University of Mississippi Graduate Student’s Book Lands Netflix Deal

Oxford’s very own, Via Bleidner, a master’s student at the University of Mississippi, has successfully clinched a development deal from Netflix for her debut publication, a collection of humorous essays titled ‘If You Lived Here You’d Be Famous By Now.’

A Coming-of-age Tale

The book traverses the author’s coming-of-age chronicles, carefully preserved in a pile of journals maintained since her high school days. After shifting from a Catholic school, Bleidner found herself amidst a milieu of affluent, attention-seeking teens in a Los Angeles County High School. The gripping narrative that came forth attracted the attention of the streaming giant, landing her the thrilling deal.

‘Calabasas,’ the city where Bleidner’s transformative high school experience took place, is notorious for its well-heeled residents, including the Kardashians. This Californian city now serves as the backdrop of her book, which portrays her journey navigating its culture and drama scrupulously. Kim Kardashian and Emma Roberts are among key personalities joining hands to produce the Netflix series based on the book.

Bleidner’s Journey to the Netflix Deal

“It’s still hard to believe,” confessed Bleidner, expressing her nervous excitement about the deal. When Bleidner’s book was published in 2021, she was a 19-year-old scholar at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Brimming with a broad spectrum of themes from high school politics to the impact of social media, she aimed to write something amusing, insightful, and relatable for her Gen-Z peers.

Courting a specific interest in addressing young women, Bleidner shared, “I get messages on Instagram from girls who have read my book; that is the coolest part for me.”

Beyond the Netflix Deal

Currently stationed nearly 2,000 miles off from Calabasas, Bleidner is working on her thesis comprising a collection of short fiction narratives at Ole Miss. Eager to hone her skills further, she stated, “I still have a lot more to learn. I want to become a better writer.”

Lauding her professors and peer writers at the MFA, she asserted, “They’re all wonderful. Just being in the workshops with other talented writers has helped me develop my writing skills.”

Keen to inspire her undergraduate cohort to chase publishing dreams, Bleidner urged budding writers to stay relentless in their endeavor. “When I was a freshman in college, simply sending out my creative work randomly, it happened for me,” she said, narrating her journey to success.