Conversations with Authors

Sat., September 11, 2021 • 1:00pm PT • Live • Online

In conversation with Michael Krasny

A coming-of-middle-age novel, Peeps tells the story of Meg, a 51-year-old podcaster who has spent her life afraid of "what ifs." After an unexpected divorce, Meg might finally have the chance to obtain what she calls a Big Life, but isn't sure she can pull it off. After her mother's death, Meg gathers the courage to seek answers from her uncle about her disinterested and cruel mother. To get to him, she moves out of her Santa Monica home and drives across the country in a new RV she nicknames Irv.

Along her journey, Meg conducts interviews for her podcast called Peeps, in which she asks everyday people the same seven questions to "peep" into their lives and uncover shared humanity. Meg's narrative is peppered with lively transcripts of her interviews with the ordinary yet fascinating people she meets. The podcast enables Meg to process the complicated grief and relief related to her mother's death, her divorce, and her only child leaving home for college.

Peeps is evocative of The Wizard of Oz and Wild; like Dorothy and Cheryl—and many middle-aged women—Meg seeks to find her place in the world. Discerning readers will enjoy spotting the subtle references and symbols from both iconic stories.

The author of smart and moving book club fiction, Erin Gordon is a former lawyer and legal affairs journalist. A Bay Area native with degrees from both UC Berkeley and Stanford, Gordon’s novels explore themes of friendship, parenthood and self-discovery.

Michael Krasny is the former host of the award winning KQED Forum, a program discussing news and public affairs, current events, culture, health, business and technology.