#132 The Blurry Boundary Between Truth and Fiction in Women’s Lives Featuring Nicole Graev Lipson

Nicole Graev Lipson is the author of the memoir in essays Mothers and Other Fictional Characters. Her writing has appeared in The Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review, LA Review of Books, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Marie Claire, among other venues. Her work has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, shortlisted for a National Magazine Award, and selected for The Best American Essays anthology. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and children.  In this episode: The organizing principle of Mothers and Other Fictional Characters and how personal essays that started with confusion or a question became a cohesive book [3:00] How Nicole layered literary themes and archetypes into her book along with real life situations [7:56] The complexity of intergenerational relationships, particularly with mothers and fathers [11:48] The duality of embracing and resisting traditional gender roles [16:34] How to write emotional scenes from everyday moments [22:21] Advice for writers on structuring essays, capturing sensory details, and writing an accumulation of small moments [41:03] Connect with Nicole Website https://nicolegraevlipson.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nglipson/ Subscribe to Nicole’s newsletter https://nicolegraevlipson.com/contact   Buy her book on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/mothers-and-other-fictional-characters-a-memoir-in-essays-nicole-graev-lipson/21565078?aid=98827&ean=9781797228563&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Other Episodes Mentioned  Maggie Smith Episode #81 The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/ Joanna Rakoff: Episode #87 Writing Memoir that Reads Like a Novel and Captivates on Every Page https://estelleserasmus.com/87-writing-memoir-that-reads-like-a-novel-and-captivates-on-every-page-featuring-joanna-rakoff/ Kelly McMasters: Episode #39 The Literary Gifts of The Leaving Season https://estelleserasmus.com/39-the-literary-gifts-of-the-leaving-season/ Christie Tate: Episode #123 Writing About Trauma Using Timelines, Throughlines, and Imagery https://estelleserasmus.com/123-writing-about-trauma-using-timelines-throughlines-and-imagery-with-christie-tate/   Nicole’s Pushcart- Prize winning essay “Tikkun Olam Ted” that was in River Teeth Journal  https://zibbymag.com/blog/pushcart-prize-essay-tikkun-olam   Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com    Sign up for her Substack  (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com   Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines  https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me   Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing  https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.   Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html   Get Her Book  Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0   Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P   Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing  Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/