Local author Erin Gordon will discuss her latest book, her process and how she approaches the work of writing in interview with Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf.

Peeps by Erin Gordon

A coming-of-middle-age novel, Peeps is the story of Meg, a 51-year-old podcaster who’s spent her life afraid of “what ifs.” Single after an unexpected divorce, Meg might finally have the chance for 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 about her disinterested and cruel mother from her uncle. 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 the way, Meg conducts interviews for her podcast 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 latest novel from Erin Gordon, author of Cheer, Heads or Tails, and Beshert, Peeps is a timely, thought-provoking twist on the theme of self-discovery.

About the Author: A big firm lawyer-turned-journalist-turned-novelist, Erin Gordon has published four books in the women’s fiction genre (Cheer, Heads or Tails, Beshert and PEEPS) and as well as romance novels under a pen name. A graduate of UC Berkeley with a master’s in journalism from Stanford University, Erin’s work has appeared in Parenting magazine, Writer’s Digest, California Lawyer magazine and on KQED, among many others. She’s taught writing, made book store appearances, and spoken to book clubs around the country. 

eringordonauthor.com