Julia Sweeney is a comedian, actor, and SNL alum.
Julia Sweeney is a comedian, actor, author, and SNL alum. Courtesy of Julia Sweeney

Good morning. It's Monday, April 20, and today's message comes from Julia Sweeney, the well-known TV actor who also likes to read (two things that don't always go together).

A decade before her celebrity in the '90s playing Pat on Saturday Night Live, Julia went to the University of Washington. "Seattle is my place. It’s my hometown, in a way," she said recently.

Even though she lives in LA now, that did not prevent Julia from attending last week's worldwide silent-reading party. In her message today, she talks about what it was like.

She talks about the sense of community at the party, something she wasn't expecting.

"I would say about half the people kept their monitors on, so you could see them reading, which I find incredibly poignant. And there's something very community-feeling about it that's even more intimate than Zoom where you're talking to the camera. And you get fabulous music. Oh my god. Paul Matthew Moore's piano music is so good."

She adds, "I'm going to try to be there every Wednesday."

Julia's TV projects these days include roles on Shrill, Work in Progress, and American Gods.

She also told us a funny story about being a student at UW.
Julia is also, apparently, able to see into the future. Courtesy of Julia Sweeney

In a weirdly prescient interview with The Stranger in January, Julia predicted that a disease was going to emerge and wipe out a whole bunch of us. "I hope remnants of our civilization survive. That’s how dark my feeling is," she said, more than a month before the first coronavirus death in Washington state.

But that interview wasn't all doom and gloom. She also told a hilarious story from her UW days including a wheelchair, a slope, and a fountain.

Thank you for brightening our world with your stories and your warmth and your effortless comic timing, Julia.

We can't wait to be at another party with you again on Wednesday.

Try to find some joy in your day today, everyone.

Good luck with this week.


* *

Previously in this series:


Molly Sidess message to the city on April 18.
Molly Sides's message to the city on April 18.

Nick Garrisons message to the city on April 17.
Nick Garrison's message to the city on April 17.

Tomo Nakayamas message to the city on April 16.
Tomo Nakayama's message to the city on April 16.

Rebecca M. Daviss message to the city April 15.
Rebecca M. Davis's message to the city April 15.

Heather McHughs message to the city on April 14.
Heather McHugh's message to the city on April 14.

Brandon ONeills message to the city on April 13.
Brandon O'Neill's message to the city on April 13.

Kate Wallichs message to the city on April 12.
Kate Wallich's message to the city on April 12.

Rebecca Browns message to the city on April 11.
Rebecca Brown's message to the city on April 11.

Lucien Postlewaites message to the city on April 10.
Lucien Postlewaite's message to the city on April 10.

Betty Wetters message to the city on April 9.
Betty Wetter's message to the city on April 9.

Amanda Morgans message to the city on April 8.
Amanda Morgan's message to the city on April 8.

Nancy Guppys message to the city on April 7.
Nancy Guppy's message to the city on April 7.

Jonathan Bisss message to the city on April 6.
Jonathan Biss's message to the city on April 6.

Chris Jeffriess message to the city on April 5.
Chris Jeffries's message to the city on April 5.

Lesley Hazletons message to the city on April 4.
Lesley Hazleton's message to the city on April 4.

John Rodericks message to the city on April 3.
John Roderick's message to the city on April 3.

Bill Cartys message to the city on April 2.
Bill Carty's message to the city on April 2.

Price Suddarths message to the city on April 1.
Price Suddarth's message to the city on April 1.

Kary Waysons message to the city on March 31.
Kary Wayson's message to the city on March 31.

Ellen Forneys message to the city on March 30.
Ellen Forney's message to the city on March 30.

Major Scaless message to the city on March 29.
Major Scales's message to the city on March 29.

E. J. Kohs message to the city on March 28.
E. J. Koh's message to the city on March 28.

Ken Jenningss message to the city on March 27.
Ken Jennings's message to the city on March 27.

Demarre McGills message to the city on March 26.
Demarre McGill's message to the city on March 26.

Lynn Sheltons Message to the City on March 25th.
Lynn Shelton's Message to the City on March 25th.

Timothy White Eagles message to the city on March 24.
Timothy White Eagle's message to the city on March 24.

Cookie Coutures message to the city on March 23.
Cookie Couture's message to the city on March 23.

Sarah Rudinoffs message to the city on March 22.
Sarah Rudinoff's message to the city on March 22.

John Osebolds message to the city on March 21.
John Osebold's message to the city on March 21.


Ben Gibbards message to the city on March 21.
Ben Gibbard's message to the city on March 20.

Nathan Chans message to the city on March 19.
Nathan Chan's message to the city on March 19.