Brooklyn Bookbeat: Former Brooklynites coin ‘The Gaggle,’ a modern guide to dating
Jessica Massa was living in Brooklyn this past June when she published “The Gaggle” — a well-researched and innovative guide to dating in the modern world. She and her best friend-turned-business partner, Rebecca Wiegand (also a former Brooklynite) offer women a new way of approaching their love lives, emphasizing the importance of the “gaggle” of men they are connected to. Massa and Wiegand propose that once a woman recognizes and analyzes her “gaggle” — which might include a co-worker, ex-boyfriend, or prospective boyfriend — she can use these relationships to her advantage, employing more agency in her romantic life. Brooklyn Eagle checked in with Massa and Wiegand about their life in Brooklyn during the conception of “The Gaggle.” They share with us how the borough influenced their project, what they miss most about Fort Greene, and offer a preview of their next project.
How did you decide on ‘The Gaggle’ terminology?
The Gaggle terminology started out as almost a fluke. We didn’t necessarily expect it to stick! We first had our epiphany that we (and all the “single” girls we knew) had gaggles one night on our couch in Brooklyn. Becky was upset that boys hadn’t been asking her out, and Jess recognized that while Becky hadn’t been going on dates, she certainly had a group of guys who were ambiguously moving in and out of her orbit – a “gaggle” of guys, as Jess haphazardly called it. We immediately began talking to our friends about the idea and were surprised to see that they latched onto the word ‘gaggle’ and started using it with us instantly. Over time, the name just stuck, and we found it more and more appropriate as we set out to define what exactly the gaggle was, and how women were navigating their own gaggle.