By now you’ve heard aboutDaisy Jones & The Six,the sixth bookfrom author Taylor Jenkins Reid, either because of its six weeks and counting on the NYT bestseller list, or because it’s currently being adapted into an Amazon limited series by Reese Witherspoon, or because yes, this book was part of the zeitgeist that united me with the haircut I was always meant to have.
The book, an oral history of a (fictional, but you’re not wrong if you had to double check) 70s band, their rise to fame and glory and the breakup that followed, is full of juice, emotional messiness, and the casual sexism that was standard for women in men’s worlds, back thenandtoday, is affecting and delicious – we’ll be discussing the characters and the upcoming show in an upcoming episode with Taylor …
But Part 1, today’s episode, is all about the WORK.
Taylor Jenkins Reid, a celebrity addict just like we are, is clearheaded, opinionated, and badass as we discuss the issues that go into the creation of her most successful book yet: How do you approach the intimidation factor of writing something (or working on something) you’ve never done before? How does she deal with people (ahem, men) who give her work more credit now because it focuses on somethingthey’reinterested in? What about the pressure that comes with success?
We cover all kinds of topics, including the time she read Cat Marnell’s memoir andfound herself in it. But, just a week after Beyoncé’sHomecomingschooled us in all the sacrifices and minutiae that everyone in her family made in order to make her Beychella triumph so resonant, Jenkins Reid goes into detail about how her family logistics work,as per this article Lainey references, why her husband does the bulk of the childcare for their daughter, and why her guilt about that is harder to shake than anything she has to face in her work life. Then she sends us both into paroxysms of shock and delight when she talks about the challenge facing her on her next book – and the equation that she dropped on us that’s become our new math.
A note for book readers – if you haven’t finishedDaisy Jones & The Six, this episode is 99% spoiler free, so you’re free to listen with abandon, but we take no responsibility if (when!) the episode makes you ignore your work for the rest of the day, rip out the book and finish it in one greedy gulp.
Hit us up with your thoughts and comments up – on Instagram,@laineygossip@duanataha,或者太瓦itter@laineygossip@duanaelise– and of course, make sure you follow@tjenkinsreidso you can be as awed by her brain as we are. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
