1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: Hello Sunshine, Hey besties. Today, on the bright Side, it's 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: time for an all new shelf life with author Maureen Goo. 3 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Her book Throwback is the Reese's Book Club Winter Ya Selection, 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: and it's a time cross romance filled with laughs, lots 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: of heart, and the big questions you can't help but 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: ask when you're the daughter of immigrants. 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 2: It was like, what am I writing about? Like, I 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 2: don't want this to be some rosy look at the 9 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 2: American dream. I'm like, what is the American dream? How 10 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: does it change? 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: It's Thursday, January twenty third. 12 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 3: I'm Simone Boyce, I'm Danielle Robe and this is the 13 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 3: bright Side from Hello Sunshine. Our guest today is the 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 3: best selling author Maureen Goo. She's an expert when it 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 3: comes to writing young adult fiction, and she's best known 16 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 3: for writing the book Somewhere Only We Know and I 17 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 3: Believe In a Thing Called Love. I love that title, 18 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 3: and that one is currently being developed into a Netflix movie. Okay, Simone, 19 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 3: here's a fun connection. The screenwriter for I Believe In 20 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 3: a Thing Called Love is Reese's book Club author Juleen Kwang, 21 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 3: who we spoke with last year about her novel How 22 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: To End a love story. Both Maureen and Euleen are 23 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 3: incredibly talented storytellers, so I cannot wait to see this 24 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 3: movie come to life. 25 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: That's so cool. I love Youuleene and I love Maureen. 26 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: This is a dynamic duo, absolutely all right. But now 27 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: it's time to get into Maureen's latest book. It's called Throwback, 28 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: and it was inspired by a movie we all love, 29 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: Back to the Future. This one is also a time 30 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: travel story, but here in Throwback, Maureen explores the challenges 31 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,559 Speaker 1: of mother daughter dynamics through a multi generational lens. Maureen 32 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: wanted to robe her own relationship with her mother, and 33 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: she says writing this book offered her a fresh perspective 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: that's really been instrumental in her own healing. We can't 35 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: wait to hear more. So let's jump in, Maureen. Welcome 36 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: to the bright Side. 37 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: Hi, I'm so happy to be here. 38 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 3: Congratulations on your book, Throwback being the wind. Why a 39 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 3: pick for Reese's Book Club. It's major. Yeah, it is 40 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 3: really a major. It feels like almost like the book 41 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 3: just came out in a way. Where were you when 42 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: you got the call or the email? 43 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: I was It's really funny that you use both words 44 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: because I was on vacation with my husband and my 45 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 2: son and we had like not been able to take 46 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: a vacation in forever, so so excited, and I didn't 47 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: I was like, I am not checking my emails. I'm 48 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 2: not even going to look at my phone. So I 49 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 2: was like outside on this little porch of this hotel 50 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: we were staying at and reading, and then my phone 51 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: was buzzing and I'm like, gosh, shouldn't look at my phone, 52 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 2: but okay, I'll check. And then it was my publicist 53 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: and she had texted me like I just wanted to 54 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: reiterate how excited we are about the Reese news. And 55 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: I was like what, and so I, you know, my 56 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 2: heart is thumping, and I like opened up the email, 57 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 2: my email, and I saw it and I was like, 58 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 2: oh my god. And my son was napping, so I 59 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: was trying to be quiet, and my husband came out 60 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 2: and he's like, what what happened? And I was like, 61 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 2: I just got picked for this book club. 62 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god. 63 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: You don't know, you don't get it, but it's really 64 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: book club. And I started crying because this book has 65 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 2: been a journey, you know. I started writing in twenty nineteen, 66 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 2: I became a mom when I was writing it. Then 67 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,959 Speaker 2: the pandemic happened, and then it came out, and it's 68 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 2: just had like a long, kind of a long journey. 69 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 2: So it was really nice. It was unexpected, a huge surprise. 70 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: I'm so happy to hear that. I love the crux 71 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 2: of the story. 72 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 3: It's really all about how hard it is to get 73 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 3: along with your parents as teenagers and how we're not 74 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 3: always on the same page. And Throwback explores that it 75 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: explores your own relationship with your mother, and you've shared 76 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 3: that it feels like an apology to her for not 77 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 3: really understanding her when you were young. I relate to 78 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 3: that so deeply. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, 79 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 3: and I think so many listeners will too, particularly women, 80 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 3: because no matter how wonderful our mothers are, we all 81 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 3: I think sort of have these fraught relationships with them. 82 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 3: They're so complicated. And I look back and I think 83 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 3: I was really hard on my mom. Do you feel 84 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 3: the same way. Oh, my gosh, I was terrible to 85 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 3: my mom. But you know, while I feel like sorry 86 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 3: for my behavior in a way, and while I have 87 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 3: a lot more understanding, I also have learned to stop 88 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 3: feeling bad about that and like be gentle to like 89 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 3: my teenage self too, because I have a lot of 90 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 3: empathy for both of them, even though I'm talking in 91 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 3: the third person, like that was me teenage maris Yeah, 92 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 3: because you know, I just know what it means to 93 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 3: be a parent now and how much work that involves 94 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 3: and how stressful that is. 95 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: But I also see how your kids are so tuned 96 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 2: into you all the time, and how that's a huge 97 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: responsibility too, right, So the sensitivity of being a teenage 98 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: girl with your mom is also very real and something 99 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 2: that I want to be empathetic about. So it is 100 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 2: mostly to say, hey, Mom, I understand you now. That 101 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 2: took me a long time, but it's also kind of 102 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 2: like it's understandable why it was hard on me as well. 103 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 3: I think people can read more of the nuance in 104 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 3: the book, but I am curious if you're comfortable sharing 105 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 3: one or two things that come up for you in 106 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,479 Speaker 3: what you misunderstood in hindsight. 107 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 2: You know, I think I knew to a point the 108 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 2: cultural gap right between my mom and I because my 109 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,239 Speaker 2: mom grew up in Korea. She immigrated to the US 110 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 2: when she was like in her late twenties and then 111 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: she had me immediately after, you know, just a couple 112 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 2: of years being in the US and my yeah, and 113 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: then my sister was born two and a half years 114 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: after me, so she had these two girls back to 115 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: back in a way, and then she's in this new country. 116 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: And my dad is a great dad, and he became 117 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 2: a bet or dad, but he was my dad was 118 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 2: the oldest son of a lot of kids, and so 119 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 2: he was very the head of the household, of head 120 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 2: of the family and his family, so that was a 121 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 2: lot of responsibility and so he I think, even though 122 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 2: it is not my dad's nature, he took on a 123 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 2: very patriarchal role. So he did not do anything to 124 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 2: help with the kids, me and my sister when we 125 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 2: were younger, because that was the role of the mom. 126 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: But my mom worked full time and my dad worked 127 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 2: full time, So my mom did everything. You know, in retrospect, 128 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 2: I look back, and even as a kid, I knew 129 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,919 Speaker 2: my mom was doing everything, and so we were hardest 130 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: on her. We were closest to her, we were the 131 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 2: most raw with her. And my mom just didn't have 132 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: the tools to deal with working full time, being in 133 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 2: charge of two kids and so I just feel like 134 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 2: we I did not appreciate that she was so stretched 135 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 2: thin all the time, and that then I'm giving her 136 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: attitude because I can't go to the mall. She and 137 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 2: I both have short fuses, big tempers and are bossy. 138 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: Maureen, I don't believe anything you're telling me right now, 139 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: not the woman who's sitting across from me. 140 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. I mean, I have learned to calm down, 141 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 2: but like you know, if you cross me, and then 142 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: when we were teenagers, it was just like a clash 143 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: of hormones, me being hormonal and like angry, typical teenage stuff. 144 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 2: I think I was a typical teenager, to be honest. 145 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: And my mom is not used to this American team 146 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: because in Korea, like you work, you study all day long, 147 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: you know, and you don't have a life. What is 148 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 2: that like you have a life when you go to college. 149 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: But in that way, my mom felt like you are 150 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 2: so you have such a bad attitude, you know. That 151 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 2: was always that you have such a bad attitude. And 152 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 2: I did have a bad attitude, but it was also 153 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: like you're my mom. 154 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: Well it sort of feels like a love letter to 155 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 3: her in some ways. It is Yeah, why was it 156 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 3: important for you to bring that to life in the novel? 157 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 2: I think that me being a YA author comes with 158 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 2: a lot of I picked YA for a reason. One 159 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 2: it's really fun to write. Two, I feel very much 160 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 2: in touch with my emotions as a teen still, so 161 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 2: it's really easy for me to access those kind of 162 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 2: stories and those characters. And three, I want to write 163 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 2: this stuff I didn't see growing up, and so I'm 164 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 2: writing about a Korean American family and all of my books. 165 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 2: And that's the obvious one. But I also feel like 166 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 2: a lot of teen books didn't really talk about family 167 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 2: dynamics in a way that you know, my life was 168 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 2: dictated by my family in every way. I saw my cousins, 169 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 2: my huge extended family on both sides, lived in La 170 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 2: I grew up here, and so I saw them all 171 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 2: the time, more than I see my friends. And I 172 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 2: was so aware of my parents and their expectations and 173 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: their values, and so it seemed like, you know, if 174 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 2: I write YA, I'm going to write about all the 175 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 2: family stuff too. So I had two books about dads 176 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 2: that were like both single dads, because that's easy for 177 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: me to write. That's like such pure fantasy, right, Like 178 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 2: dads are so dad and daughters it's like a sweet 179 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: cute relationship. I'm generalizing here, but you know, like those 180 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 2: are the stories that you see in Y, like oh, 181 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: the single dads that are like COOKI and can't handle 182 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 2: a teenage daughter. 183 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: La la la. 184 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,599 Speaker 2: Mom's stuff is so hard. Mom is Ladybird, Mom is 185 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 2: joy Ltte Club, Mom is everything everywhere all at once. 186 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 2: It's way more fraud And so I was really kind 187 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 2: of avoiding that because I'm like, oh man, I'm gonna 188 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 2: have to like access those teen years when my mom 189 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 2: and I really went at it. But I knew that 190 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: it was actually important for me to eventu excavate that. 191 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 2: And I think I was like, because it was so 192 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 2: hard on me, and because it's so heavy, it's going 193 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 2: to make for a good book. You know, it's going 194 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 2: to be a challenge, and I think things that are 195 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 2: really challenging are always ultimately the most rewarding. 196 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 3: I agree. 197 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 2: So I knew. I was like, Okay, I'm going to 198 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 2: write that book, but it's going to be a daisy 199 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 2: for me emotionally. Hoptually doesn't feel like work when you're 200 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 2: reading it. 201 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: Well, I read that you did a lot of your 202 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 1: excavation work in therapy. Did you go to therapy with 203 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: your mom or did you do it? 204 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 3: My god? 205 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 2: No, can you imagine, I mean, getting your mom to 206 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 2: go to therapy. To my mom's credit, I've never given 207 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: her the chance, and I've not really talked about my 208 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 2: therapy with her, and I don't think she would be 209 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 2: hard about it. But part of my issue with my 210 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 2: mom and my family in general, and I think a 211 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 2: lot of immigrant kids can relate to this, is there's 212 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 2: a bit of a wall or like a dynamic that 213 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 2: is set early on that is very hard to break 214 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 2: out of. And we don't talk about stuff like that, 215 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 2: you know, Like it's not like emotions weren't allowed. I 216 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 2: was allowed to be emotional, but talking about real stuff 217 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 2: is very uncomfortable. So when my mom and I used 218 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 2: to get into fights, I would write her apology letters 219 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 2: the next day, because if I try to apologize in person, 220 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 2: it was like pulling teeth or I would start screaming, 221 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: and you know what I mean, like and therapy. Bringing 222 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 2: up therapy just feels like so just too raw. I 223 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,719 Speaker 2: would think it's a generational thing too. Yeah, it's a 224 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 2: bigger hurdle mental hurdle to convince women of that generation 225 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 2: to go to therapy, and still stigma for sure within 226 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 2: the generation, within Korean culture, still stigmatized a little bit, 227 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 2: although it is definitely getting better. I think over there too, 228 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 2: and I think my parents have an understanding of yeah, 229 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 2: mental health is real, but we don't really like to 230 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 2: talk about it. It's kind of like, you know, it's 231 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 2: a little bit of a awkward that's a that's like private, 232 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: you know, that's what there's like family stuff that's private. So, yeah, 233 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 2: therapy helps me have a lot of kindness towards my 234 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 2: mother and myself with all this stuff, and just to recognize, like, okay, 235 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 2: this is our dynamic. What are the things I want 236 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: to and can change, what are the things that are 237 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 2: probably not going to change? And that's okay. 238 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: Well, it sounds like the book was almost a form 239 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: of therapy in and of itself. Your characters, Priscilla and 240 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 1: Harmony are Sam's mother and grandmother, and we meet their 241 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: younger versions whenever Sam goes back in time, and their 242 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: mother daughter dynamic is actually the relationship that reflects your 243 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: own relationship with your mom. 244 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 2: Right, all three of them kind of experience the same 245 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 2: thing with their mothers. Obviously, Haimani's mom is not alive 246 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 2: in this book, but the idea of understanding your parent 247 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 2: right and the choices they make, and so Sam and 248 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 2: Priscilla's relationship is changed by Sam witnessing Priscilla and Himene's 249 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 2: relationship and saying, oh, okay, that's where her mom issues 250 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 2: come from. And then that has trickled down to me 251 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 2: in this way, which created a whole other set of 252 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 2: mom issues. I felt like, Priscilla is my generation. She's 253 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 2: I have to know. She is older than me. I 254 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 2: was like, I am not going to be the same 255 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 2: age as a mom of my own book. So Priscilla 256 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 2: is older than me, but we grew up similarly as 257 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 2: the children of immigrants. So Sam is born to a 258 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 2: mom who was born here, and that is pretty far 259 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 2: removed from being the kid of an immigrant. And I 260 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,959 Speaker 2: thought about that, having a kid who is half Korean 261 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 2: and then you know, born to me who is Korean American, 262 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 2: fully Americanized compared to my mom, then you think about 263 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 2: what's his relationship with Korea going to be? Because mine 264 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,079 Speaker 2: is pretty I feel like it's pretty strong, but it's 265 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 2: also pretty thin. So I was thinking about like, Sam 266 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 2: is so easy to criticize her mother and her mom's 267 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 2: dreams and the way she wants to live her life 268 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 2: because she did not have to go through any of 269 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 2: the immigrant kids struggle, Like she did not have to 270 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 2: explain Santa Claus to her mom. She did not have 271 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 2: to explain prom to her mom, or why she wanted 272 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 2: to dress this way, all of which was a battle 273 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 2: for Priscilla. And so that's why Priscilla kind of puts 274 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 2: that on her kid, because she's like, oh my god, 275 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 2: you are so lucky. I take you to them all, 276 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 2: I go shopping with you. I'm going to buy you 277 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 2: a homecoming dress. I'm going to help you with your 278 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 2: homecoming campaign. Priscilla feels like I am setting you up 279 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 2: for this American experience and you do not appreciate it. 280 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 2: And Sam, in her defense, that's her privilege. You know, 281 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 2: that is a privilege to be so far removed from 282 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 2: the struggle that you can then be critical of the 283 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 2: country and that you live in and the the expectations. 284 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 2: You know, that's a privilege. And I think she understands 285 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 2: that after this journey, and I do feel like that 286 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 2: was all in my head as I was looking at 287 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 2: my son rewriting this book during Black Lives Matter, it 288 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 2: was like, what am I writing about? Like, I don't 289 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 2: want this to be some rosy look at the American Dream. 290 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 2: I'm like, what is the American Dream? How does it change? 291 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 2: And so I hope that the book got more complex 292 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 2: from all of my experiences. 293 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 1: Thank you for taking us into that thought process. It's 294 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: really cool to hear how you challenge yourself, you know, 295 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: throughout the writing, to ask yourself, what am I really 296 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: writing this book about. 297 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 3: We have to take a quick break, but we'll be 298 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 3: right back to shelf Life with author Maureene Goo. And 299 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 3: we're back with Marienne Goo. So I'm obsessed with time 300 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 3: travel novel and there is a major time travel element 301 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 3: to your novel. Part of your book takes place in 302 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 3: the present and then the other part takes place in 303 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 3: nineteen ninety five. And we mentioned that you were inspired 304 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 3: by Back to the Future. What about that movie made 305 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 3: you want to write this novel? 306 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 2: I love that movie. You know, like when you are 307 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: exposed to something when you're young at a certain age, 308 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: it's just like imprints for imperence. Yeah, so Back to 309 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 2: the Future was one of them. I probably watched it 310 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 2: when I was like an elementary school or younger, and 311 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 2: I also became really obsessed with Time Trouble because of 312 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 2: this movie, and I read time travel books and I 313 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 2: just love that like goosebumpye, like ooh, something's not quite 314 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 2: right moment, and you know, Back to the Future to 315 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 2: me was so okay. Now, you know, when I write 316 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 2: screenplays and I write books, I'm like a perfect movie, right, 317 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 2: I can like appreciate on a craft level. I'm like, 318 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 2: oh my god, like there's no fat on this movie. 319 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 2: It's just like perfect. But as a kid, I think 320 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 2: it was just like the idea and the reason why 321 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 2: I think this movie is popular going to high school 322 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,439 Speaker 2: with your parents as teens, Like who wouldn't want to 323 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 2: witness that? 324 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: Right? 325 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 3: Oh? 326 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, like how did my parents fall in love? Were 327 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 2: all their stories that they told us true? Like they 328 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: can't just be accurate depictions. That was a big part 329 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 2: of Back Future, right, because his mom is always like 330 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 2: saying like she was so prim and proper, and then 331 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 2: you're like, whoa, she's kind of wild. I mean that 332 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 2: movie though, the whole like Marty and his mom, I'm like, okay, 333 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 2: let's just ignore that that was like eighties weirdness. 334 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: But uh, that's the one part I have to skip 335 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: through whenever I show it to my kids. 336 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're like this, I know. And so that was 337 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 2: It's just such a movie that has made such an 338 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 2: impression on me. And I like to write about bigger 339 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 2: things but in a package that is still really like entertaining. 340 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 2: And so when I was brainstorming with I was brainstorming 341 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 2: with my husband actually, who's also a writer, and I said, Okay, 342 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 2: I do want to tell a mom's story. I want 343 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 2: to do you think it should just be back to 344 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 2: the future, Like should we just write a Korean back 345 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 2: to the future? And we sat there and we like, 346 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 2: h we worked it out. We like broke the whole 347 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,679 Speaker 2: story together. It was our anniversary dinner eating sushi, and 348 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh my god, yeah, I'm going to write this. 349 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: So, like we mentioned, your novel takes us back to 350 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: the nineties, which, of course, as millennials, we are so 351 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: here for this. And I hear that you actually created 352 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: a nineties playlist to give you some inspiration. Tell us 353 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: everything about this playlist. 354 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, it's in the back of the book, 355 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 2: which I have right in front of me. The paperback 356 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 2: has the playlist, so I made one for Priscilla and 357 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 2: I made one for Sam. Priscilla's playlist is okay. So 358 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 2: this book takes place in the past in nineteen ninety five, 359 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 2: so I had to pick nineteen ninety five or Before 360 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: Dreams by the Cranberries. It's so hard to say goodbye 361 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 2: Day Yesterday by Boys to men because who didn't dance 362 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 2: slow dance to that song. And also it's kind of 363 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 2: about time more than words by extreme because that is 364 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 2: a very Korean American. Christians loved that song the teens, 365 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 2: like every if you went to church, some dude on 366 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 2: a guitar would be playing that. So that was a 367 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 2: very nineties like Karan American memory. 368 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: For me of course. 369 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: Yep, and Forever Young by Alphaville, which is also not 370 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 2: really nineties, but it captures the feeling of this kind 371 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 2: of epic high school moment. 372 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: I mean, you can't get any more poetic than Forever Young. 373 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 2: I know, story bumps every time I ye have a 374 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 2: song and listen, I can't say anything, but let's say 375 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 2: there's a movie made about this, that would be the 376 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 2: song that would play at the at the end of school. 377 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 3: Dance. I love the way your protagonist Sam struggles with 378 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 3: being so far removed from modern day technology when she's 379 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 3: back in the nineties. I don't want to spoil it, 380 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 3: but I will explain a little bit. Her phone battery 381 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,159 Speaker 3: life was such an intricate detail in your story. 382 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:01,360 Speaker 1: What did you. 383 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 3: Enjoy most about exploring the digital divide? 384 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 2: I was thinking, you know, then, back to the future, 385 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 2: eighties versus fifties. Visually, it's so clear, right, the difference, 386 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 2: the cars, the fashion, very distinct from the eighties. 387 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: That's a great point. 388 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 2: The nineties. I don't know. Maybe it does feel different 389 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 2: for the youth, but for me, I look at a 390 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 2: Honda Civic from nineteen ninety five and a Honda Civic now, 391 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 2: and it's not like, oh my god, look at that 392 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 2: vintage car. It just looks kind of old and same 393 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 2: with fashion, right, Like a teen from the nineties walking 394 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 2: down the street right now would not look weird. It 395 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: would not be like poodle skirt curl curls from your hair, right. 396 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,479 Speaker 1: I'm so glad poodle skirts are gone. 397 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,959 Speaker 2: So I thought, okay, how can I make this like 398 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: what would be the thing that Sam would immediately notice 399 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 2: and that would be like I can't reach for my phone, 400 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 2: Like I just can't reach for my phone. So I 401 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 2: had to be constantly aware of her when she was 402 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 2: in the past, like remember how she would feel like 403 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,120 Speaker 2: she would be constantly reaching for her phone and realizing, 404 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 2: oh my god, to problem solve, like I have to 405 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:12,440 Speaker 2: like look at a map, I have to take a bus. Then, 406 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 2: like the idea of there being no Wikipedia or Google, 407 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 2: like that's a big deal. Like her having to go 408 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: to the library and use microfiche, which was like I 409 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 2: knew im like, I have to include microfiche. It was 410 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 2: like the bane of my existence in the nineties. 411 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,360 Speaker 1: Yes, it's the definition of I walked to school three 412 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: miles uphill in the snow. 413 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, like I had to like go to 414 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 2: the library and ask a librarian for help and pull 415 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 2: out many volumes of like encyclopedias. 416 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: Gosh, you're so right. The kids these days have it 417 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 1: so easy. I forget these things. But I love your 418 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: attention to detail because that's what makes the story feel 419 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 1: so lived, in the fact that you're remembering like the 420 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: instinct to reach for your phone. 421 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. I had to really remind myself of that though, 422 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 2: and really have to excavate my memories of all the 423 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 2: little things about the nineties, and you know, part of 424 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 2: me was like, am I going too deep? Like who's 425 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 2: going to find this interesting? But other nineties kids, Oh yeah, 426 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 2: there's a huge. 427 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: Demo of us. Oh yeah, I know. 428 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 2: Well, okay, it's historical fiction now, Oh my god, it 429 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 2: is actually considered that. FYI, you're kidding. 430 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: Really, yes, let's not use that. 431 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 2: Yes, hysterical stuff in the nineties is historical now. 432 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: Oh god. 433 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 2: If you listen to the oldies station, what are they playing? Nirvana? 434 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: It's time for another short break. But don't go anywhere. 435 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more from moreen Goo, And 436 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: we're back to shelf Life with author moreen Goo. We 437 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: want our listeners to hear some of your story for themselves, 438 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: in your own words, in your own voice. So will 439 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: you read a passage for us? This is we're thinking 440 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: of one of our favorite passages from page sixty one, 441 00:22:58,080 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: And would you just tell us a little bit about 442 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: what's happening in this scene. 443 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, Samantha has just been dropped off at school, or 444 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 2: so she thinks by her weird ride share. She took 445 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 2: this weird ride share after getting into a huge fight 446 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,239 Speaker 2: with her mom. She had to call right because her 447 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 2: mom's like, I'm not taking you to school anymore. And 448 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 2: the ride share is weird and wonky, and she tells 449 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 2: her mom problems to the driver and then she gets 450 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 2: dropped off at school and things are not quite right 451 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 2: at school. The lockers are a different color. She does 452 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 2: recognize everyone, and everyone's dressed like a little weird and 453 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,400 Speaker 2: her locker combo is not working, and this other guy 454 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 2: is claiming, Hey, this is my locker, and she's like, 455 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 2: I don't even know you. So that is the setup 456 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:46,639 Speaker 2: for this scene. The bell rang and Neil stepped in 457 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 2: front of me, grabbing the lock and opening my locker. 458 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 2: Seconds later, he gave me a meaningful look all seed, dumbass. 459 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 2: My mouth dropped open. Maybe it was at the wrong 460 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 2: locker after all, did Marge somehow get me Hi? Everyone 461 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 2: was rushing to class, so I decided to do the 462 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 2: same locker be damned. I would deal with it later 463 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,400 Speaker 2: and just haul my books to homeroom. When I walked 464 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 2: through the quad, I looked for val but couldn't find them. 465 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,400 Speaker 2: We didn't see each other every morning, so it wasn't 466 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 2: that odd, but I still felt the strangeness of the 467 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 2: car ride creeping through my body. Seeing Val would reset 468 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,159 Speaker 2: whatever weirdness was going on, and curran our testing text 469 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 2: exchange was still bugging me. I was about to text 470 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 2: Val when the late bell rang. 471 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: Shit. 472 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 2: I ran to his homeroom, slipping through the door as 473 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 2: the bell was clanging. Mister Finn was leaning over his desk, 474 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 2: so he didn't notice that I was late. I jogged 475 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 2: over to the back row where I usually sat, except 476 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 2: the seats weren't arranged in rows, they are arranged in 477 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 2: a circle, and the desks were different. The chairs were different, 478 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 2: and the students sitting in them were different. I stopped 479 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 2: in my tracks and stared at everyone. They stared back 480 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 2: at me, all unfamiliar faces. Was I in the wrong 481 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 2: class somehow? I turned to look at the teacher. Yeah, 482 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 2: it was mister Finn, same slouche, same disheveled hair. I 483 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,199 Speaker 2: blinked way more hair with none of the gray at 484 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 2: the temples. My pulse picked up, and then he glanced 485 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,239 Speaker 2: up at me from his desk. Miss what in the 486 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 2: holy hell? It was mister Finn all right, but younger 487 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 2: and not wearing his tortoise shell glasses, His skin was 488 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 2: all buoyant. Even his voice sounded different, higher and clearer, 489 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 2: and dear God, it had to be said, mister Finn 490 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 2: was hot. This was impossible. I felt the room spin 491 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 2: slightly before I could react hot. Mister Finn looked past 492 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 2: me and said, Priscilla, do we have a new student? Priscilla? 493 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 2: And I felt it then, the low electric buzz in 494 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 2: my body, the kind you felt when a TV was 495 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 2: turned on in a house. Subtle but the tiniest of 496 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 2: signals that alerted me every time my mom was near. 497 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 2: I turned around. I stared into the face of a 498 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 2: pretty Asian girl with flawless skin, thin arched eyebrows, and 499 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 2: a pink glossed mouth. Her high ponytail switched and her 500 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 2: eyebrow cocked while she assessed me. No, we don't have 501 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:21,360 Speaker 2: a new student. Who are you? Oh my god. 502 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 3: It's so good and I love how you read it. 503 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. 504 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 3: It was so fun to hear that. 505 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,360 Speaker 1: Can I ask a quick question about the passage? I mean, 506 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: that's a pretty big moment where this young woman is 507 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: meeting the younger version of her mother. What would you 508 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,360 Speaker 1: want to ask your mother if you had the opportunity 509 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: to meet the seventeen year old version of her. 510 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 2: My gosh, I think I would ask her, what's what 511 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 2: is the dream life that you envision for yourself, because 512 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,239 Speaker 2: it'd just be interesting to see, like, Hey, did your 513 00:26:58,280 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 2: life go according to plan? 514 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 3: Yeah? 515 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 2: Are you happy? I mean, I think I kind of 516 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 2: know the answer. My mom once told me she was 517 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 2: very real. She was like, oh, yeah, if I didn't 518 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 2: have kids, I would have had the best life. 519 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: Well, she sacrificed a lot, she did. 520 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 2: And my mom is such a She's a person with 521 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 2: like me, a lot of interests, a lot of energy 522 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 2: and zest for trying new things, and she's very social, 523 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 2: she loves travel. She's just kind of like an extroverted, 524 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 2: enthusiastic person. So I think she would have liked to 525 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 2: have And I feel this, I'm sure like a lot 526 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 2: of people too. There are so many different lives that 527 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 2: we could have lived that we would have probably liked. 528 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 2: It doesn't mean you regret the life you have, but 529 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,640 Speaker 2: just the idea of like, oh, there's so many different 530 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 2: kinds of lives, you know, like sliding doors. 531 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's human to imagine those. 532 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I would like to know, like how different 533 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 2: her life ended up being from what she dreamed of, 534 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 2: you know, and I am very certain my mom and 535 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 2: I would have been us as changed because we are 536 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 2: very similar. 537 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 3: This is actually one of my favorite parts of the show. 538 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 3: We have listener questions. So we have a listener who's 539 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 3: a huge fan of Throwback, and she relates to your 540 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 3: story on a very personal level, and she wants to 541 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 3: ask how you created such nuanced representation in your book. 542 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 4: Hey, Maureen, it's Hannah. I picked up Throwback because I 543 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 4: wanted to read about Korean American mother daughter tension. It 544 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 4: reminded me a little bit of movies like Clueless and Ladybird. 545 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 4: But what I thought was really interesting was how you 546 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 4: added this layer of representation to the story. I love 547 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 4: that Priscilla, as this teen in the nineties is really 548 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 4: the share Horowitz of her story. She's not some Asian nerd. 549 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 4: She is cool and pretty and popular. That felt true 550 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 4: to my high school experiences. But Sam's experience also felt 551 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 4: really healing in contrast, because I, like Priscilla, didn't really 552 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 4: feel like I could be super proud of who I 553 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 4: was as a Korean American growing up in the late 554 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 4: nineties early two thousands, But Sam, as a gen Z 555 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 4: teen feel so proud of being Korean and thinks nothing 556 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 4: of loving Korean food and culture. And I wanted to 557 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 4: ask you about what made you want to show this 558 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 4: difference in terms of how Sam and Priscilla relate to 559 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 4: Korean culture across their generations, and what was your approach 560 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 4: as you were writing them as characters. 561 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 2: Such a great question, and I thank you. I really 562 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 2: I'm like, Hannah, you're sitting here, but Hannah, if you're listening, 563 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 2: thank you. I thought real hard about this because in 564 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 2: all my books, I try to avoid falling into stereotypes. 565 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 2: Obviously that is my instinct, just to make it more 566 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 2: layered and like she said, nuanced. But I always am 567 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 2: I just want to write the story like, hey, if 568 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 2: these characters were white, what would be the things that 569 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 2: I would not feel caged in by? So I treat 570 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 2: my characters that way. They could be anything, but of 571 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 2: course in this book they have to be a certain 572 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 2: thing because they have to be different and they have 573 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 2: to reflect the times, and that is a big part 574 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 2: of the story. So I want there to be a contrast. 575 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 2: So what kind of mom would she butt up against? 576 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 2: So this would be very realistic to have a mom 577 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 2: that grew up wanting the whole John Hughes experience, and 578 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 2: so it was really fun for me to be able 579 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 2: to write. And I was like, I'm not going to 580 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 2: have her be unpopular, and that's why she wants to 581 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 2: be popular. She was popular, but it took so much 582 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 2: for her to be popular, you know, it was such 583 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 2: it was such a job, and I wanted to show like, what, 584 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 2: you know, what a price she had to pay to 585 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 2: get that to that level in society or the high 586 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 2: school hierarchy anyway. And so I had a lot of fun. 587 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 2: And yeah, Clueless, I talk about Clueless in the book 588 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 2: because I'm like, Clules is such a fantasy, you know. 589 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 2: I don't think any nineties Beverly Hills or anything. Nobody 590 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 2: had high school like that. But I love the idea 591 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 2: of like a little bit of that fantasy in this 592 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 2: book too, So I think we all do. Yeah, And 593 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 2: so like if you're a nineties if you're like a teen, now, 594 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 2: what's the fun of reading about nineties? You got to 595 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 2: talk about the fashion, you got to talk about like 596 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 2: the clickiness, you have to have some of that. It's 597 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 2: like kind of the fun of that media and those 598 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 2: stories when we were growing up, so I wanted it 599 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 2: to feel a little bit like I'll give you a 600 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 2: little nine O two and oh, I'll give you a 601 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 2: little clueless, but you know, the more realistic versions. 602 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, Maureen, thank you so much for sharing your time 603 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 3: with us. 604 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 2: Oh, thank you. 605 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 3: I'm really excited about this book. 606 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 2: Oh thanks. 607 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: Maureen Goo is the author of Throwback and The Winter, 608 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: ya pick of Reese's book Club. 609 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 3: That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, we're popping off and 610 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 3: dishing on this week's juice is pop Culture Stories with 611 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 3: our very own showrunner, Tim Halizola. You don't want to 612 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 3: miss it. 613 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect 614 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram 615 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: and at the bright Side Pod on TikTok oh, and 616 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: feel free to tag us at Simone Boyce and at 617 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: Danielle Robe. 618 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 3: Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, 619 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 3: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 620 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: See you tomorrow, folks. Keep looking on the bright side.