EP.13 - Humor, Grief, and Life-Affirming Moments: Alison Espach on 'The Wedding People

In this episode, Elena interviews author Alison Espach about her novel 'The Wedding People.' Alison talks about why she wrote the book, her own struggles with grief and how both in real life and fiction, humor can shift things, make the apocalyptic seem a little less, well, apocalyptic. The main character Phoebe is grappling with suicidal thoughts. She goes to a luxurious hotel by the ocean in Newport, Rhode Island. Phoebe has never seen the ocean. Phoebe hadn’t counted on there being a wedding at her perfect ending spot. And another fly in the ointment, the bride really doesn’t want Phoebe to ruin her wedding with some suicide. “It’s a really big week for me,” pleads the bride. “Same,” says Phoebe. It’s that kind of a book.. Not only is the book funny, so is its author. The book is tender and life-affirming with lots of big themes set in small revealing moments. The same could be said for Alison’s own life experiences which she discusses in this insightful episode. 00:00 Introduction and Book Recommendation00:35 Exploring the Novel's Themes and Characters01:08 The Birth of Phoebe's Character03:24 Writing Process and Inspirations06:09 Dialogue and Character Development14:23 The Stranger's Perspective17:57 Unexpected Connections and Conversations21:09 The Impact of Strangers21:25 Exploring Grief and Societal Pressure24:20 Writing as a Healing Process25:18 Character Development in Fiction31:47 Humor in Dark Moments34:35 Challenges in Writing39:06 Adapting the Book into a Film40:13 Upcoming Episode Preview This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit elenabowes.substack.com

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