“I never intended to publish it”: Claire Jia on her career as a novelist and screenwriter

“I wake up excited”: Sophie Grégoire Trudeau on her career as an author and mental health advocate

The trajectory of Sophie’s career reads like a sustained masterclass in moving from strength to strength. Today, she is the bestselling author of the runaway success Closer Together, a pioneering mental health advocate of 25 years, and a widely in-demand public speaker. It’s a path she’s forged on the foundations of her professional background in media and journalism, together with a nearly decade-long tenure spent in public service to a G7 country on the copolitical path as the unofficial First Lady of Canada. What’s striking isn’t just how much she’s already accomplished, but also how thoughtfully she’s positioned herself for what comes next—and, as we discuss, she’s just getting started. It was a privilege to connect with her over this interview. — IN THIS EPISODE, we talk about... 👇 * The new chapter unfolding in her fifties * Her daily practice of tracking micro-successes * The difference between breaking and being broken open * Why she always keeps books of poetry on her bedside table * The accomplishment she’s most proud of achieving * Finding wisdom in the middle ground between being attached to the past and afraid of the future * How she decides which opportunities to pursue and which to pass on * The day she first met her longtime friend and mentor Gabor Maté * How she thinks about social media * Why the biggest risk she’s taken recently felt like jumping through “this huge circle of fire” * The thriving portfolio career she’s building now * ... and so much more! — Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is a Canadian-born bestselling author, public speaker, mental health advocate, television host, and certified yoga teacher for both adults and children. Her work for gender equality and empowering women and youth has been recognized by multiple organizations including the United Nations. Her instant national bestseller and Best on Audible (2024) book Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other has inspired readers across North America and beyond. Throughout her career, Sophie has met and interviewed some of the world’s most inspiring public figures who are shaping a fairer and more compassionate world—including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté—deepening her lifelong exploration of justice, healing, and human connection. In 2025, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, recognizing her enduring commitment to education, exploration, and the preservation of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage. —— Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe

“I didn’t figure it out till I was 40”: Candice Wuehle on her career as a novelist and cultural critic

Candice’s latest novel achieves what her widely celebrated Substack has consistently delivered: a sharp, nuanced critique of a key cultural moment, rendered with her characteristic verve. The book follows a pop star through her rise to fame in its examination of topics that have long been at the heart of Candice’s work, like how women in public are forced to become theorists of their own image or the intellectual labour that’s hidden inside pop culture. It’s a timely consideration that extends beyond the level of celebrity to also offer insight into the complexities of female friendship, what it means to wield power, models of mentorship, and the nature of success. It was a joy to talk with her about all of that and more when we spoke. — IN THIS EPISODE, we talk about... 👇 * What it’s like to have an essay go viral * Why she still prioritizes saying ‘yes’ to most opportunities * How she found success on Substack * What she describes as “the great millennial woman deprogramming” * Her unexpected transition from writing poetry to becoming a novelist * Our top 3 Taylor Swift albums * The declining impact of prestige media outlets * How we identify desire and where our desires come from * Why she now almost exclusively reads contemporary women’s fiction * The “external hard drive” of shared memory in a friendship * ... and so much more! — Candice Wuehle is a novelist, poet, and instructor teaching in the Honors Program at the University of Iowa. Her first novel, MONARCH, was selected as a Best Book of 2022 by NPR and her poetry collection, Death Industrial Complex, was a finalist for the Believer Magazine Book Award. Her latest novel, Ultranatural, follows a pop star reminiscent of Britney Spears as her highly surveilled and tightly controlled life contracts dangerously. Candice also runs the Substack newsletter Bimbo Summit: A Pop Culture Study, where she regularly writes about our relationship to modern day celebrity. She is from Iowa City, Iowa, where she currently resides. —— Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe

“Everything was building to this”: The Postscript

Each month, between interviews, I hop on the mic to share a new episode of The Postscript: a new section of Women of Letters I’ve been working on which features a life update from me + a behind-the-scenes look at my conversations with our recent guests. IN THIS EPISODE, I talk about... 👇 * My first month in Croatia has been like (both the good and the bad) * How some of my other big moves over the years have gone and what I’ve learned from them that I’m applying to this one * Why I always make it a priority to get things in writing * How I’ve recently gotten super into Instagram Reels, to the point that I now have 20 or 30 of them recorded on my phone * The way that seemingly small moments or interactions can radically reshape our lives * .. and so much more! — Jana M. Perkins, PhD, is an award-winning scholar. Her research has garnered over a quarter of a million dollars in funding from leading institutions across North America and the UK, including the University of Cambridge and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). As a data scientist with a background in literary scholarship, her expertise extends across disciplines to yield the unique analytical frameworks which characterize her approach. Her forthcoming book [https://janajm.com/deep-literacy-digital-time/], co-authored with Miranda Dunham-Hickman, will be published by Routledge. Visit her online at janajm.com [http://janajm.com] or @janajm [https://www.instagram.com/janajm] on Instagram. —— Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe

“I never intended to publish it”: Claire Jia on her career as a novelist and screenwriter

If you’ve been a longtime reader, you’ll know that two of the subjects I most regularly gravitate towards in my personal reading are books about female friendship and books about the diaspora experience. So you can only imagine my delight at discovering Claire’s debut novel, Wanting, which contends with both. In addition to having been called “Ferrante-like” by the New York Times Book Review, her novel has also been declared a best book of the summer by outlets ranging from LitHub to Harper’s Bazaar. I was grateful to have a chance to sit down with her and learn more about how her experiences living between two different countries as a Chinese-American have shaped the way she approaches her career. — IN THIS EPISODE, we talk about... 👇 * Spending a decade writing and revising her debut novel * The trip to Paris that changed everything * Why she decided to abandon her initial goal of becoming an ambassador * What it was like going on a 16-city book tour * How she would pursue a career in writing if she were starting today * Why she’s not looking for her romantic partner to also be her best friend * Where she’s turning to now as she looks ahead to the next 10 years * What ‘home’ means for her * .... and so much more! — Claire Jia is a writer from the suburbs of Chicago. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, The Rumpus, Reductress, and more. She writes for television and video games, including the 2023 Peabody Award-winning We Are OFK. Her family is from Beijing, and there’s nothing she loves more than haggling for stationary in a chaotic Beijing marketplace. Today, she lives in Los Angeles with her friends. Wanting is her debut novel. —— Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe

“There is never a point at which people will stop doubting you”: The Postscript

Each month, between interviews, I hop on the mic to share a new episode of The Postscript: a new section of Women of Letters I’ve been working on which features a life update from me + a behind-the-scenes look at my conversations with our recent guests. IN THIS EPISODE, I talk about... 👇 * Finally having my tickets to Croatia booked (!) * The search for an apartment * New York Magazine’s article on how much money people make * The importance of introducing structure into your routine when you’re making a major life change * Why the myth of the straight career path is damaging * The wrong thing to say when someone shares some big news with you * The way to get closer to a ‘yes’ from the gatekeepers standing in the way of a goal * My best advice for how to improve your writing * ... and so much more! — Jana M. Perkins, PhD, is an award-winning scholar. Her research has garnered over a quarter of a million dollars in funding from leading institutions across North America and the UK, including the University of Cambridge and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). As a data scientist with a background in literary scholarship, her expertise extends across disciplines to yield the unique analytical frameworks which characterize her approach. Her forthcoming book [https://janajm.com/deep-literacy-digital-time/], co-authored with Miranda Dunham-Hickman, will be published by Routledge. Visit her online at janajm.com [http://janajm.com] or @janajm [https://www.instagram.com/janajm] on Instagram. —— Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe