life.
Speaker 21:02
Um, all right. Well, I'm looking forward to listening to this one again.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host1:05
Yes. Let's, uh, both, um, sit down.
Speaker 21:09
I'm already seated, but- And silence. All right.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host1:13
Uh, do you have any snacks?
Speaker 21:15
No, I can't eat a snack silently.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host1:17
It was a trick question.
Speaker 21:19
Oh, did I pass?
Jonathan Goldstein· Host1:20
Yes, you did.
Speaker 21:21
Thank God.
Jonathan Goldstein· Host1:22
All right, and here we go. Oh, but first, we're gonna pay those bills. Gonna pay my automo-bills