Westerly Sun Column | Exploring 25 Years of ‘Gilmore Girls’

As a millennial woman who was just entering her teenage years when Gilmore Girls first aired, I recall feeling like a bit of an outcast for not watching the show. Somehow, 25 years later, that feeling has only intensified.

For those who are even less familiar than I am, Gilmore Girls was a comedy-drama centering on the relationship between a young single mom and her teenage daughter, who lived in a fictional Connecticut town. Over the years, it has been something of a unifier. It originally appealed largely to boomer mothers and millennial daughters, and has now found a newer audience among Gen Z streamers. Many who enjoyed it when it first aired in the early aughts are now rewatching it as a comfort show, and I’ve had several people mention to me (unsolicited!) over the last few weeks that their husbands are also fans. It’s clear that I’ve been missing something. So, since I just so happen to be looking for a “new” show to watch, and the library just so happens to have all 7 seasons on DVD – not to mention that this Sunday just so happens to be the show’s 25 anniversary – I feel I have no choice but to finally give it a shot.

Past and present fans of the show will definitely want to be at the library this Wednesday at 6:00pm for a special author talk panel we are presenting in cooperation with Bank Square Books. Ann Hood, author of numerous best-selling novels and memoirs, will be joined by Tracey Minkin, Rand Richards Cooper, and Michael Ruhlman to discuss their 2024 anthology “Life’s Short, Talk Fast: 15 Writers on Why We Can’t Stop Watching Gilmore Girls”. Each of these panelists (and others) contributed an essay to the book, which explores the writers’ relationships with the show, which often mirrored their own life in some way. In addition to being a wonderful compilation of short memoirs, the book is also a celebration of the show that so many people have loved over the years. Even if you’re not (yet) a fan of the show, it is sure to be a fascinating discussion with some really amazing writers.

If you can’t get enough Gilmore Girls in your life, there are a number of other books you can delve into. Lauren Graham, who starred as Lorelai Gilmore (the mother) in the show, wrote a humorous memoir in 2016 titled “Talking as Fast as I Can”. Kelly Bishop, who played the Lorelai’s mother in the show, wrote her own memoir in 2024: “The Third Gilmore Girl”. There are even two cookbooks inspired by the show: “Gilmore Girls: The Official Cookbook” by Elena P. Craig, and “Eat like a Gilmore” by Kristi Carlson. There’s so much to explore, whether you are a lifelong fan, or just catching on 25 years later!

by Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian