Though she's over-saturated according to a certain swath of bitchy bloggers (present company included), Julia Allison's gotten millionaires and media execs to take notice. Inspiring to some, loathsome to others, she's making an impression -- many, as it turns out. Whether you view it as a cautionary tale or a how-to manual, here's New York contributor Stephen Rodrick on how a polarizing public figure/sometime journalist fashioned herself into a fixture.

Becoming Julia