Back in June, we were approached by Penguin Random House because their author, John Green, had a new book coming out in September, his first work of fiction in 9 years. I immediately said yes to an interview, because I’m a fan of John Green… the writer and the person. You see, we first met back in 2005 for his debut novel for young adults, Looking for Alaska. “Oh wow. It’s good to see you after 21 years,” Green said, as soon as he joined the video call. It’s not difficult to see why I’m a fan, is it?
His newest book is titled Hollywood, Ending - and that’s Hollywood comma Ending. It’s a fictional behind the scenes look at the film industry, as it follows two young actors on the brink of successful careers. They meet on the set of a film about the end of Andy Warhol's life and are thrust into the world of fame and a public-facing life. I recently spoke with John Green about these characters and the challenges they face. Here’s our conversation.
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Books mentioned by Margaret Leonard, owner of Dotters Books of Eau Claire, Wisconsin:
- Cannon by Paige Lewis
- Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein
- What If We Get It Right? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
- Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
- The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
- Sand-Catcher by Omar Khalifah
- How to Be Less Useful by Priyanka Mattoo
- All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews
- The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman
- Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
- Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich
If she could only sell one book:
- On Beauty by Zadie Smith
And here's Beth and Margaret's full conversation:
Editors: Lu Anne Stephens & Haley Crowson
Producer: Haley Crowson
Assistant Producer: Madi Moore
Theme Music: Torin Andersen
Host: Beth Golay
