Episode Details

You know the beloved children's classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Today we talk with the amazing author, Judith Viorst!

Judith shares her warmth, wisdom + cheeky humor about what it's like to write books across genres for more than six decades – and what it was like not getting published for her first three decades!

In honor of national poetry month, Judith will read an excerpt from her "decades series" most recent is her book Nearing Ninety: And Other Comedies of Late Life. Judith's perspective on the joys + tribulations of life will remind you that laughter is truly the best medicine, at any age, to live an inspired life.

SHOW NOTES:

• As a young girl, Judith began writing as poetry felt like a natural second language to her. Her first piece was published in her 30s.
• Say yes and we'll figure it out. Advice from her husband before being published for the first time.
• The capacity for child-like wonder lives inside a lot of us, even as we get to be a middle-aged person. [click to tweet!]
• Remaining playful is something you cultivate.
• Judith's first children's book The Tenth Good Thing About Barney was inspired by a conversation with her young son about death. Get a copy of it here.
• Her original publisher turned down Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day which has sold more than 4 million copies. Get a copy of it here.
• Inspired by the characters in The Secret Garden, Judith creates characters that are "hard-likes": not easily likable but always redeemable by the end.
• Judith shares her personal life through her writing, highlighting the ways people are more connected than they're different.
• "When nobody reads this book, and nobody likes this book, please remind me of the joy I had writing it and how proud I am of it."– Judith to her husband when submitting the manuscript of Necessary Losses. This book went on to be on the New York Times bestseller list for almost two years. Get a copy of it here.
• Judith's latest book, Nearing Ninety, is a collection of poetry from her "decades" series. These include Hard to be Hip Over Thirty, How Did I Get to be Forty, Forever Fifty,

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