The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

New York Times bestselling author and Knopf Executive Editor, Jenny Jackson, spoke with us about balancing life as an #authormom, editing bestsellers, finding standalone books, and her anticipated second novel, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT.

Jenny Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street, a graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, and a Vice President and Editorial Director of Fiction at Alfred A. Knopf.

Her second novel, The Shampoo Effect (Pamela Dorman Books; June 30), was named a most anticipated book of 2026 by the New York Times, described as “a frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship,” [about] “an ambitious young woman [who] insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town.”

New York Times bestselling author Coco Mellors said, “Jackson has a rare knack for capturing the intensity of old friendships and the way love, jealousy, money, and history combust until everyone is behaving (deliciously) badly.”

Jenny Jackson is a prominent figure in the publishing world, having edited numerous high-profile works, including Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Cormac McCarthy’s final books, among others.

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In this file Jenny Jackson, Milena, and I discussed:

Why she has the "shortest resume in all of publishing"

What 23 years at Penguin Random House have taught her

How John Updike inspired her latest

The number of pages it takes her to know if your voice works

Why you need to reject “rise and grind”  culture and write whenever you can

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

https://www.jennyjacksonbooks.com/

The Shampoo Effect: A Novel by Jenny Jackson (Author)

Jenny Jackson Amazon Author Page

Jenny Jackson on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Critically acclaimed novelist and entertainment podcaster, Bobby Finger, returns to speak with us about his weekly word counts, wedding DJs, Who? Weekly, and his latest beach read WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY.

Bobby Finger is the author of The Old Place and Four Squares, and co-creator and cohost of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t."

His third novel, We Are Gathered Here Today, was named a New York Times Summer's Best Beach Read. It’s described as The Wedding People meets The Celebrants, and a “...sharp and tender story [that] follows a recently engaged gay man who begins to question the idea of marriage while attending his cousin’s chaotic Wild West-themed wedding weekend.”

Booklist called the book “… a perfect read for anyone confused by or suspicious of the wedding-industrial complex, which can leave happy celebrations feeling more like a second full-time job for young lovers.”

Bobby previously worked as a staff writer for the culture website Jezebel from 2015 to 2018 and has contributed extensively to outlets like Vulture and The New York Times.

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In this file Bobby Finger, Milena, and I discussed:

How his latest originally featured a death until his editor suggested everyone live, transforming it into a beach read

Why he changed the book’s setting from fall to June at the`` publisher's request to position as summer release

How a scene from the book became a part of the cover design

The craziest thing he’s ever witnessed at a wedding IRL

His next book and upcoming essay collection written with his podcast co-host

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

⁠whoweekly.us⁠

We Are Gathered Here Today By Bobby Finger⁠ (Amazon)

Bobby Finger Amazon Author Page

Bobby Finger on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Journalist, hit entertainment podcaster, and debut novelist, Bobby Finger, spoke to me about writing for Jezebel, turning a screenplay into a novel, and his debut, "The Old Place."

Bobby Finger is a writer and co-host of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t."

His debut novel is The Old Place, described as "A bighearted and moving debut about a wry retired schoolteacher whose decade-old secret threatens to come to light and send shockwaves through her small Texas town."

It has been named Washington Post‘s 10 Noteworthy Books for September, People‘s Best New Books, Town & Country’s 45 Must-Read Books of Fall, New York’s 25 Notable New Releases, Kirkus Review‘s 150 Most Anticipated Fall Books, LitHub‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2022, among many others.

New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub said of the book, “I loved being inside this skillful novel—at the planning parties for church fundraisers, learning to drive with a can of beer in the cupholder, and in the heads of some wonderfully tangy old Texan ladies. Bobby Finger has built a rich world in The Old Place, and I will think of it every time I make toast.”

Stay calm and write on ...

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In this file Bobby Finger and I discussed:

Growing up in a small Texas town

His start in copywriting and freelance journalism

Writing screenplays in the margins

Becoming a full-time podcaster

How to write autofiction with a twist

What happens when people leave, and those left behind

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

⁠whoweekly.us⁠

⁠The Old Place By Bobby Finger⁠ (Amazon)

Bobby Finger on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Critically acclaimed debut novelist and food writer, Catherine Kurtz, spoke with us about art school, painting life, judging the International Chocolate Awards, and her delicious first book FEAST.

Catherine Kurtz is a multidisciplinarian known for her parallel careers in the visual arts, literature, and culinary criticism – including as a judge and educator in the field of chocolate tasting. She is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and a Grand Jury Member of the International Chocolate Awards.

Her debut is, Feast, “for fans of Chocolat (show-co-lot, haha, i need this 😂) and Like Water for Chocolate,” and described as a historical novel set at the turn of the 20th century as one young woman navigates the wonders and perils of her remarkable gift: an astonishing sense of taste and smell.

Alex Hay, author of The Housekeepers called it, “A beautiful book, vivid and delicious and alive—a story of escape and belonging and one woman's extraordinary gifts, unfolding its mysteries with care, brimming with feeling and stunning prose.”

Catherine Kurtz is also a painter represented by The Redfern Gallery in London. Her journalism has been published in a variety of publications including The Spectator’s Scoff, Harvest, ckbk and Celebrated Living.

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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Catherine Kurtz, Milena, and I discussed:

How her debut ​​combines her backgrounds as a painter, food writer, and professional chocolate taster

Writing a book for The Great British Bake Off on Chocolate

Working with rock star turned chef Graham Garrett on his book Sex, Drugs, and Sausage Rolls 

Why she took an art school approach to writing

The editorial approach to her food-centric writing and debut cover design

Her writing philosophy

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

linktr.ee/catherinekurtzart

Feast by Catherine Kurtz (Amazon)

Catherine Kurtz on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author Meg Shaffer spoke with us about paying homage to fairy tales, defending libraries against censorship, and her latest cinematic, genre-bending bestseller, THE BOOK WITCH.

Meg Shaffer is the bestselling author of The Lost Story and The Wishing Game, which was a Book of the Month finalist for Book of the Year as well as a Reader’s Digest and Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and has been translated into 23 languages. Shaffer holds an MFA in TV and Screenwriting from Stephens College.

Her latest is the instant bestseller The Book Witch, described as a novel that’s part mystery, part love letter to libraries and booksellers, and a direct, timely meditation on book-banning.

Booklist called it a “whimsical tale of lost love, family secrets, and how books can change a reader's life” and Kirkus calls it “catnip for anyone who ever wished they could walk around in their favorite book.” 

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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Meg Shaffer, Milena, and I discussed:

How she wrote a couple dozen romance novels under her real name

The rules set forth in her latest book about entering the worlds of beloved childrens’ series

Why the author’s writing is best when she’s having fun

Channeling the iconic sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury

Why "all books are kids' books if the kid can read"

How she aims to make readers appreciate the books they read as children

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

megshaffer.com

The Book Witch: A Novel By Meg Shaffer (Amazon)

Meg Shaffer Amazon Author Page

Meg Shaffer on Instagram

Meg Shaffer on Facebook

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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