Episode 24: Melanie Finn Returns: Embracing Ambiguity in the Good and Evil of Characters—Finding Humanity in the Dark Corners of Her Novel, "The Gloaming"
The third time is indeed a charm as author Melanie Finn joins Jennifer once again to discuss one of her earlier novels, "The Gloaming". This story follows Pilgrim Jones after her husband leaves her for another woman, she's involved in an accident in a small town in Switzerland, tragically leaving 3 children dead. Filled with guilt, Pilgrim escapes to Africa, befriending a series of locals dealing with their own pasts. The town also seems to be spooked by the presence of a spirit, and Pilgrim can't shake the feeling she is being followed. Jennifer and Melanie discuss defining the line between authors' personal experiences and fiction, the discomfort in feeling the ambiguity in the good and evil of characters, and how accepting wasting time writing may be the best thing you can do.
--------
52:15
Episode 23: Jennifer & Special Guest Taylor Goldsmith Delve into the Epic Ride that is "Pay As You Go" with Author Eskor David Johnson
On this episode, Jennifer is joined by friend and singer-songwriter, Taylor Goldsmith, lead singer of the band Dawes. Brought together by their mutual love of our book of the month, "Pay As you Go", the two have the opportunity to discuss the novel with author Eskor David Johnson. A rollercoaster of an epic, the story follows Slide on his tumultuous journey to find an apartment in the fictional city of Polis. Eskor, Jennifer and Taylor share their creative influences on bringing worlds to life whether it be through writing, film or song.
--------
47:18
Episode 22: Loyalty. Where is the line in the sand—Can you love your country and dislike its policies at the same time?
In this episode, Jennifer is joined by Nora Lange, author of the novel "Us Fools". Auspiciously timely, Nora's story focuses on the relationship between two sisters growing up in the rural mid-west during the farming crisis of the 1980s. Often isolated, the sisters educate themselves and learn from one another as they ultimately escape to Chicago, facing a seemingly failing world. Nora and Jennifer discuss the parallels in "Us Fools" to raising daughters in our society today, and the importance of cultivating your own trauma story in order to experience re-growth.
--------
59:19
Ep. 21: Why 3 Years on Set with Griffin Dunne Wasn't Enough and how the "good stuff is in the mistakes"
In our Season 3 opening episode, Jennifer Morrison joins her THIS IS US co-star Griffin Dunne to discuss his new memoir, "The Friday Afternoon Club". From getting expelled the day before his stage debut, to memories with Carrie Fisher, you'll find out why 3 years on set with Griffin wasn't enough to hear all the stories he has to tell. With a family interwoven deep into Hollywood history, the behind the scenes of his writing is just as intriguing and spectacular as the book itself.
--------
55:38
The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison - Ep. 20: "Mother Doll" with Katya Apekina
Motherhood, ghosts, intergenerational trauma—find out how these themes serendipitously fit into Jennifer's life while starring in THE PENELOPIAD at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and coming across the novel, MOTHER DOLL by author Katya Apekina. Jennifer and Katya discuss how these themes and storytelling devices help audiences process life decisions, dealing with grief, and taking on new roles (in more ways than one), in our exciting 20th episode of THE BOOKSHELF with Jennifer Morrison.
The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners.
AMIA: Get 30% off your purchase
Link: www.helloamia.com
AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase
Link: www.amigoroasters.com
BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription or 15% off your purchase
Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf
SEED: Get 25% off your first order
Link: https://seed.com/
FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot.
Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
You’ve landed on THE BOOKSHELF with Jennifer Morrison. As a kid, you could always find me in the library, in awe of stories bigger than me and the Chicago suburb I lived in. Reading is the central resource for all of my creative endeavours. On ONCE UPON A TIME, reading between camera set ups, authors seemed like untouchable gods. Now, I have the honor of sitting down with them to unpack just how human they are and how that results in their creations as we explore their lives, processes and inspirations. So, welcome to my bookshelf. Season 1 of THE BOOKSHELF is brought to you by APARTMENT 3C.
Portugal