Show Notes
Bonnie Garmus was 64 when her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was published. It went on to sell more than eight million copies, spend almost two years on the New York Times bestseller list, was translated into more than 40 languages and become an eight-part Apple TV+ series. At its centre was Elizabeth Zott, a fiercely intelligent, forthright chemist turned 1950s TV cooking star.
Bonnie and I talk about the misogyny that inspired Lessons in Chemistry, her love of dogs, working through a stutter, adopting her two daughters from China and what it took to overcome years of rejection.
Her new novel, Peck & Peck, is out in the UK on 13 October.
IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
03:41 Arts Versus Science
05:44 Sexism Sparks Novel
08:58 Greed And AI Warning
12:19 Dogs Behind Characters
16:30 Childhood Failures
30:26 Living With A Stutter
31:50 Letters And Workarounds
32:53 Adoption Journey To China
36:10 What Adoption Really Means
37:23 Family Bonds And Fate
39:17 Jeopardy Husband Spotlight
40:10 98 Rejections And Resilience
47:05 Finding An Agent And Writing Life
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life, and not a single one has disappointed me.
I never look back on my career and think I have regrets.
I had a therapist who was a stutterer… he gave me the courage to embrace it, and then I got better.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Bonnie’s new novel Peck & Peck is available to pre-order now: www.waterstones.com/book/peck-and-peck/bonnie-garmus/9781786588975
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Alain De Botton - swap.fm/l/dnU4ieYPW7eCbesQFNSf
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - swap.fm/l/YiA3DPR1awzdCrHfEMfPv
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Website: www.elizabethday.org
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Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
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