Jean Kwok & 'Searching For Sylvie Lee': Complicated Conversations Series

We welcome NYT bestselling author Julie Buxbaum to discuss her new YA novel, ADMISSION, which is a ripped from the headlines fictional take on the college admissions scandal that touches on themes of guilt, entitlement, privilege and what it means to be complicit. ** The college admission scandal rocked the nation and Julie’s imagination. Find out just what aspects of this scandal pulled at Julie so much that she cheated on her current book to write Admission. (02:39) ** Chloe Berringer is not always likeable and Julie explains her frustration with the fact that readers seem to have a very limited appetite for complicated women. (06:23) ** Admission features not just Chloe, but many complicated, well-drawn supporting female characters. She tells us who she related to most and which relationship she had the most fun writing. (09:28) ** After some super-fan gushing about her back list, Julie tells us about her journey from writing adult fiction to YA and whether she thinks YA is her forever home. (11:40) ** Julie shares a story of her rough transition to becoming a writer and it involves having a newborn baby, a dirty Starbucks bathroom in London, and a novel that still lives in a drawer. (16:40) ** Julie’s transition from BigLaw to writing her first adult novel is a “bananas story” and the “stupidest” thing she’s ever done, but seems like destiny to us! (20:19) ** The writer’s subconscious is a weird and scary place and we loved listening to Julie share the thematic through-lines of her novels and what they have taught her about herself and what she was grappling with at different points in her life. (25:19) ** We discuss vision boards, manifesting your dreams and astrology...Julie seems to fit the “of two minds” Gemini persona even if she isn’t “woo woo.” (33:53) ** Julie shares her love of Ted Lasso, which celebrates optimism, joy and earnestness -- all things she (and the world) needs right now. We are reminded that we should all just like what we like and embrace it! (41:15) Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @popfictionwomen and on Twitter @pop_women. To do a full deep dive, check out our website at www.popfictionwomen.com. Stay Complicated! We’ve launched a platform at patreon.com/popfictionwomen to keep making the podcast you love -- and to make it even better. For a one time contribution to support this episode, use venmo @carinn-jade. Thank you for your support and enjoy the show!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices