Best-Selling Novelist J. Courtney Sullivan + Becky Friedman (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) on Mom Friends, Babysitters, and Moving Away

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#257 - Best-selling novelist J. Courtney Sullivan, known for Commencement, Maine, The Engagements, and Saints For All Occasions, chats with host Ellie Knaus about Friends and Strangers (Knopf, June 30, 2020). Ellie loops in their mutual mom-friend, Emmy-nominated children's writer Becky Friedman (or Daniel Tiger’s Becky as she’s known on the pod). We get a glimpse into Becky and Courtney’s pre-kid friendship in NY, and we share our personal experiences related to the novel’s themes, such as fertility, privilege, and the fuzzy boundaries found between lonely new moms and the caregivers who love their children so much.

Also, don’t miss our recent episode “Let’s Go There: Anti-Racism, The Pandemic , and Parenting Right Now” guest co-hosted with Candace Trinchieri. (Submit your BIPOC fertility stories here: infertilitystory.com.) We speak with Sophie Salvatore, who happens to be Smith College ’04. My 15 year reunion got cancelled so interviewing J. Courtney Sullivan ’03 and Sophie Salvatore ’04 was such a treat!

xx Ellie Knaus

Special thanks to our sound engineer Owen O’Neil, Jeremy Turner for our original theme music.

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J. Courtney Sullivan

J. Courtney Sullivan is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Commencement, Maine, The Engagements, and Saints For All Occasions. Her new book, Friends and Strangers, will be published by Knopf on June 30th. Sullivan's writing has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, New York Magazine, Elle, Glamour, Allure, Real Simple, and O: The Oprah Magazine, among many others. She lives in New York with her husband and two children. J. Courtney Sullivan

Becky Friedman

Becky Friedman is an emmy-nominated children's writer and creator, whose work can be seen on such shows as Creative Galaxy, Wishenpoof, The Stinky and Dirty Show, Esme & Roy and Disney Jr.'s T.O.T.S. She is best known for her work as Head Writer of the first five seasons of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Becky has developed kids projects with indie music sensation Lisa Loeb as well as the hip hop powerhouse band The Roots. Currently Becky is developing what will be Hello Sunshine's first preschool animated project in the kids space... while simultaneously entertaining her 5 year old daughter and 2 year old son...and trying not to totally lose her mind.