73. Falling & Bouncing Back: Gossip Girl with Cecily von Ziegesar / IWAW Author Series (S5E11 )
In Walks a WomanShow Notes
If you’re gonna do GOSSIP GIRL, you gotta reveal the gossip girl herself: Cecily von Ziegasar.
In her FIRST podcast interview ever (XOXO!!!) Cecily tells IWAW what it was like to write for teens back when no one else was writing for teens. In addition to many personally inspiring experiences, Cecily shares the classic novel that helped her write GOSSIP GIRL. And guess what? That 1920 novel features a fallen woman!
In Season 5, we’ve gone from MUCH ADO, in which Hero finds her virginal reputation ruined by gossip, to GOSSIP GIRL, in which characters swim in gossip. Amidst the constantly changing currents, the girls rise, sink, and swim to the surface again. Does GOSSIP GIRL demonstrate female resilience? Does it mean the fallen woman trope has died? Or does it mean fallen women are society’s main spectacle?
This discussion mostly focuses on the book series from the early 2000’s, but we do touch on the television series at several points. And, yes, we do talk about Chuck Bass…because, well, he’s Chuck Bass.
Along the way, Sonja shares a Christmas tradition, and Vanessa & Cecily are rather surprised.
You know you love us! XOXO, the IWAW Girls
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