Susan Orlean

1 week ago | susanorlean.substack.com | Susan Orlean

My late ex-husband and I never talked about clothes—not mine, not his—except for once, when he told me, with obvious pain, that his parents never let him buy Levis or even Wrangler jeans, insisting that they were too expensive. They said he would have to make do with JC Penney’s house brand. I think the cost difference between Levis and the JC Penney jeans was only a few dollars, but they wouldn’t budge.

2 weeks ago | susanorlean.substack.com | Susan Orlean

I got my book manuscript back from the copy editor the other day and now I’m reviewing her suggestions and changes. I’m one of those writers who thinks editing makes my work better, rather than the kind of writer who is sure my staggering brilliance is being quashed by the meddling of sadistic editors. If you tend to be more of the latter, well, enjoy your toxic narcissism! Seriously, I’ve had a run of mostly wonderful editors and copy editors over the years.

3 weeks ago | susanorlean.substack.com | Susan Orlean

If you happen to be in Kenmore Square, come join me. I’m sitting at the bar at Blue Ribbon Brasserie, doing damage to a glass of Pinot Grigio, and savoring the lovely anonymity of a restaurant bar on a business trip. The business at hand is the Power of Narrative conference at Boston University, a first-class event that I last attended about twenty years ago in a heart-stopping, city-throttling, headline-making snowstorm.

1 month ago | susanorlean.substack.com | Susan Orlean

I have no plans to turn this into a television recommendation column (well, I don’t think I will) but I haven’t stopped thinking about Adolescence since I watched it and it’s led me down a few interesting paths. Among other things, I’ve become a little obsessed with the Adolescence actors, whose performances are extraordinary. I want to see everything else they’ve been in.

1 month ago | susanorlean.substack.com | Susan Orlean

I just can’t stop thinking about the Netflix show, Adolescence, and it’s so good and so urgent that I’m interrupting our normal broadcasting to bring you this message. Wordy Bird is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The show is a tight four-episode limited series, and there’s not an ounce of fat or a wasted minute. The story is simple: a teenaged boy is arrested for the murder of a classmate.