Hellooooo! I’m out of town AGAIN (dragons!) and in the middle of tapings so I’m keeping things short and sweet today. Let’s get to it!
The June GRETAGRAM book club selection is Julia Langbeing’s Dear Monica Lewinsky, a novel that explores sainthood, desire, the legacy of Monica Lewinsky, and the history of horny nuns.
My guest for the discussion is Gwen Kirby, the author of the wonderful short story collection Shit Cassandra Saw. Together, we unpack what makes this book SO GOOD, from tone to topic to setting to structure.
If you haven’t read the book yet, never fear! There’s a spoiler-free author interview in the feed. Julia is a delight, and it’s a very fun conversation. She actually recently posted about it on instagram: “In denying that DEAR MONICA has a moral, I articulate the moral very clearly. I got GRETAD, and it felt good!”
As you can imagine, that made me VERY HAPPY.
THIS SUNDAY is the Zoom chat for Dear Monica Lewinsky! Come hang out! I can’t wait to hear what you all thought of this book. Email me for the zoom link at greta m johnsen at gmail dot com.
NEXT MONTH we’re reading Paige Lewis’ Canon, and I’m giving away two copies to paid GRETAGRAM subscribers! Upgrade your subscription by this coming Tuesday and you’ll be entered into this drawing and every other giveaway I do. PLUS, you’ll get access to behind-the-paywall recommendations AND get to feel extra virtuous for supporting an independently produced show
Next week, I’m sub-hosting The Nightly, the nighttime podcast for adults!
I am VERY excited to share that I’ll be moderating an event with the wonderful Emily St. John Mandel when she’s on book tour for her new novel Exit Party in September! Get tickets here.
Talk to you next week,
**Note: All book titles in this email link to my affiliate page at bookshop.org, where I receive a percentage of the purchase price (and you support a website that supports local indie bookstores!). I don’t actually care where you get your books, as long as you support indies when you can! Libraries are really cool too!!!
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