Mayor Michelle

During the run-up to the 2021 Boston mayoral election, Edible Boston Magazine ran interviews with all the candidates to get their plans and policies around food. It was a star-studded field of bad-ass ladies: Acting-mayor Kim Janey, City Council members Andrea Campbell (now the AG of Massachusetts), Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu. After dragging a white seamless set to a couple of campaign headquarters and one quiet corner of Boston Garden – last but not least was soft-spoken Michelle Wu.

We were scheduled to shoot her at a community garden in East Boston, literally between campaign events. The thing I remember most was that it was hotter than hell. That and the fact that I had no access to power for my strobe light. As my assistant labored to put up the white seamless paper, I started knocking on people’s doors until I found someone who didn’t think I was a complete random lunatic and let me plug an extension chord into an outlet in their backyard. Finally set up, sweating and ready to go, we waited. And waited. Finally a young man from her staff pedaled up on a bicycle to inform us we were at the wrong community garden. While I began to cry (figuratively) he got on his phone and after a minute said it was okay - she would come to us. Amazing.

The rest just went in a blink. You get your five minutes and you try to make every second count. She walked onto set as calm and cool as a spring breeze, a picture of humble and peaceful confidence. Honestly, it was impossible not to have a little crush on her. Luckily the people of Boston felt the same way and they now have the most “bussin’ fire” mayor in America. Wutrain ya’ll.