Taylor Jenkins Reid is among the stars — on and off the page

CBC

4 hours ago

Writing about new worlds is nothing new for American writer Taylor Jenkins Reid.
From 1950s Los Angeles in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to the professional tennis circuit in Carrie Soto is Back, Reid's work peels the curtain back on unfamiliar ecosystems — and brings her readers along with her.
Reid's latest novel, Atmosphere, however, takes us out of this world, featuring women astronauts in the 1980s. She said it's been her hardest research challenge yet, but one she couldn't refuse.
"I only know how to write the stories that call to me," she said on Bookends with Mattea Roach. "An idea shows up and I get really into it and I think that'd be a really fun book to read. And then somehow, between that moment and finishing the book, I have to somehow become a person who could write that book."
Between studying the history of NASA, the stories of early women astronauts and learning how a space shuttle actually works, Reid set herself up for hours of research and conversations with Paul Dye, the now retired longest-serving flight director at NASA.
"I'm proud of actually completing [ Atmosphere ] because, to be honest, it was incredibly hard to write," she said.
"But I'm also just proud of the love story and I do hope that it finds its way to the people that need it and also the people who would just enjoy it."
Atmosphere is a love story in many ways — from the main character Joan's love for space and the stars, to her slow-burn romantic relationship with fellow astronaut Vanessa, and the strong bond she has with her niece, Frances.
The novel is thrilling from the start, when readers learn there's been an explosion on a space shuttle, and it bounces back and forth in time, sharing Joan's journey to being the voice of mission control on this fateful day — and what's at stake, both personally and professionally, when things don't go as planned.
"I really do see in Joan a sort of delayed coming of age story," said Reid. "This is a person who has gotten it all right. She did everything she was supposed to do.
"Now that she's achieved this thing that most people could never achieve, there's room for her to start asking herself some questions. And it's not just related to her sexuality. There are a lot of ways that Joan comes into herself throughout the course of the book."
A love story
Part of Joan's growth is becoming more sure of who she is, which is helped by the way she is loved by Vanessa, who is so confident and has such a strong understanding of herself.
"There is an attraction there that is not just about proximity, it's about the fact that Joan wants to be a person that Vanessa would like — and looking at Joan's self through the eyes of Vanessa feels really, really good.
"That is powerful enough to make Joan start asking herself certain questions that she hasn't asked."
It's similar for Vanessa, who also loves the fact that she is loved by Joan.
"This person who is so good and so kind, in Vanessa's eyes, thinks that Vanessa is good and kind and I think that is something that is worth Vanessa rearranging her whole life for."
While the backdrop of the 80s and the high-pressure work environment of NASA pose some challenges for the couple, Joan and Vanessa's love for each other isn't thrown into question or put in jeopardy.
They just have to figure out the best way to separate their private lives from their public ones, as some of the first female astronauts who are under intense scrutiny to perform well and be role models for younger generations.
The public vs. the private
Reid herself is no stranger to scrutiny — and she explores that theme in almost all of her novels.
She was catapulted into the public eye thanks to the breakout success of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six, which was also made into a TV show, and has since been a prominent literary figure.
"If I could just write books and nobody knew who I was as a person, that would be ideal for me," she said.
But even though she'd rather stay unknown, as time progresses, her relationship with fame has evolved.
"I like it when authors who I really admire talk about why they wrote the book and where it comes from," she said. "As a reader and as a fan, I am interested in these things."
She also loves the moments of connection when strangers share the parts of the books that have meant a lot to them.
Lately, she's been working on separating the public version of herself from the one she knows to be true.
"People can say whatever they're going to say about me. It could be the most lovely thing in the world. It could be terrible. It doesn't mean it's true about me."
Motherhood in writing and real life
Because for Reid, success is about being someone those close to her can be proud of — starting with her immediate family — her husband and her daughter, who inspires one of the relationships in Atmosphere.
By writing about Joan and her niece Frances, Reid was able to examine the bittersweet feeling of watching a child grow up from her own experience.
"Each stage is better than the last, but at the same time you miss the last one and you're looking forward to the next one," she said.
"I loved writing about that here. It felt really lovely to indulge that part of myself and I think the relationship between Joan and Frances is somewhat shaped by how good it felt to write about them."
In the acknowledgments for Atmosphere, Reid writes that her daughter's positive feedback and emotional response to the story was the most satisfying thing she's ever done creatively.
"I really want her to be proud of me," she said on Bookends. "I don't know that I [ever] wanted somebody to be proud of me in the way that I hope that she is."