214: Learning to Be #GenreFlexible with Catherine Newman

Why stick to any one genre? Our guest this week is Catherine Newman: memoirist, middle grade novelist, etiquette columnist and now the author of How to Be a Person: 65 Highly Useful, Super-Important Things to Learn Before You’re Grown-Up . While she’s at it, she writes a cooking blog, co-authored a book on crafts for kids and edits ChopChop , a kids cooking magazine. And she pens frequent funny essays for everything from O to the New York Times to the Cup of Jo website. In other words, she’s putting a pastiche of writing together and making it work with an insouciant disregard for any and all advice about self-branding or owning an niche or sticking to one topic or identity. In fact, I’d argue that “insouciant disregard” might just BE her brand. This episode also includes the immortal words “I’ve never had to kill anything during the podcast before,” uttered by Jess—so that’s a reason to listen right there. But there are plenty of others—this is a real nitty gritty episode on building a career and getting things done. #AmReading KJ: Henna Artist by Alka Joshi Recipes for a Beautiful Life by Rebecca Barry Jess: Sure Shot by Sarina Bowen Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver Missing You by Harlan Coben Catherine: Know My Name by Chanel Miller Sea Wife by Amity Gaige The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia Thanks to everyone who supports the podcast financially. To join that team, click the button below: Upgrade to Supporter But it’s all good. The pod is free as it always has and always will be. This shownotes email is free, too, so please—forward it to a friend, and if you haven’t already, join our email list and be on top of it every time there’s a new episode. Get New Episode Emails Find more about Jess here , Sarina here and about KJ here .