Totally Booked with Zibby Penn Badgley, CRUSHMORE: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age
Nov 17, 2025
Penn Badgley, an actor, director, and author of "Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age," delves into his creative journey and the themes of adolescence. He explores how middle school is a rich storytelling phase and shares personal insecurities tied to fame and identity. Penn candidly discusses the pressures of celebrity culture, the responsibilities that come with fame, and the emotional complexities of parenthood. He offers insights on resilience and the hope found in raising twins, making for a heartfelt and thoughtful conversation.
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Origins Of Podcrushed
- Penn describes how Podcrushed began as Nava Kavlin's idea during early COVID and their production company formed around it.
- They centered the show on starting conversations at age 12 to explore adolescence through storytelling instead of philosophy.
Storytelling Over Theory
- The book returns to the podcast's seed idea but uses storytelling rather than abstract exploration.
- Essays became the natural form after learning to tell people's stories through interviews.
Curly Hair And Middle School Identity
- Penn shares a personal story about struggling with curly hair and how Hollywood hairstylists couldn't handle it.
- He used his hair as a way to feel taller and thinner, and that memory shaped his adolescence recollections.
