Beth Golay

I mean, talk to me a little bit about your process.

You know, we start with this slice in time, but that's not where the letter writing starts for Sybil.

Can we talk about that?

Because as she explains about her career, the clerkship was my job.

The letters amount to who I am.

What's the importance of writing for Sybil?

Good question.

In addition to writing to friends and family members, Sybil writes to some authors after she's read their books.

And she actually has an ongoing reciprocal correspondence with Joan Didion.

And as she explains in one of her letters, most often when I wrote, I got a letter back.

This surprises people, but I have found that most people write back.

Have you found this to be true as well?

I have.

You know, Sybil was quite the reader.

You know, I wonder if she was endearing to me because the book she mentioned in her letters are some of my favorites.

Can I assume that these books hold a special meaning for you too?

Well, we don't know if Sybil was a fan either.

So I read a physical copy of the book while simultaneously listening to the audio book.

It's read through a full cast.

And sometimes I would step away from the book, you know, to advance a load of laundry or something, and the audio book would continue.