What Does It Take To Make Big City Dreams Work?

When I asked Morgan Jerkins what she might want to talk about on an episode of Try Hard, she came to me with an idea that was less major life-changing-thunderclap-moment and more the culmination of a million smaller decisions that stemmed from one big one: moving to New York City as a young grad and choosing to build a life.

The twenty-something who moves to the big city to pursue a career in the arts is a well-worn archetype at this point, and one emulated by many of the very bloggers at this website, myself included. But the allure of the old “three bucks, two bags, one me” storyline endures for a reason. In our interview, Morgan and I talk about the conservative gay roommate who helped her workshop some of her most viral articles, how moving to Harlem helped awaken a new dimension of her blackness, and whether 2015 was the golden age for a writer hustling on the internet. She also offers up some wisdom on the power of staying soft in a city and industry that wants to harden you.