The chapter explores the complexities of growing up in Shaker Heights, treating the community as a significant character in the narrative. It discusses the duality of experiences related to race and personal identity, as well as the challenges of accurately depicting one's hometown. Through reflections on personal history and societal dynamics, the chapter illustrates how place and upbringing profoundly shape individual narratives.
My conversation with Celeste Ng is the first of two episodes on Little Fires Everywhere, where I’ll cover the book and the series. We talk about the writing process, the stories that we tell, and the stories that define us. We also cover how our hometowns shape us, how parenting is a shame minefield, and how we all have the power to mourn moments even while we’re in them. Celeste also fills us in on what she thinks about the series and what it felt like watching Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington create a show from her novel. I love this episode as a reader, as a writer, and as an observer of what it means to be human.
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