#132 The Blurry Boundary Between Truth and Fiction in Women’s Lives Featuring Nicole Graev Lipson

Nicole Graev Lipson is the author of the memoir in essays Mothers and Other Fictional Characters. Her writing has appeared in The Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review, LA Review of Books, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Marie Claire, among other venues. Her work has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, shortlisted for a National Magazine Award, and selected for The Best American Essays anthology. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and children. 

In this episode:

• The organizing principle of Mothers and Other Fictional Characters and how personal essays that started with confusion or a question became a cohesive book [3:00]

• How Nicole layered literary themes and archetypes into her book along with real life situations [7:56]

• The complexity of intergenerational relationships, particularly with mothers and fathers [11:48]

• The duality of embracing and resisting traditional gender roles [16:34]

• How to write emotional scenes from everyday moments [22:21]

• Advice for writers on structuring essays, capturing sensory details, and writing an accumulation of small moments [41:03]

Connect with Nicole

Website https://nicolegraevlipson.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nglipson/

Subscribe to Nicole’s newsletter https://nicolegraevlipson.com/contact

 

Buy her book on Estelle’s Bookshop

https://bookshop.org/p/books/mothers-and-other-fictional-characters-a-memoir-in-essays-nicole-graev-lipson/21565078?aid=98827&ean=9781797228563&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct

Other Episodes Mentioned 

Maggie Smith

Episode #81 The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story

https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/

Joanna Rakoff: Episode #87 Writing Memoir that Reads Like a Novel and Captivates on Every Page

https://estelleserasmus.com/87-writing-memoir-that-reads-like-a-novel-and-captivates-on-every-page-featuring-joanna-rakoff/

Kelly McMasters: Episode #39 The Literary Gifts of The Leaving Season

https://estelleserasmus.com/39-the-literary-gifts-of-the-leaving-season/

Christie Tate: Episode #123 Writing About Trauma Using Timelines, Throughlines, and Imagery

https://estelleserasmus.com/123-writing-about-trauma-using-timelines-throughlines-and-imagery-with-christie-tate/

 

Nicole’s Pushcart- Prize winning essay “Tikkun Olam Ted” that was in River