1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: Hey, right side, besties, Hello Sunshine. 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 2: Today is a special day on the bright Side. We're 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 2: with Lee Reese's book club pick for April, Claire Lombardo. 4 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 2: There has been a lot of intrigue online about her novel, 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: and we get to go straight to the source. The 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 2: author herself is here with us. It's Monday, April twenty ninth. 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 2: I'm Danielle Robe. 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: And I'm Simone Boyce and this is the bright Side 9 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: from Hello Sunshine. 10 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: Simone. How is the weekend? 11 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: The weekend was good. It was really low key, just 12 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: kind of hanging out. It was a social battery weekend. 13 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: I just recharged the social battery. I went out to 14 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: one function, went out to a dinner with my girlfriend, 15 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: and that was it. How about you. 16 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 2: I actually got out of the house the first time 17 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: in a while. I went to a group dinner at Boa, 18 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: which is way too trendy for me usually. I got 19 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: some good walks in and I kept my promise. On Sunday, 20 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: I went shopping for some new workout clothes. 21 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: Oh amazing. Okay, I can't wait to see you rock 22 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: these in studio because I'm going to be inspired by that. 23 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: I need to get more, you know, it's all I wear. 24 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: Oh same, But the most Monday thing happened to me 25 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: twenty minutes before we hopped on this recording. I stepped 26 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: on a lego with my full weight, my full weight 27 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: into the middle of my foot, and now I swear 28 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: I have to go to a doctor. I mean that 29 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: I think I have a bruise. This is a little 30 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: known phenomenon, the medical emergency that you don't know about 31 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: until you become a parent. 32 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: But which same name did you scream out when you 33 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: stepped on the lego? 34 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: Nobody? So I'm proud of myself for that. I just 35 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: did on one of those like tight lipped grunts that 36 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: I saw my mom do when I was growing up. 37 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: But now it hurts. 38 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: Do you keep order in your house or is it 39 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 2: just chaos always, like with the kids toys and everything. 40 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: No, we try to. We definitely make an effort, but 41 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,639 Speaker 1: it's yeah, there are certainly days where it's completely a mess. 42 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: Seems hard, it's very hard. 43 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: I see these clean influencers on clean talk and clean Stagram, 44 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: and I'm like, how do you have this much time? 45 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 2: It's hard for me to keep my own one bedroom 46 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 2: apartment together. Like as soon as I try on two outfits. 47 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: The whole place looks like a mess totally. 48 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: Okay, should we get into our morning drip? Yeah, let's 49 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: do it all right. So our girl, Emma Stone, I 50 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: love her so much. Poor things, she was a revelation 51 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: in that film. Well, she wants to switch things up. Okay, 52 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: she wants us to call her Emily, which, if you 53 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: didn't know, Danielle is actually her given name. 54 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 2: Nah, hard, pass on this. 55 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: You're not for it. It's like Emma Stone all the. 56 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 2: Way she won an Oscar is Emma Stone. I know, 57 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 2: how are you gonna go back on that? Girlfriend? It's 58 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: etched in gold on the statue. 59 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: That's so true. 60 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: Late, it is too late for you. We all know 61 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 2: you with Emma Stone. You've been out here for too long. 62 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 2: If you were going to do this, you should have 63 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: done this years ago. 64 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: I know. I mean. So that's actually where this all started, 65 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: is she started calling herself Emma Stone because Emily Stone 66 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: was taken by another sag After member. But now she's 67 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: totally eclipsed other Emily Stone. Unfortunately we don't know who 68 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: that woman is. But this is I feel like the 69 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: ultimate flex, you know, Like she started out with the 70 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: stage name, but now she's so big that she feels 71 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: like she can just revert to her original name. 72 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 2: First of all, this is like when somebody has your 73 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 2: Instagram handle that you want when you start a company 74 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 2: or something, and it's already taken, but they're not using it. 75 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 2: Emily Stone somewhere is probably not even acting anymore. She's 76 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 2: not using the name, and now Emma is stuck with 77 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 2: Emma because is anyone going to change how they refer 78 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: to her. 79 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: It'll be interesting to see. Maybe she has enough power 80 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: to actually make this happen. But this got me thinking 81 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: about all the other stage names that you may or 82 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: may not know about. Oh yeah, yeah, Allie Portman was 83 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: actually born Natalie Hirschlog. Yeah, she's Israeli American. Yeah, she 84 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: took her paternal grandmother's maiden name Portman as her stage name. 85 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: She said it was for privacy reasons. Okay, this one 86 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: is so good. Jamie Fox was actually born Eric Marlin Bishop. 87 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: Where do you get fox from? Bishop? You know? 88 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 2: All the swag that Jamie Fox has I think is 89 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 2: in part because of his name. It's like he is 90 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 2: a fox, you know what I mean? I sound like 91 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: I'm eighty five, but he is like Eric Marlin. Bishop 92 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 2: does not have the same ring to it. 93 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: It doesn't. I mean, he clearly knew this was a 94 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: strategic move. He knew that it would be worthwhile, that 95 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: it would be good for his career. He actually chose 96 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: Fox in honor of Sanford and SunStar red Fox with 97 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: two ex'es. So there you go. I think the one 98 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: that most people know is Lady Gaga. So Gaga came 99 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: from what she calls this stronger individual part of herself 100 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: that she discovered when she was coming up in New 101 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: York City as a young musician. But she was actually 102 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: born Stephanie Germanada. I think that name has star power 103 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:14,679 Speaker 1: in and of itself. 104 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 3: I don't know it has german it, sure, I agree, 105 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 3: But she has so much star power that I'm not 106 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 3: sure it would have mattered for her exactly. 107 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: She was born for stardom. One of our producers told 108 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: us this as we were working on this story. Apparently 109 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: all of her classmates at NYU put together a Facebook 110 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: group saying, Stephanie Germanada, you will never be famous. She 111 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: proved them all wrong. I mean, she proved them all wrong. 112 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: That's so crazy that they did that. 113 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 2: That's a huge part of her backstory. She had a 114 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: lot of resilience and she was like, I am going 115 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 2: to be famous. She went to every club in New 116 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 2: York City to perform and said it. 117 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: I love seeing those videos of her performing at Lollapalooza 118 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: back in the day. Hearing those stories of how she 119 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: was lugging around her keyboard herself making her own costumes. 120 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: Is that kind of grits and ingenuity that I really admire. 121 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 2: I got to spend a little time with her backstage 122 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: at a few concerts and events, and she is such 123 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 2: an artiste. Like some people are pop stars and some 124 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 2: people are artists, she is truly an artist. I do 125 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 2: have to admit something to you. Tell me it's a 126 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: big secret. I have a stage name. I am not 127 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: truly Danielle Robe. 128 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: What is the real name? I mean, I already knew this, but. 129 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: I feel like I have to be honest with everybody. 130 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: Honest. 131 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 2: So Robe is my middle name. So it was one 132 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 2: of my given names. It's on my birth certificate. But 133 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 2: my mom is a huge feminist, she always has been, 134 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 2: and so she said, I wanted to name you after 135 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 2: two really powerful women, and it's my two grandmothers. So 136 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: Rody ro and Barbara BA and she made up the 137 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 2: name and I started going by it my junior year, 138 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 2: senior year of high school because oh, this is embarrassing. 139 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 2: But I was singing and I had some like a 140 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 2: very small amount of success, but enough that I didn't 141 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: want any colleges to find, like any music videos or 142 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 2: anything I was doing because Facebook was so new, and 143 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: so I started going by my middle name, and then 144 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 2: it caught on. And now it feels weird because all 145 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 2: of my best friends call me Robe, like it's become 146 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 2: who I am. They forgot my real last name. 147 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: I do call you Robe sometimes, no first name. 148 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 2: I know last name only, but like all my friends 149 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 2: from fifth grade, sixth grade, they don't have my real 150 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 2: last name. They have Robe. It's so interesting. 151 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,239 Speaker 1: Is today the day, Danielle? Are you going to reveal 152 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: your true name today? 153 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 2: Sure? I think it's on the interweb. My real last 154 00:07:53,640 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 2: name is Willerman, Danielle Robe, Willerman. Oh, oh my gosh, Willerman. 155 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: Breaking news. I didn't think you were going to go there. 156 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: Wow, neither did I Actually it just sort of flew 157 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: out of my mouth. But I feel like this podcast 158 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 2: is one of truth. 159 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: We are truth tellers here on the bright side. 160 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 2: Did you ever go buy a stage name or you've 161 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 2: always been Simone? Boys? 162 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: There were parts of my career where I went by 163 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: Simone Danielle. I think because Danielle is my middle name. 164 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: I have two middle names. My other middle name is Bonnie, 165 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: and that's my grandmother's name, so my mom also named 166 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: me after my grandmother. But I guess I sort of 167 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: have a stage name in that my name that I 168 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: go by professionally is my maiden name. I don't go 169 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: by my married name. So yeah, that's the closest that 170 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: I'll get to that. But I'm kind of jealous that 171 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: you have a stage name, like I feel like I 172 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: want one. But I'm thinking maybe I just need an 173 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: alter ego name. Maybe that'll scratch that itch for me. 174 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 2: How about See Money. 175 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: No, See, that's too close. I think I need something 176 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: that feels too real. It feels too real to who 177 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,080 Speaker 1: I really am. I needed a departure, perhaps something a 178 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: little more sinister, you know, like Sasha Fierce. I need 179 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: a I like Angelica or like Giselle. I feel like 180 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: that conveys like I don't know Franngelica Frienjelica Where are 181 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: we getting the friend from? I? No, no, I have 182 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: been trying to find an alter ego name generator for 183 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: like the past ten minutes. Okay, I did actually ask 184 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: chat ept for alter ego names. Are you ready for these? 185 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 2: What did you type in first? 186 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: I just said my name is simone voice watched my 187 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: alter ego name be, which is not the best problem. Okay, 188 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: here we go. These are really good. Phoenix Noir interesting. 189 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: I kind of like that one, Luna mystique, Nova Eclipse. 190 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 2: Oh, that's really on brand for you. 191 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: Oriyan Enigma, Nebula, Veil, Ember, frost Ember. 192 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 2: Why are these all like moon and sun and cosmic? 193 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 2: This feels very you. 194 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: It really is interesting. Our producer Tim says these sounds 195 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: drag queen names, which I mean, I can't. 196 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: I can't deny the similarities here. 197 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: It's epic. 198 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 2: Oh my god. 199 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: After the break, we're talking with Claire Lombardo, author of 200 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: this month's Reese's book Club pick, The Most Fun We 201 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: Ever Had. 202 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 4: Stay with us, Danielle. 203 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: Today is a very special day because we're talking about 204 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: the April pick from Reese's Book Club. New York Times 205 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: best selling author Claire Lombardo is joining us all the 206 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: way from Iowa City. She's the author of the Most 207 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: Fun We Ever Had, And we. 208 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 2: Had so much fun reading the book as a Chicago 209 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 2: and it really made me feel like I was back 210 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 2: at home. It's a family drama set mostly in Illinois 211 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 2: and follows a married couple's forty year love story. It 212 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 2: includes the messy lives of their four very different daughters 213 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 2: and a grandchild who was given up for adoption. It's 214 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 2: a deep dive into complicated relationship dynamics, the perils of comparison, 215 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: and what it means to love a partner, to love 216 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 2: your family, and to love yourself. Claire, welcome to the 217 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: bright Side. 218 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 5: Thank you so much for having me. It is a 219 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 5: delight to be here. 220 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: Well, I imagine it must be pretty fun to be 221 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 1: Claire Lombardo right now, because The Most Fun We Ever 222 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: Had was published back in twenty nineteen, but it just 223 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: became a Reese's Book Club pick this month, and we 224 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: talked to Reese on our show. She just lights up 225 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: when she talks about being able to amplify the work 226 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: of female authors like you. So, how has the RBC 227 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: selection impacted you? It's been incredible. It's I mean, like 228 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: you said, this book is it's a five year old 229 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: paperback at this point, and to see the new life 230 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: that has been breathed into it overnight has just been 231 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: so incredible, Claire. 232 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 2: When I talked to authors, they tell me that it's 233 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 2: the hardest thing they've ever done. And most of these 234 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 2: women are also mothers and entrepreneurs, and they still say 235 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: just getting this book birthed was the hardest thing they 236 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 2: have done. Why did you have to get this story 237 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 2: onto the page? This is your first book. Why did 238 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 2: you choose this one? 239 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 5: You know, I didn't know that I was writing a 240 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 5: novel when I started writing this novel. I didn't set 241 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 5: out to write a novel. Writing was always sort of 242 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 5: on the side past time for me. It was something 243 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 5: I did after my you know, nine to five job 244 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 5: that it always just brought me pleasure. But I started 245 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 5: social work school, a graduate school in my mid twenties, 246 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 5: and about the same time I started writing this novel, 247 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 5: and very quickly these characters kind of took over the 248 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 5: rest of my life. And so I guess the bigger 249 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 5: and bigger the story got in, the deeper and deeper 250 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 5: I got into it, the harder it was to ignore it, 251 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 5: so it did kind of just become this thing that 252 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:03,199 Speaker 5: I to pay attention to and then ultimately finish. 253 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: You worked closely with unhoused individuals in Chicago as a 254 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: social worker. How did that inform your writing? 255 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, I gosh so much. Most of the 256 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 5: people that I was working with had never been given 257 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 5: a chance to tell their own stories. They had never 258 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 5: really you know, they had sort of been on the 259 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 5: fringes and not been paid attention to by a lot 260 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 5: of people. I was working primarily with parents and kids 261 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 5: in the Chicago public school system, and their lives were 262 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 5: incredibly complicated in many, many, many different ways, and I 263 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 5: think sometimes just being able to validate that for someone 264 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 5: is an incredibly powerful thing. And so in my kind 265 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,680 Speaker 5: of helping people to you know, it's a matter of 266 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 5: asking the right questions, or asking one hundred more questions 267 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 5: than you might need to to kind of get the context, 268 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 5: get the backstory, and to understand where people are coming from. 269 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 5: That's very much a part of my writing process. 270 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 2: Now. 271 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,199 Speaker 5: It's something that I do, you know, terrogate my characters, 272 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 5: so to speak, in a similar way, so I can 273 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 5: get to know them, you know, as well as I 274 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 5: can and empathy. 275 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: That's clearly something that you lead with. 276 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 2: I hopes. 277 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 5: Thank you, I hope so it's it's important to me. Yeah, 278 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 5: I think it's one of the most critical things that 279 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 5: we can bring, you know, as writers and as readers. 280 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 5: I write a lot of difficult and not always particularly 281 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 5: likable characters. The big thing for me as a writer 282 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 5: was learning how to love them even when I didn't 283 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 5: like them particularly, and I do think that all is 284 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 5: you know, kind of stems from from having empathy for them. 285 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: Claire, you talk about making this pivot from social worker 286 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: to author, and you make it look so easy. Was it? 287 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 2: No? 288 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 5: I mean, I'm thank you. I'm glad to hear that. No, 289 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 5: it was very messy. It's I think people are always 290 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 5: a little nervous about me talking to their teenage children 291 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 5: because I'm like, I dropped out of school twice and 292 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 5: everything turned out fine, but it didn't feel fine or 293 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 5: easy at the time, and certainly wasn't an easy or 294 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 5: advisable decision to drop out of school twice as I did. 295 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 5: I mean, ultimately, I'm obviously very grateful that I did. 296 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 5: But I think and I explore some of this with 297 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 5: the Grace character in particular and the most fun we 298 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 5: ever had. It strikes me as really bizarre now at 299 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 5: thirty five, that we expect seventeen or eighteen year olds 300 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 5: to know who they are or what they want from 301 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 5: the world, or even twenty five. You know, I recall 302 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 5: at the time feeling like a failure or feeling like 303 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 5: I was doing things wrong, because you know, I couldn't 304 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 5: make it work and I couldn't figure out what I 305 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 5: wanted to do. And now I'm very grateful that I 306 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 5: was able to figure it out that way. And I 307 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 5: don't think I would have written the books that I've 308 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 5: written or be the person that I am had I 309 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 5: not gone through those sort of messy or ill advised 310 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 5: decisions that I made. 311 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 2: So, yeah, we want to dig into the book with you, Claire. 312 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 2: It's not all It's not often that we get the 313 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 2: actual author here with us such a treat A huge 314 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 2: element in this story is the relationship between sisters, specifically 315 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 2: how we compare our lives and our successes to our siblings. 316 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 2: Why did you want to dig into that dynamic? 317 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 5: Well, I am a sister. I also have a brother, 318 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 5: but I come from a big family and I'm the 319 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 5: youngest of my big family, and so I've always been 320 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 5: very much an observer of family dynamics and very interested 321 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 5: in family dynamics. 322 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 2: I think as. 323 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 5: Women we are able to we have a capacity for 324 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 5: empathy like a you know, an unusual capacity for empathy, 325 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 5: but we also have the ability to be cruel in 326 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 5: ways that are sometimes rather inventive. And so having these 327 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 5: these four sorens and daughters in the same space was 328 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 5: just really fun to explore. And there's kind of the 329 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 5: old you know, you don't choose your family adage. These 330 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 5: four women don't always want to be around each other 331 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 5: or acknowledge that they are related to each other, but 332 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 5: they have to. And so that's a fun position to 333 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 5: be as a writer too, is to kind of lock 334 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 5: yourself into a room like that full of people who 335 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 5: are kind of explosive and just sort of see what happens. 336 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 5: And plenty did, and you know, plot is born from 337 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 5: bad behavior, and all these women are doing pretty much 338 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 5: is misbehaving. So it was really pretty fun to write 339 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 5: about them. You mentioned that you're a sister. 340 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 2: How did your family and your relationships with your parents 341 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 2: and your sisters inform your writing quite a bit? 342 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 5: I had a professor once who said that writers are 343 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 5: either drawn to messy families or tidy families in fiction, 344 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 5: and I'm clearly very drawn to messy families. And I 345 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 5: think when you're immersed in that kind of messy, intimate 346 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 5: environment from the get go, you can't help but I 347 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 5: don't know, be interested in that. And I also, I'm 348 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 5: the youngest of kids by quite a bit, so I 349 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 5: was also kind of an only child. Most of my 350 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,479 Speaker 5: siblings had gone off to college by the time I 351 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 5: was I don't know, nine or ten, so I grew 352 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 5: up with my parents in a very different way. So 353 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 5: I feel like I kind of had the privilege of 354 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 5: being both the youngest child and an only child, and 355 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 5: I think that enhanced my perception of my parents too, 356 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 5: and their you know, the fact that they were people 357 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 5: instead of just. 358 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 2: Being my parents. 359 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,360 Speaker 5: I think I maybe was more aware of that earlier 360 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 5: on than some people might have been, just by virtue 361 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 5: of my place in the family. 362 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: Claire. At its core, this is a novel about a 363 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: happy and loving marriage, and we don't always see happily 364 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: married people in fiction or TV dramas for that matter, 365 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: So were Marilyn and David Sorenson inspired by people you know. 366 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 5: I will say my parents were incredibly in love, so 367 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 5: that was something that I It was just part of 368 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 5: my life. It wasn't something I was particularly aware of 369 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 5: as being unusual until I became an adult. When I 370 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 5: was a graduate student, the joke about me was that 371 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 5: my stories were all very long, none of them had plots, 372 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 5: and they were all about people who really really liked 373 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 5: each other, which is not like the fodder for great fiction. 374 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 5: But I kind of took that as a challenge to say, 375 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 5: we have these people who really really love each other 376 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,479 Speaker 5: at the center, and how can I actually turn that 377 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 5: into a sometimes negative plot device. It was a fun challenge. 378 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 2: Why did you want to write characters who liked each other? 379 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: That's a good question. 380 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 5: That's some deep psychological mining that I have to do eventually. 381 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 5: I'm conflict avoidant, so that might have something to do 382 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 5: with it. 383 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 2: But I don't know. 384 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 5: I think I like to feel good when I'm reading, 385 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 5: and I like seeing love rendered on the page, and 386 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 5: I do think it is you know, I don't know. 387 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 2: Life is hard. 388 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 5: It's a hard time to be a person right now, 389 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 5: and so I think it can be nice to have 390 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 5: a book where there are people who are enjoying each other. 391 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 2: Say so, yeah. 392 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:58,360 Speaker 1: That's how we created this show too, is like it's 393 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: okay to be happy and joyful. 394 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 2: So we are absolutely aligned on that. I want to 395 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 2: hear more about that. When did you first fall in 396 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 2: love with storytelling and writing? How did that come to 397 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 2: be for you? Yeah, so I feel very lucky. 398 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 5: I grew up in a house where books were just around, 399 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 5: and it was just kind of a part of all 400 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 5: of our lives. As I said, I have four older siblings, 401 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 5: much older siblings, so I was exposed to books, sometimes 402 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 5: perhaps earlier than I should have been, but I was, 403 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 5: you know, constantly constantly reading. It was like the only 404 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 5: way that my parents could think to punish I was 405 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,919 Speaker 5: a fairly well behaved kid, but the only way they 406 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 5: could punish me was to not let me read before 407 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 5: bed when I was little. 408 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 2: So cool. I know it was brutal. 409 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 5: It only happened a few timess, but yeah, it's always 410 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 5: been a huge part of my life story and I 411 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 5: feel very very grateful for that. 412 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 2: So so funny my parents punished me with t t 413 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 2: that you couldn't watch it, or that you had to 414 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 2: know that I couldn't watch it. I always loved watching 415 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,680 Speaker 2: inappropriate things like I was watching Sex in the City 416 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 2: and the Sopranos way before it was okay. I was 417 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 2: never allowed to watch that stuff. Yeah, what did your 418 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: parents punish you with? 419 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh, anything, I mean grounding? Uh, you know, 420 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: lose allowance. I was a bit of a troublemaker as 421 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: a kid, so I got I ran the gamut. 422 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 6: Kind. 423 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: I've learned that you use post it notes quite liberally 424 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: throughout your creative process, as many authors do. So what 425 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 1: would we see? I want you to just take us 426 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: into your creative brain for a minute and tell us 427 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: what would we see if we caught you midbook development. 428 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 5: Oh gosh, you would be frightened of me, I think, 429 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 5: without without question. I in my office at home, I 430 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 5: have a huge, almost full wall sized post it board. 431 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 2: It almost looks like you're cracking crime case. I have 432 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 2: to tell me. 433 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 7: I know. 434 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 2: Yes, it's very. 435 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,479 Speaker 5: Yes, Yes, I'm like that person who has the hotel 436 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 5: room with the red string between the pictures of bodies. Yes, 437 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:15,239 Speaker 5: it's a slightly tamor version of that. Yeah, I mean 438 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 5: it's it's a portrait of real disordered thinking. And I 439 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 5: think because I'm kind of a disordered writer. I'm a 440 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 5: fairly organized person in my regular life, but in my 441 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 5: writing life, I don't write an order. I kind of 442 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 5: operate on you know, I'm writing today what I feel 443 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 5: like writing today, and it might not be the scene 444 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 5: that comes after the scene I wrote yesterday. So with 445 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 5: most fun I ended up with just, you know, hundreds 446 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 5: of pages of non consecutive scenes about this family, and 447 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 5: there was no through line and there was no real 448 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,359 Speaker 5: sense of order. And at the time, I was like, 449 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 5: this is fine. It's an artistic novel. And I remember 450 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 5: telling my agent that and she was like, that's like, no, 451 00:22:58,560 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 5: you can't. 452 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: You can't do that is not a genre. 453 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 5: No nobody wants to read that self included. So yeah, 454 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 5: I kind of had to get mathematical at the end, 455 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 5: and it's I mean, it's become kind of a fun 456 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 5: part of my process. I have, I guess, a creative 457 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 5: brain in some capacity. I have a visual brain, which 458 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 5: novels are are not. Particularly You don't really get to 459 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 5: tap into that part of your brain when you're writing 460 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 5: a book, and so I think doing things with post 461 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 5: it notes or storyboarding or you know, a variety of 462 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 5: different writing exercises. I guess is a way to concretize 463 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 5: and make visual something that is inherently not. So I 464 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 5: try to find ways to do that where I can. 465 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: How many stacks of post It notes do you think 466 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: you go through during that process? 467 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 5: Oh gosh, I should have like bought stock and post its. 468 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: Buy it now because she's writing a new novel and 469 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:56,919 Speaker 1: it's gonna go up. 470 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 5: I'm gonna, yeah, go buy some before I yeah, sell 471 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 5: out Staples or whatever. It's hard to tell because I'm 472 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 5: also a very impulsive shopper for post it. So I'm like, oh, 473 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 5: there's a new because they have different collections of post its. 474 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 5: There's like the Marrakesh collection and the Belief. I mean, 475 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 5: it's very weird. This is a niche bit of information 476 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,679 Speaker 5: that nobody wanted to hear about. 477 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 2: But thinking there's a collab in your future, right, Oh yes, 478 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 2: I am available the Lombardo post It collab. Yeah, very 479 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 2: jo Yeah, Claire. There's a passage in your book when 480 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 2: David and Marilyn are expecting their fourth child and it's 481 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 2: Mother's Day and Marilyn is in the bed with her 482 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 2: girls having a moment. It's page two forty one. Will 483 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,880 Speaker 2: you read a little bit for uses. Yeah, I would 484 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:44,479 Speaker 2: be happy too. 485 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: I love when authors read to me. 486 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 2: Oh thanks, such a special thing, right, so special? 487 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 5: Oh, I'm glad you. I do that with my students. 488 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 5: My students who are you know, in their twenties. I'm 489 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 5: always like, do you want me to read to you? 490 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 5: And they're always like, yeah, Like it's a very comforting thing. 491 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 5: Not my own books. I don't teach my own books, okay, umm. 492 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:08,040 Speaker 8: E. 493 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 5: Liza draped herself over Marilyn's belly, dropping the tulips and 494 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 5: they're accompanying dirt onto David's spot on the bed. Oh 495 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 5: my gosh, she squealed. He kicked me, and suddenly she 496 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 5: had three pairs of hands on her stomach, even reluctant 497 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 5: Wendy's prodding. Reacting to the movement from within, laughing murmuring 498 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 5: to one another, she allowed herself to rest back against 499 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 5: her pillows, again, contented in an entirely different way. Your 500 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,120 Speaker 5: family could do that to you, sometimes catch you off 501 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 5: guard with their charm and their normalcy. Those rare moments 502 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 5: like this one were the reason that she was pregnant again, 503 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 5: that she and David would soon be celebrating their seventeenth 504 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:48,160 Speaker 5: wedding anniversary that these three girls, wearying as they often were, 505 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 5: were currently making her happier than she'd possibly ever been. 506 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 5: This was the point of having a family. These fleeting 507 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 5: moments of absolute pleasure, Stockholm syndrome. They kept her coming 508 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 5: back for more. She shifted beneath the weight of the 509 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 5: baby and the six small hands. She reached a stroke 510 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,880 Speaker 5: Wendy's hair, and her heart swelled when Wendy let her. 511 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 5: This was the point God, David said when he returned, 512 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 5: I leave for ninety seconds, and look what happens. 513 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 2: Thank you, Claire, You're welcome. Thank you. 514 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:20,680 Speaker 1: I'm still stuck on this one line that you just read. 515 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: This was the point of having a family, these fleeting 516 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: moments of absolute pleasure. I think I just got pregnant 517 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: again after you read that passage, Claire. I think I'm 518 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 1: gonna have a baby now. Congratulations. It makes when you 519 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 1: write that, it makes me want to expand my family 520 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: and have another baby. That was beautiful. Is there a 521 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: character that you really have a soft spot for? 522 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 2: Wendy? 523 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 5: I think she was the character that people the most 524 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 5: either hate or love, and I did both when I 525 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 5: was writing her. 526 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 2: But she was so much fun. 527 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 5: To write because she's not diametrically opposite to me, but 528 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 5: she is not like I am outwardly. Wendy has a 529 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 5: fairly traumatic experience, many many traumatic experiences that kind of 530 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 5: characterize her adulthood. And so I really the deeper I 531 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 5: went into her past, and the deeper I my understanding 532 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 5: of her became, the more I grew to love her. 533 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 5: Which is my hope for readers too. Like I said earlier, 534 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 5: like you're probably not going to like or be particularly 535 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 5: happy with a lot of these characters, but it's my 536 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 5: hope that by the end of the book you'll at 537 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 5: least see where they're coming from and maybe find them 538 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 5: charming and the way that we do with our own families. 539 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 1: We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, 540 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: we'll get Claire's answers to your questions, including whether or 541 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: not there's an adaptation in the works. 542 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 2: We're back with Claire Lombardo. We have some listener questions 543 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 2: for you now. We asked all of our listeners or 544 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 2: should I say readers, to send us a voicemail with 545 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 2: their questions about the most fun we ever had. This 546 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 2: is kind of like an extension of the book Club 547 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 2: So first up, we have Ashley. 548 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 8: Hey, my name is Ashley, and I'm a nurse in Nashville, Tennessee. 549 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 8: When I was in nursing school, I worked a lot, 550 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 8: so I didn't really have enough time to read for fun. 551 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:15,880 Speaker 2: So when I graduated and found. 552 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 8: Reese's Book Club, it really helped me to find my 553 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 8: love and passion for reading again. I just finished reading 554 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:23,960 Speaker 8: The Most Fun We Ever Had, and oh my gosh, 555 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,640 Speaker 8: the drama was insane, and I love drama when I'm 556 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 8: not directly involved in it. The Most Fun We Ever 557 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:32,199 Speaker 8: Had was a phrase used a couple of times in 558 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 8: the book. My question for you, Claire Lombardo, is what 559 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 8: does that mean to you? And why did you choose 560 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 8: that to be the title. 561 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 5: Oh that's a great question. That was not the original 562 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 5: title of this book, actually, and I so the line. 563 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 5: So it comes from a line early on in the 564 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 5: book when Marilyn has two children, so basically too, you know, 565 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 5: she has a one year old and like an infant, 566 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 5: and she's quite young, and she's at a faculty party 567 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 5: with her husband, and she's underslept and very underwhelmed by 568 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 5: motherhood or overwhelmed and underwhelmed at once and she says, 569 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 5: I love being a mom. That's the most fun I 570 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 5: ever had, And it pops up a few more times. 571 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 5: It kind of becomes this call and response between David 572 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 5: and Marilyn and what I love about it. If I 573 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 5: can say that I love my own title, is that 574 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 5: thank you? 575 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 2: Is that it is? I mean, it's tongue in cheek. 576 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 5: It's not, you know, Marilyn is not having the most 577 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 5: fun she ever had when she says that. But that's 578 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 5: kind of the tenor of this book. There's often a 579 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 5: lot of happiness alongside a lot of sorrow. There's often 580 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 5: a lot of gravitas alongside a lot of you know, 581 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 5: hopefully humor, And that's life to me life. I'm often 582 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 5: the person who you know, will make a joke at 583 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 5: inappropriate times. Not unlike Wendy, I guess, but I think 584 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 5: that is very true to family life, at least my 585 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 5: experience of it. And and that's, you know, that's kind 586 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 5: of how the soren Sins operate. There's a lot of 587 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 5: things happen that they wish hadn't happened, but they sort 588 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 5: of get through it by bucking up and trying to 589 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 5: find humor where it's often pretty well hidden, all right. 590 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: Next up is Elisa. 591 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 2: Hi. 592 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 6: This is Elisa from Pennsylvania. I am an English teacher 593 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 6: and I am an avid reader. I spend a lot 594 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 6: of time on book talk. So I have a two 595 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 6: part question for Claire. The first question that I have 596 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 6: is about Wendy. I was really drawn to Wendy as 597 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 6: a character because she is so real and flawed, and 598 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 6: I'd like to know if you had the idea that 599 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 6: Wendy would be a morally gray character as you were 600 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 6: writing her, and if you agree that she falls into 601 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,239 Speaker 6: that category. And then my other question for you is 602 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 6: do you think that that the story is ever going 603 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 6: to be made into maybe a mini series or a 604 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 6: series or a movie. 605 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 7: She did? 606 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 2: She was ready? Yes. 607 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 5: I'll answer them in order, because I often forget everything. 608 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 5: But Wendy is very much a morally great character. I 609 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 5: think that's a very it's very English teachery way to 610 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 5: phrase that too, which I appreciate. 611 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 2: I think I did. 612 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:32,920 Speaker 5: Always know that because Wendy's actions people take issue with, 613 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 5: Readers take issue with, and they're not the choices that 614 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 5: I necessarily would have made, or maybe they are. I 615 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 5: think it's hard to put herself in other people's shoes. 616 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 5: I absolutely would say that she is a morally great character, 617 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 5: and she is hopefully a character again that by the 618 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 5: end of the book I hope that readers will will 619 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 5: like instead of seeing as a villain. I don't believe 620 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 5: in villains in fiction, and I don't believe in heroes 621 00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 5: in fiction because they don't exist in real life. Nobody 622 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 5: is all bad or all good, and I think Wendy 623 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 5: is an example of my sort of commitment to that 624 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 5: that people can make, you know, questionable choices but still 625 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 5: be okay people, or still be coming from a good place. 626 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 2: So that's that. 627 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 5: And then, so I'm not sworn to secrecy, I will 628 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 5: say yes, I do think that adaptation is a possibility, 629 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 5: and I will be as excited as the rest of 630 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 5: you when I find out. 631 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 2: Also, Claire, you're making us Chicago girls very proud. I 632 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 2: could talk to about Chicago for a while, but I 633 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 2: think Renee, who is our next reader, would be upset 634 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 2: if I didn't ask her questions. So this is Renee. Hi. 635 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 7: I'm Renee from Ohio and I am a wife and 636 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 7: mom of three kiddos. I adore the most fun we 637 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 7: ever had. I came across it when it was first released, 638 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 7: and I wanted to shout from the rooftops to everyone 639 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 7: I knew to read this book. I just connected to 640 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 7: it on a really deep level. The Sorenson's reminded me 641 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 7: a lot of my own family, and being the oldest 642 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 7: of four siblings, there were a lot of things that 643 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 7: really I could relate to. Fast forward to this month, 644 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 7: I've been rereading it and I just love it even more. 645 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 7: I've found myself underlining so many passages that I glossed over, 646 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 7: and I'm just connecting to it in a different way. 647 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 2: So my question for Claire. 648 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 7: Is how has been chosen as Reese's book Club pick 649 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 7: for April made you reflect on this story as a whole. 650 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 7: Knowing that we've all changed since the first time it 651 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 7: was released, has it made you think about the story 652 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 7: or the characters and would you want to do anything differently? 653 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 2: Wow? 654 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: I love that question. 655 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 2: I do too. 656 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 5: It was it's been really interesting to return to this book. So, yeah, 657 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 5: the world has changed a lot since twenty nineteen, you know, 658 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 5: to put it lightly, and we've all changed in small 659 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:57,720 Speaker 5: and large ways. 660 00:33:58,080 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 2: I feel almost. 661 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 5: Like sisterly about this book in a way that I 662 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 5: don't think I did five years ago. 663 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 2: It's funny. 664 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 5: When I was writing this book, it's the most intimate 665 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,319 Speaker 5: thing in the world, and you think you'll never be 666 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:13,240 Speaker 5: distant from the material. It just feels so almost claustrophobically close. 667 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 5: So that's been really interesting for me. And I think 668 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 5: it's good as a writer to be able to distance 669 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 5: yourself from your material. And I think it's that'll be 670 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 5: a good lesson to me with future books, my current 671 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 5: you know, my new book that's coming out next month, 672 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 5: month after next. 673 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 1: Speaking of that novel, can you tell us a little 674 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: bit more about it. It's called Same As It Ever Was? 675 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: It is. 676 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 2: I have a copy of it here. 677 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: Coincidentally, I love the cover. 678 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 2: Thank you Me too. 679 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 5: It comes out on yeah, June eighteenth, And I would say, 680 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,360 Speaker 5: if you are, if you liked The Most Fun We 681 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 5: Ever Had, I think these books are very much in 682 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 5: conversation with each other. I was writing Same as It 683 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:57,880 Speaker 5: Ever Was when I was editing The Most Fun We 684 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,320 Speaker 5: Ever Had, So a lot of my occupations are similar. 685 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 5: So Same As It Ever Was is about a woman 686 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 5: named Julia who lives in the Chicago suburbs, and she's 687 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 5: in her fifties and she lives an ostensibly very lovely life. 688 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:14,760 Speaker 5: She has a husband, she likes a lot, into almost 689 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,479 Speaker 5: grown children, and then she goes to the grocery store 690 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 5: one day and runs into an old friend who she 691 00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 5: not only was not expecting to see again, but was 692 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 5: actively hoping to never see again. And it kind of 693 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 5: throws everything into relief for her. So, if The Most 694 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 5: Fun We Ever Had is a story about a you know, 695 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 5: the life of a family same as it ever was, 696 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 5: is also a family story, but it's kind of one 697 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 5: woman's life told from beginning to end, though out of 698 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 5: order in my characteristic disorganized fashion. 699 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: Claire, thank you so much for being here. This is 700 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 1: a really special moment for us because you're our first 701 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: Reese's book Club author to come on the bright side, 702 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: So thank you for christening it in such an unforgettable way. 703 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 5: Oh it's an honor. Thank you both so much. This 704 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:02,320 Speaker 5: has been so much fun. 705 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 2: Thank you, Claire. Claire Lombardo is the author of the 706 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 2: Most Fun We Ever Had, which was the Reese's book 707 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,760 Speaker 2: Club pick for April. We're announcing the Maypick from Reese's 708 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 2: book Club next week, so don't miss that, and remember 709 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 2: you can always send us your book and author questions 710 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:25,839 Speaker 2: to Hello at the bright Side podcast dot com. 711 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,399 Speaker 1: I feel like we're getting to watch Claire define who 712 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,799 Speaker 1: she is as an author, which is really exciting. And 713 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,800 Speaker 1: I love that she's unafraid to explore the Morley Gray area. 714 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:37,879 Speaker 4: Mm hmmm. 715 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 2: No one's a full villain or a full hero. I 716 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 2: was struck by her fortitude. She's so chill and like 717 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,040 Speaker 2: you can tell, she's easy going. But to have a 718 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 2: nine to five and then come home and write a 719 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 2: novel from I don't know five to nine and do 720 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,560 Speaker 2: what be a daughter, sister, friend, whatever else you are 721 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 2: just is so impressive to me. That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, 722 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:11,279 Speaker 2: Joanne Lee Mullinaro aka the Korean Vegan is coming by 723 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 2: to top food, family, and culture. 724 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, 725 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Simone Boye. 726 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:24,800 Speaker 1: You can find me at Simone Voice on Instagram and TikTok. 727 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 2: I'm Danielle Robe on Instagram and TikTok. That's ro o 728 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 2: b A Y See. 729 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 1: You tomorrow, folks. Keep looking on the bright side.