Write About Now

• The pressure she felt after the crazy success of her first novel; The two questions she asks when starting a novel
• Creating collages and mood boards for each of her narratives
• Her need to write about women striving for independence and freedom
• How she tackled writing dialogue for Jesus.

Betsey Johnson went from a “cornball Connecticut” childhood to hanging out with Andy Warhol and selling clothes to Prince. She joined me on the podcast to chat about her new memoir, which includes stories on:

• How she got her start in fashion sewing clothes at night to sell to her co-workers
• Hiring sex workers and strippers to model her clothes at her early shows
• Getting married in a top that barely covered her crotch because the marriage official didn’t approve of her bell-bottom pants
• How she worked with Mark Vitulano, her former receptionist, to write the book 
• Why pedaling her own bicycle is her secret to success
• Why you’re only as good as your last sale

Liz Tigelaar is the showrunner and co-executive producer of Little Fires Everywhere, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. The show just concluded its hit run on Hulu. Liz talks about adapting the bestselling book, on which it's based, for TV and the inside story behind making some major changes to the original version—including adding African-American characters and changing the ending. We also talk about the future of Hollywood in a COVID-19 world.  

With most of us working from home under quarantine, it's become more of a challenge to stay on schedule and be productive. Fay Wolf is a professional organizer and author of the book New Order: A Decluttering Handbook For Creative Folks (And Everyone Else). Celebrities hire her to help organize their lives. On the podcast, she suggests super useful tips and tools to help get you on a schedule that works, manage your email, and make you feel productive. Because contrary to popular belief, being a bit anal and organized allows for more freedom.

In 2014, the son of famed Alaskan adventurer and writer Roman Dial vanished in the Costa Rican jungle. Dial has written a page-turning account of his two-year search for 26-year-old Cody Dial in a new book called The Adventurer's Son. He joins the podcast to share his stirring story. Dial talks about why he wrote the book and what he hopes readers will take away from this extraordinary tales of a father and son's deep bond. 

Last week, the world lost one of the great songwriters of a generation. And I lost a lifelong friend. Adam Schlesinger passed away from the coronavirus at the age of 52. Having known Adam since he was three months old, I can safely say he was the most talented, funniest, friendliest, warmest person I ever had the good fortune to know. This episode pays tribute to this great man and musician, rewinding an interview I did with him in 2017. For more on Adam, you can find my tribute at bit.ly/WriteAboutAdam

After this father committed suicide, Sean Dietrich, aka "Sean of the South," dropped out of the seventh grade, did odd manual labor jobs and never thought he'd amount to anything. But he found solace in writing and storytelling—and turned his life around. Now he's a celebrated blogger, popular podcaster, and author of a devastating and uplifting memoir called Will The Circle Be Unbroken? See why Sean offers a little southern comfort in these unsettling times.