In Episode 26, Beck Dorey-Stein, author of From the Corner of the Oval (my review), joins me to talk about working in the White House, being in your 20’s, and her second book!

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Highlights

• A couple fun anecdotes about Presidential staffers and life in the White House.
• How / when Beck decided to write about memoir about her experience.
• The original premise of Beck’s memoir (which was different than the final book)…and how The New Yorker‘s David Remnick helped shape it.
• Our thoughts on why your 20’s are an underrated hard time in your life.
• Beck’s advice for women in their 20’s.
• How she decided what personal details to include.
• How her book was “vetted” by the White House prior to publication.
• What Beck has been up to since she left the White House.
• How Beck de-stresses after writing each day.
• A bit about Beck’s second book (which is in the works!).
• Having creative dreams in Washington, D.C.
• A book of poems for people that don’t generally read poetry.
• Trash-talking with President Obama.

Beck’s Book Recommendations

Two OLD Books She Loves

• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen | Buy from Amazon [24:03]
• Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger | Buy from Amazon [26:05]

Two NEW Books She Loves

• Life of the Partyby Olivia Gatwood | Buy from Amazon [31:10]
• The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling | Buy from Amazon [33:29]

One New Release She’s Excited About

• Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilliesby Tara Schuster (Release Date: February 18, 2020) | Buy from Amazon [35:30]

Other Books Mentioned

• A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole | Buy from Amazon [25:42]
• My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [26:52]
• The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [30:17]
• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach | Buy from Amazon [42:47]
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes | Buy from Amazon [43:01]

About Beck

Author Website | Instagram | Facebook

A graduate of Wesleyan University, BECK DOREY-STEIN worked as a White House stenographer from 2012 to 2017. Previously she worked as a high school English teacher in Hightstown, New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Seoul, South Korea. This is her first book.

Next Episode

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In two weeks: Fall 2019 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books (airing Wednesday, August 21).

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