Julia Rothman Reflects on Her New York Times Column, Scratch, and Shares Letters From Her Childhood

Plus, the illustrator’s genius advice for career longevity.

Student drawings from a recent Speed Portrait Night hanging in Julia’s new Gowanus studio, Hot House.

Hi! How are you? After taking last week off to hang with our daughter during her school break, I’m excited to be back with a fun interview with the brilliant illustrator JULIA ROTHMAN!

I discovered Julia years ago when her More/Less New Year’s Eve lists went viral, and I’ve loved following her work ever since. I particularly enjoyed her New York Times column, Scratch, about people and small businesses — seeing snippets of Park Slope life in that column was always fun (more on that below).

Julia’s latest project is a studio in Gowanus called Hot House, where she’s hosting classes and building community. “There are so many people using computers and digital tools to make their work, and I think that there's some pushback where people want to use their hands again and actually draw with a pen and paper and cut things up,” she says. In addition to figure drawing classes, there will be collage workshops, speed drawing, and discussions with children's book agents. “I want to keep doing events, building community, and doing fun things together because I think right now, we all need that.”

I spoke with Julia about growing up on City Island in the Bronx, her More/Less lists, her dream projects (one involves the brain!), living in Park Slope, and her impressive dress collection. She also shares some of her neighborhood favorites, including a pesto pizza, a new plant shop, a space viewing party, and the best spot to see a million dogs.

People enjoying spring in Prospect Park, by Julia Rothman, May 2023.

Kelley MacDonald: Hi Julia! I’m so excited to chat with you. So, when did you move to Park Slope, and what do you love about the neighborhood?

Julia Rothman: Well, I moved to Gowanus in 2003 and lived there for a bunch of years, but I officially moved to Park Slope in 2008 or 2009. I lived on Seventh Street in the same apartment for many years, up until three years ago. I had the best neighbors and was very involved in everything, like face painting at block parties.

I think it's beautiful; the architecture is beautiful. There are lots of nice places to go eat and bookstores. And, of course, the park — the park is the biggest draw of anything. We bought an apartment a few years ago, and we live so close to the park now. It's like having the park in the backyard.

Julia and Ollie, Prospect Park wedding celebration, 2022.

I love how you and your husband, filmmaker Jan Oliver “Ollie” Lucks, celebrated your marriage in Prospect Park!

We got married in my friend's backyard, just the two of us. It was right around my birthday, so we pretended I was having a birthday picnic the next day and just announced that we got married and had champagne for everyone. There were no gifts or anything. It was just a fun picnic. It was perfect, and there was a rainbow at the end!

How did the two of you meet?

We met in a very crazy way…