6 p.m.: For a lot of people, the best part of this Tuesday would have probably been interviewing Shaq, which was undeniably cool. But for a queer girl from Oakland, California, it was watching Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu take the ice. Watching Liu, Oakland’s alt treasure, was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. There is such intensity and passion in her whimsical and artful movements. Power and grace in every step sequence and triple-lutz, triple-loop combination. My queer icon, Amber Glenn, takes her position in front of the judges as Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” fills the arena. She cries at the end of her performance and my heart feels heavy for her. She finishes 12th, and Liu, third.
Wednesday, February 18
10 a.m.: I’m sipping a cappuccino at So Natural, a vegan breakfast joint in Magenta-San Vittore, sitting across from a friend I made at a speed skating event. We’re seated outside and the sun warms my face as I take a bite of a pistachio pastry, which to my surprise doesn’t even taste vegan. I check my email. “Media Availability: Ilia Malinin (figure skating),” reads the subject line. I’ve never opened an email so fast. “SELF – 5:24-5:29.” I can work with five minutes.
5 p.m.: This is the first interview I am actually nervous about.
5:45 p.m.: Ilia Malinin walks into the room, and everyone’s heads turn. I watch as he sits for his five minutes with CNN, CBS, ABC, and People. I take a sip of water and take off my jacket—I’m sweating at this point. “Hi Ilia, I’m Katie from SELF. If you want to take a seat here and make yourself comfy,” I gesture to the green couch my tripod is pointing towards. He centers himself and scoots all the way back. I tell him I like his outfit—he’s wearing Nike puffer pants. “Feel free to sit forward, you don’t have to lean all the way back if that’s not comfortable,” I say. “No, I really like being comfortable, this is nice,” he says and smiles at me. He’s almost one with the green velvet, holding the mic with two hands, legs spread, and his feet barely touching the ground. After I ask him my list of questions I hold an array of friendship bracelets before him, asking if he would like to take one. “Cool, yeah!” He picks the red, white, and blue beaded one.
