Books
The author ofFleishman Is in Trouble and the showrunner of its FX adaptation is nothing if not adaptable.
Buried deep in a box inTaffy Brodesser-Aknershouse is a script she wrote while studying screenwriting at New York University.
It was about a group of college-aged boys who wanted to be considered serious people in the world.
My problem was that I had this idea for these characters, not necessarily for a story.
And because I wasnt immediately successful at [screenwriting], I assumed I was bad at it.
I dont think [storytelling] is a thing thats taught to journalists.
In my head, I was like, Oh, I already know Im not good at that.
And my producing partners were like, Are you sure?
Because it sounds like you tried it once when you were 21.
Its just you and your system you should try anything.
On the book thats commanding her attention:
Im reading a book calledVintage Contemporariesby Dan Kois.
Its a coming of age story that starts in the 90s and continues into the millennium.
Its soft, beautiful, brave, withering, and everything I want in a book.
Twenty sentences later, it might be good.
The minute I admitted I was in a rut, the rut became bigger.
But showers are so much work sometimes.
Movies are so much fun.
On learning to use an actual desk:
I can write anywhere.
I can write from the Bloomingdales bathroom that has a couch.
I can write from the airplane while my children straddle me.
I have a motorized standing desk.
Its my indulgence, and I rarely stand up at it, but I always know I can.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onNovember 17, 2022
