Episode 387: Romance On The Brain with Maurene Goo

Summary

Forever35, Episode 387: Romance On The Brain with Maurene Goo

Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu
Guest: Maurene Goo
Date: February 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Doree and Elise welcome acclaimed author Maurene Goo to celebrate the launch of her adult debut novel, One and Only. The conversation dives into the nuances of aging, self-care rituals (including face massages and closet cleanouts), the empowering role of fashion, and what it means to write romance for and about women in their forties. With Goo’s signature warmth and humor, topics such as romantic tropes, LA love letters, and the chaos of family life unfold alongside practical insights and a relatable, uplifting tone.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Self-Care Practices in 2026

• Face Massages as Ritual:
  • Maurene shares her new self-care obsession: daily, algorithm-fueled face massages, inspired by the “lymphatic drainage” trend.
  • She admits to a mix of skepticism and hope regarding the science:

    “I kind of believe the science and I kind of don’t, but… I don’t care. I’m gonna pretend this works and it gives me some semblance of control over my life.” — Maurene Goo (12:18)

  • Touch, both tactile and emotional, emerges as crucial for her well-being:

    “I have learned that I need a lot of touch, actually.” — Maurene Goo (14:55)

  • She has even enrolled in an online course to deepen her practice.
• Embracing Rituals During Turbulent Times:
  • The practice helps her feel grounded when “the world is falling apart.”
  • Elise echoes the value of simple, tactile rituals as centering mechanisms.

2. Maurene’s Adult Novel & Representation in Romance

• About “One and Only”:
  • The protagonist, Cassia Park, is a 40-year-old Korean American matchmaker with a secret supernatural family gift—seeing soulmates through past lives (15:25).
  • Cassia embarks on an unexpected fling with a 28-year-old, leading to a witty, heartfelt, and realistic age-gap romance (40:35).
• Why Adult Fiction Now?
  • Maurene discusses outgrowing the YA audience and jumping into the 40-something romance arena:

    “I had done five YA novels… I was reading so much romance, so much upmarket women's fiction, and I felt very inspired… but also, I can see, for me, what was missing as a reader.” — Maurene Goo (16:48)

• Filling Literary Gaps for Single Women in Their 40s:
  • Goo’s protagonist isn’t a “hot mess” or “harried divorced mom”—she’s thriving, and romance is a bonus, not a fix (18:50).
  • She highlights the surge in fiction embracing midlife reinvention and perimenopausal journeys (19:40).
  • Cassia’s confidence isn’t derived from external validation; her struggles feel modern and real.

3. Fashion as Self-Care & Hiring a Stylist

• Rebuilding a Wardrobe After Life Changes:
  • Post-pandemic and post-motherhood, Maurene invested in her wardrobe as a form of self-discovery and control.
  • She joined fashion substacks, found community, and started including fashion in her own newsletter (21:19).
• The Closet Cleanout Experience:
  • Maurene hired LA-based stylist Laurel Patton for a home visit and massive closet overhaul:

    “She touched and took out every single item of clothing in my closet. My drawers, including my pajamas, minus my, like, underwear, obviously. And socks.” — Maurene Goo (25:34)

  • A full-day process produced nearly 10 bags of donations, personalized outfit planning, and a mental reset (25:48–29:15).
  • Key principle: Keep only what makes you not feel sad, and repair or alter favorites instead of discarding (27:08–28:32).
  • Practical tip: Skip fancy sweater brushes, go for an electric de-piller for best results (28:42).
• Stylist Perks:
  • Maurene’s stylist even lends out her own clothes for big events—an unexpected bonus (31:52).

4. The Glamour and Reality of Awards Season

• Maurene shares anecdotes about attending Golden Globes afterparties and high-profile LA events, buoyed by her husband’s success as the director of K Pop Demon Hunters (32:29).
• She discusses the whirlwind impact of fame on family logistics and the emotional richness of seeing the film’s representation touched so many, especially Asian and Asian American kids (35:15–36:23).

5. Themes from “One and Only” — Romance, Magic, and LA

• A Love Letter to Los Angeles:
  • Doree and Maurene bond over shared favorite local haunts authentically woven into the novel (39:33).
• Rethinking the Age-Gap Trope:
  • The book features two hunks—a 28-year-old and his 40-something boss.
  • Maurene purposefully wrote Cassia as confident, with relationship doubts based on real issues (stage of life), not insecurity about looks (42:44).
  • Quote:

    “The thing that isn’t like a conflict is: Am I hot enough? Am I going to stay hot enough for this young guy? It’s like, she’s like, ‘Dude, I’m hot, it’s fine.’” — Maurene Goo (42:44)

6. Book & Reading Recommendations

• Maurene’s current and recent favorites:
  • August Lane (“black country singer’s daughter rekindles high school romance”), recommended by romance author Christina Forrest (44:33).
  • Tessa Bailey’s sports romance series, notably Catch Her If You Can, plus Bailey’s heated rivalry and hockey romances (45:37–45:52).

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Notable Quotes

• On Self-Care and Reality:

  “I want to embrace aging, but the reality, reality is I am not embracing aging right now.” — Maurene Goo (13:20)

• On Single Women (and 40s representation):

  “There are so many single women and they are very happy with their lives and the romance factor is like a bonus… I don’t think that’s wish fulfillment. I think that’s very realistic actually.” — Maurene Goo (18:50 & 20:24)

• On Closet Editing:

  “She would say, ‘Okay, try it on...’ Her face would be like, ‘Yes. No.’ …She’s like, ‘You feel sad.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’” — Maurene Goo (27:08)

• On Age Gap Romance:

  “I wanted this woman to be confident, and the thing that isn’t like a conflict is am I hot enough? ...She’s like, ‘Dude, I’m hot, it's fine.’” — Maurene Goo (42:44)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Introduction, Announcements, and Opening Chat: 00:00–07:29 (skip ads)
• Interview Part 1: Maurene’s Self-Care & Face Massages: 12:02–15:11
• About the New Book & Why Write for Adults: 15:11–18:42
• Representation, Fashion & Closet Clean-Out: 21:19–32:04
• Awards Season Life & Family: 32:29–36:34
• Book as LA Love Letter & Romance Tropes: 39:33–44:16
• Reading Recommendations: 44:33–46:01

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Memorable Moments

• Maurene’s vivid recounting of her stylist’s “no mercy” approach to decluttering:
  “She just knew. She was decisive… If I paused, she would say, ‘Okay, try it on.’” (26:20)
• The joy of electrified sweater shavers:
  “It is the best. It’s the best. Okay. I do it for all my sweaters.” (28:42)
• Shared delight in the authenticity of LA references throughout One and Only (39:33).
• Strong, confident representation for 40-something women:
  “He’s lucky to be with me.” (42:48)

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Final Notes

• For listeners eager for more, Maurene appears in a special Patreon Q&A episode following this main interview.
• The episode closes with relaxed updates on the hosts’ intentions and weekly routines, highlighting the show’s trademark blend of practical self-care and playful storytelling.

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For more details and the latest products mentioned, visit forever35podcast.com or their Instagram @forever35podcast.

Transcript

[Elise Hu]

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[Dory Shafrier]

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[Elise Hu]

I get it.

[Dory Shafrier]

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[Elise Hu]

And I'm Elise Hu and we're just two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.

[Dory Shafrier]

And today we have a very special guest. A guest who has been on forever 35 before. Actually several times.

[Elise Hu]

Yes, but not in a minute.

[Dory Shafrier]

Not in a minute. A good friend of mine, an amazing author and wonderful person, Maureen Goo.

[Elise Hu]

We took a bit of a deep dive into her experience with a stylist, which I found very aspirational.

[Dory Shafrier]

I found it fascinating.

[Elise Hu]

I want somebody to come to my house and Reorganize my closet and then also help me edit. Like, the editing is what. I find the editing really difficult. The only clothes that I got rid of en masse were the clothes that I wore that were not maternity clothes, but just clothes that I wore while pregnant because I associated them with pregnancy. And I was like, even though this is a really cute top, or even though this is really cute summer dress that you could wear while you were pregnant or not pregnant, I was still like, I'm not gonna wear this again. I don't wanna wear it again. Like, this is of an age that I don't wanna be a part of anymore.

[Maureen Goo]

So.

[Elise Hu]

So those are the only clothes that I was just like, goodbye when we moved back to America. And I do think moving is always a great time to edit. I feel like we always get rid of a lot of stuff when we move, but I don't think I'm going to move for a while. After my Last one in 2022, we moved into this house, and now I can't even really leave my house because if we left it, where would I live? Like, I wouldn't be able to afford. Like, if I left my house, I don't think I would be able to afford a new place that's, like, even on par with where I'm. Where I would be leaving. So I'm going to be here for a minute, which means no good chance to edit unless we're really deliberate about it. But you did, right? Didn't you start. I feel like on this show, on this very show, we talked about how you organized a bunch of your things to, like, give away.

[Dory Shafrier]

I did. But this is like an. It's like a con. It feels like it's like just a constant ongoing process. What I will say that has been kind of good in, like, my age of austerity is that I am not acquiring that many new things.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

So, you know, I think in the past it was always like, oh, I got rid of all this stuff. Oh, but look, I just, like, bought a bunch of that. Like, I probably won't end up wearing that much. Whereas now I'm just like, well, guess I'm gonna wear this sweater again. But, you know, also in a way that should make it easier for me to really edit down because I'm, like, wearing the same things every day.

[Elise Hu]

Now you're. Now you're living a capsule wardrobe life.

[Dory Shafrier]

I'm really living a capsule wardrobe life. So the things that I don't wear are, like, truly things I can just get Rid of. Because I don't have that many clothes to choose from. And if I'm not wearing certain clothes, then I really don't want to wear those clothes. You know what I mean?

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

So I am like, your decisions are made for you. Yes. With your own behavior out of necessity. You know, I was doing newly for a while and I did like Nuuly. It just felt like I didn't need it for my lifestyle. Like, it was fun. But, you know, I don't work in an office. I don't like, go out that much.

[Elise Hu]

There's not enough events like weddings, cocktail parties. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

Although I will say, you know, you do need a like those certain dress out for whatever. Yeah, exactly. And I feel like I don't have those anymore. Like on the rare occasions that I do need to sort of like, dress up and look nice, I'm like, oh, I don't like, love anything that I have. But it feels like such an investment to buy those clothes that you're not going to wear that much. Do you know what I mean?

[Elise Hu]

Agree. I also did Nuuly. And then I also canceled it after a year or two. It was really useful when I was touring a lot and speaking a lot for my book.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes.

[Elise Hu]

Because there was like a new outfit or a new city and people were gonna take pictures. I mean, now that I've. I'm. I'm pretty much staying put and then I don't have to be in front of a bunch of people that often. I didn't think it was really the juice was worth the squeeze anymore. I mean, because these subscriptions really add up. It wasn't just that. It wasn't just that, like, I didn't have enough use. I also don't really like mailing stuff back and like, packing things. Like, even that was a little bit too much for me because I'm trying to live like my days in a pretty simple way without having to run to the UPS store or schedule a pickup for a. You know, it's just like there's so many things like that that are in the course of my work or in the course of just parenting that I was sort of like, I can't do this for clothes too. I can't do my clothes tasks also.

[Dory Shafrier]

I mean, I get that. But yeah, it was really fun to talk to Maureen about having a stylist. Both, like, for her own closet and also for like, going to some events that she's had to go to. And that is just a little teaser. You'll have to listen to our interview.

[Elise Hu]

We will say no more.

[Dory Shafrier]

We will say no more. Well, before we get to Maureen, let me just read her official bio. She is the author of several acclaimed and award winning books for young adults including I Believe in A Thing called Love and 3 Throwback, which was a Reese Book Club YA winter pick. Several of her young adult novels are in development for film and her books have been translated into 12 languages. She also writes for screen games and comics. She writes and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son and two cats and One and Only, which is her new book which is out tomorrow.

[Elise Hu]

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is Pub day.

[Dory Shafrier]

Tomorrow's Pub Day and it's her adult debut.

[Elise Hu]

Congratulations, Maureen.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes, and it is a delightful read. Also a reminder that everything we mention on the show is on our website Forever35podcast.com we are also on Instagram at Forever35podcast. Our patreon is at patreon.com Forever35 you can shop our favorite products at Shopmy US. Forever35, you can call or text us at 781-591-0390 and email us at forever35podcastmail.com and our newsletter is on our patreon. So again, patreon.com Forever 35 you can become a free member and get our newsletter or you can become a paid member and get all of our bonus content including our casual chats, our monthly pop culture recommendation episodes, the Forever 35 questionnaire ad free episodes. The bonuses just keep coming and we are going to take a short break and we will be right back with Maureen.

[Elise Hu]

We'll be right back.

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[Maureen Goo]

Are you really buying a car online on autotrader right now? Really? At a playground? Yeah, really. Look at these listings from dealers. Wow, your search can really get that specific. Really? And you just put in your info and boom. Cars in your budget. Mom needs a second. Honey, you can really have it delivered. Really? Or I can pick it up at the dealership. One sec, sweetie. Mommy's buying a car. Mommy, I think your kid is walking up the slide.

[Dory Shafrier]

Kyle again?

[Maureen Goo]

Really? Auto trader. Buy your car online. Really?

[Dory Shafrier]

Maureen, welcome back to Forever 35. So nice to see you.

[Maureen Goo]

Great to be here.

[Dory Shafrier]

For those of you who don't know, Maureen has been on the show five times. I don't know. You've been on the show a lot.

[Maureen Goo]

I know. I think it's five now.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

Oh, boy, what an honor.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah, it is.

[Elise Hu]

This is the first time though, since I've been co hosting that Maureen has come on, so it's good to see you, Maureen, and have this conversation. Do you remember the last time that you came on and what y' all were talking about?

[Maureen Goo]

I feel like it was a couple years ago.

[Dory Shafrier]

Was it when Throwback came out?

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah, Throwback came out in 2023, so it might have been.

[Dory Shafrier]

I think that's when it was definitely.

[Maureen Goo]

Oh boy. That's been three years already.

[Dory Shafrier]

That's crazy. You also filled in when I was on maternity leave.

[Maureen Goo]

I did.

[Dory Shafrier]

Which was.

[Elise Hu]

Oh yay.

[Dory Shafrier]

A long time ago now. So.

[Maureen Goo]

Yes, I know it's nuts for those.

[Elise Hu]

Of us who are sort of like just joining midstream. Like, how are. How do you two know each other? How do you, like. What is the. What's the connection? How'd you guys meet?

[Maureen Goo]

Well, honestly, because of the podcast. Right, Dory?

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah. You knew Kate?

[Maureen Goo]

I think Kate and I just knew each other online or something. They're to be a time when Twitter was fun and you would meet like minded people, creative stuff there. So Kate and I knew each other and I think I became a fan of the podcast with like that mild association with Kate. We just started kind of hanging out a little more in real life too. And now we kind of have. Yeah, we did a writing group for a while. That was. That was fun too.

[Dory Shafrier]

That was really fun.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, fantastic.

[Dory Shafrier]

Well, Maureen, as you know, we always start by asking our guests about a self care practice that they have. I know you've answered this question before, but it's 2026. The world is falling apart. What is your self care practice in 2026?

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah, yeah. I have added a new thing to my self care practice that is very frivolous. I've really been sucked into the algorithm for face massages. I don't know if you guys. I think because I showed some mild interest a long Time ago. Now, like, literally, it's like 80% of my algorithm. So I am doing like, you know, the whole concept is, oh, lymphatic drainage. And also, like, as we get older, all these things happen to our face. The reason why we age is because our muscles are getting, like, stagnant. Who knows? I kind of believe the science and I kind of don't, but it's one of those things where I just feel like I don't care. I'm gonna pretend this works and it gives me some semblance of control over my life. And, you know, I obviously want to embrace aging, but the reality, reality is I am not embracing aging right now.

[Elise Hu]

And I'm ambivalence about it. Yeah. Yes.

[Maureen Goo]

I'm like, you know what? If I can help gravity slow down, then I'm gonna do it. But it's like a nice ritual. So I do like a 10 minute one every day. And it's, it's not just your face, but it's like working with your chest. And you're right here, and it's like your neck and your scalp. A ton of, like, scalp work. And I actually just took an extra step into commitment by signing up for this woman's course, and I paid money for it. And it's going to start in February, so we'll see.

[Elise Hu]

But it's satisfying to give yourself a facial massage is what you're saying.

[Maureen Goo]

It feels good? Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

I mean, I love to get one when I'm getting facials. But you're saying, like, you have learned to practice, like, do a. Do facial massage on yourself.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah. And it's not like a soothing, relaxing massage. It is like, work. It's like fascia work. They're always telling us, like, we need to open up our chest, we need to get rid of this hump on our back. We need to. If we massage all this, then apparently, like, your nasal passages, you know, these full nasolabial, like. Yeah, yeah, labial. That's like such a funny word. But, like, you don't need it. You don't need a facelift. You just need to massage your scalp. So I'm like, diluting myself right now as everything feels out of control in the world. I'm like, okay, well, I'm gonna massage my face 10 minutes a day. And this is doing something also.

[Elise Hu]

Like, it's really, it's really satisfying. You know, touch is very satisfying. So however you're practicing it, I think that it can be beneficial.

[Maureen Goo]

I think I have learned that I need a lot of touch, actually. That's something I've learned recently. Yeah. Something I've learned the past couple years.

[Elise Hu]

Good.

[Maureen Goo]

Like I love brushing my hair, I love getting a massage. I love just like squeezing the life out of my son, you know?

[Dory Shafrier]

Oh, yeah.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, well, that's a good reminder. We are having you on this time because you have another new book out, but it's your adult debut. Yes, it's called One and Only. Tell us a little bit about it.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah. One and Only is about a woman named Cassia park who comes from a long line of matchmakers. And their matchmaking agency, their family agency, has a 100 guarantee of finding the one because secretly they all have this gift of being able to see into people's past lives and they find the soulmate through this past life peak. And Cass has known her soulmate's name for a decade, but she's about to turn 40 and she still hasn't found him. So she decides to have like a fling with this 28 year old cutie and then discovers that his boss is the guy she's been looking for. So it's a little bit of a love triangle. It's a little bit of fate versus, you know, free will, a lot of family, family stuff. Matriarchal Korean family ladies. And it takes place in la. So it's my little. Another. Yet another love letter I've written to la.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, yeah. The dedication is to the people of Los Angeles. I love it.

[Maureen Goo]

It is, yeah. Because I wrote it. I was working on it during the fires and you know, everything that's been going on around here.

[Dory Shafrier]

I'm curious what made you want to write a novel for adults after so many great YA books?

[Maureen Goo]

I felt like it was time. Something in me was just like, you know what? I think you are ready now. And the thing is, I don't think that writing adult books means like, I'm graduating, you know, I don't see it that way at all. I still probably will write ya. I love it. I feel very at home in that age range. But I think that I had done five YA novels and they felt like I was reading so much romance, so much, I don't know, for lack of a better word, like women's, women's upmarket fiction. And that was just the majority of what I was reading since 2020. And I felt very inspired by reading all of these things. But also I can see for me what was missing as a reader. I mean, I think there's a lot of freedom in ya, but I, as an adult, I'm like, wow, now I can finally delve into topics and like also just really details like talking about interior design and you know, like how much wine these characters are drinking all the time. It was fun to kind of like unleash these interests of mine in a way that I wasn't able to in ya. But yeah, I just felt like there was something in me that was saying, oh, let's just try this out. And you know, obviously there's been kind of a big movement with a lot of YA authors moving into the adult space the past few years. And I think the ya, you know, right now, YA is such a, it's always moving like as far as like what's trendy and what people are reading and what's big in ya. And I just kind of felt like a little disconnected from the audience when I started to write One and Only and I'm like, you know what? I think I'm just going to go to this really familiar space and see I as a reader have been in it for so long and you know, I just, I love writing romance. It was a way for me to really dig into like a grown up romance.

[Elise Hu]

What do you feel like was missing from what you were reading that you wanted to put in the pages of your book?

[Maureen Goo]

I mean, this is a little tricky because I never want to claim like no one's done that before because inevitably someone's done it and I'm like not the first author to do anything. But as far as what I wanted to read was I wanted to read about 40 year old women that were single, that were not harried divorced moms that were not spinsters, that were sad. You know, I know so many women. I think it's a, maybe it's a millennial thing. Like my age group, I just feel like there are so many single women and they are very happy with their lives and the romance factor is like a bonus maybe. And not only that, but when you're 40 nowadays you can still be like, maybe I'll still have a family. It's not like some expiration date has not expired. You know, that's, I think like me and my friends, I see it like, oh, maybe we're the like one of the first waves of women that still have these choices in their 40s. And I don't think like, you know, many people thought that they would get, be getting pregnant in their 40s, so or even starting families or finding their true loves or whatever, new careers. So you know, and there's like this strong like perimenopausal movement happening right now too, where in fiction and literature. I'm like, wow, people are talking about this and like having, you know, starting Fresh in your 40s is not at all novel anymore. And so I really wanted to write a love story for a woman in her 40s that felt like that got the treatment that women in their twenties.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

Forever. You know. And I don't think that's wish fulfillment. I think that's very realistic actually.

[Dory Shafrier]

It's funny you mentioned that because one of my questions was that I love that you have this protagonist who's a 40 year old woman who is not a hot mess.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

And that was, that's deliberately what you were writing. Yeah, yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

Like I was, I was like, okay, yes, she's not like a total disaster. Like she's far from it. She's the opposite. And also I liked what you said about now that you're writing adult, adult books, you get to kind of talk about things like wine and you know, that you didn't get to talk about in ya because I also loved all of your descriptions of her outfits. She is like hot and her outfits are hot. So I'm wondering like, what was your inspiration for her clothes and what are you into fashion wise these days?

[Maureen Goo]

Another form of self care for me has been really going into clothes and fashion because. And Dory, we've talked about this and you guys have talked about this on the podcast for sure. Like that period of having a kid and then coming out of COVID having a young kid coming out of COVID I think a lot of women felt this way and it, and it felt like a, it felt like a shallow, you know, you're like, what do I wear? And it seems shallow at the time or maybe on the surface, but I do think it was meaningful because I think a lot of us just didn't know how to navigate like a new reality. And one of the things that I had always felt strongly about was like, I know my own fashion sense. I have very strong feelings about clothes. I love it. But I did feel very lost after having a kid. I felt very unmoored and I needed something and I really focused on fashion because it felt very tangible, something that I can change. Look at my closet. Let's do this. Obviously it wasn't like I had an endless budget for it, but I try to be smart. And so I started following a lot of people on substack, stylists, influencer types, and really went in deep on fashion substack. And then I found a community there that I really loved. And I started to just take my own author newsletter, moved it to substack, and try to make it more organic to stuff. Not just book stuff, but I always do talk about writing on books. But, you know, kind of like, why don't I expand what I talk about on here? And I talked to some of my friends, like, would you guys be interested in content where I'm, like, talking about movies or TV shows, plus clothes, plus parenting stuff, plus, I don't know, like, activism or whatever I feel like talking about? And everyone's like, yeah, like, we read that. So that's what I've been doing, and I've been holding myself to it weekly. And anyways, the fashion was really fun for me, obviously. Like, I am around Cassia's age, so I was like, what would I wear? You know, I may just kind of amped it up a little bit with her because she's a little more aspirational than me. You know, She's. She never had a baby. She's like. She's like, yeah, I'm free. I can just, like, wear white. White clothing all the time. And so I had so much fun with the clothes.

[Dory Shafrier]

Okay, but I have to ask. You got to go to the Golden Globes this year.

[Maureen Goo]

Well, I got to go to the after parties.

[Dory Shafrier]

Okay.

[Elise Hu]

Not the ceremony. You have to be dressed up for the party anyway.

[Maureen Goo]

Stop.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah. Yes. I got to channel some of that.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes. So tell us about that whole process, how you chose your dress, getting ready for, like, the whole thing. I want. I want the real behind the scenes.

[Maureen Goo]

So a few months ago, I hired a stylist, actually. And again, I decided to invest in this one little corner of my life because I do care about it. And I realized that decluttering and organizing and having vision and clarity with my wardrobe did actually help my mental health, you know? And so, you know, I picked this one little thing, and I was like, okay, I'm gonna redo our closet, and I'm gonna do a re haul, because I think I'm just holding on to stuff. And, you know, I had been vigorously decluttering my closet forever, and I just felt like, I'm gonna hire the stylist. She's gonna come and look at my closet. It's gonna be embarrassing. But she's also not gonna find much to get rid of because I. Well edited, you know. Oh, my God. So she's amazing. I found her on Fashion Subsect. She's local to la. Her name is Laurel Patton. She is like, very fabulous and fancy and very cool. She comes from, like, the world of New York fashion. She used to work at magazines and all this stuff. And I was very anxious, actually, about having her come to my house. Oh, my God. It's probably, like, such a teeny closet, but she's like, no judgment. And I thought, okay, I'm gonna pull out the stuff that I like and have her help me make outfits. She literally made me. She touched and took out every single item of clothing in my closet. My drawers, including my pajamas, minus my, like, underwear, obviously. And socks.

[Dory Shafrier]

Wow.

[Maureen Goo]

Although I'm sure she would have gone into my socks if we had time. And it was very fun and enlightening and also, like, very. It took out after she left because it was a whole day, nine to five.

[Dory Shafrier]

Wow.

[Maureen Goo]

I, like, lay down on my sofa for, like, two hours, and we got rid of, like, I would say, almost 10 huge garbage bags full of clothes.

[Elise Hu]

Whoa.

[Maureen Goo]

And I don't even know. I didn't even know I had that much 10, because I was like, I need to. I need to figure out more storage for my closet. She's like, you don't. You actually have enough space in your closet? You just have to edit down.

[Elise Hu]

And what were the principles behind this edit? Like, what are kind of the big questions that she asks that would be applicable to everybody?

[Maureen Goo]

You know, it wasn't really any principles. The process was this, where we would go through, and she would. She just knew. She was decisive. So she just knew that I trusted. She knew that I trusted her. Right. So she would look at. She would pick out, you know, okay, each item. Black, black pants. I'm like, yes. If I say yes, she's like, okay, yes, no matter what. Right? And then if I paused, she. She would say, okay, try it on. I was. Try it on in front of her. And it would be like her face would be like, yes. No. And, you know, even things like, oh, this, like, light brown sweater from Everlane, which I have worn to death. Like, of course I'm gonna keep it. But I put it on, and I felt just like putting it on for her. I was like, oh, I don't love this water. She's like, no, you do not love it. You feel sad.

[Elise Hu]

And I was like, okay.

[Maureen Goo]

And I'm like, yeah. And then she also, like, was able to notice a pattern of the stuff I don't like anymore. She's like, you went through a crunchy granola mom face. And I'm like, she's like, everything that was oatmeal Is out and rust and rust colored. This is a phase of your life that you are not in anymore. I'm like, no, I am not. But there are certain things that that phase did bring, which I still love. And she was like, yeah, you still love it. Keep it. Overalls and clogs. I was like, I'm not gonna give up my overalls and clogs life. And she's like, you don't have to. However, we're gonna whittle down the overalls to the ones that you wear and the ones that make you feel good that don't come from a place of, like, sadness. And then there is principle.

[Elise Hu]

Like, does.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Does this make you sad? Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

I mean, it's kind of the old. Does this spark joy, Right.

[Elise Hu]

But the opposite.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

But kind of like. And the thing is, she's like, if something I would tell her like, I love these jeans. They don't really fit me, but I love that. And she's like, well, just keep them. She's like, let's make a pile of like, revisit later and then make a pile of things that, like, you're not wearing them because you're not taking care of them. So all these sweaters, they would look better if you just detailed them. Put them in the detail pile, Put this in the get it tailored pile. And then revisit on the sweater pilling.

[Elise Hu]

I was actually thinking about this very sweater that I'm wearing right now, which I love.

[Maureen Goo]

And it's very soft, but I have the best.

[Elise Hu]

I need a deep. Okay, that's what I was going to say. What is your go to tool to de pill sweaters?

[Maureen Goo]

So everybody suggests, like, a cashmere brush, but I don't like cashmere brush. I bought it.

[Elise Hu]

I was going to say it's not great for.

[Maureen Goo]

And it scares me. I'm like, I. I'm scared I'm gonna like, tug a hole in it. There's this electric one that somebody somewhere on some sub stack recommended to me. It is the best. It's the best. Okay. I do it for all my sweaters.

[Elise Hu]

You must put it in the chat before we end this interview because I have been searching for this. This is like my white whale.

[Maureen Goo]

Because I can I tell you, such a sweater d pillar soothing activity. You're like, I'm just gonna.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

No, my partner loves sweaters for 15 minutes.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

I like to give it to him as projects because he. He's like on a. On the. On a call and he likes to do pill sweaters. Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

Oh, my God, I love that. Yes. Hopefully you'll love this. So the other thing that she had was she brought her own rack and she put it in my living room and she pulled out everything by section. So, like, pants. And she put all the pants out. So putting it on the rack, that helped. And then she made me get all new hangers. She was like, I cannot believe you hang your pants like this. I'm like, I know. And so she made me get like, these like, hangers. She's like, you actually, like, stop trying to save space and combine things like that. You will never wear this.

[Elise Hu]

And then it's hard to see, right? Yeah. I feel like there's so many pants that I don't wear because I was trying to get those, like, pants stacker things. And.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah, don't use the pants stackers if it's a pain to put on and off. Like, you're just gonna avoid it. Right. So we got single use, like hangers. Amazing. And yeah. Then we made a donation pile. We made a resale pile. We made a clothing swap pile. It was. She made me sit there and make those piles and she folded everything back for me and put them in the. Because she's like, you're never gonna do this, so we have to do it right now. Anyways, she's the best. And now I'm work. So she. She basically now knows everything I have in my closet. And she helped me figure out outfits with some of them too. So she was like, let's look at the stuff that you like but you don't see yourself reaching for. And let's see if we can make outfits for you that. So I have these, like, for example, like, vintage, purpley, like, they're like. I don't even know how to describe it. Like, Mandarin pattern silky crop pants. They're so cool. But I'm like, I just don't know, like, other than like a white button up or a plaque sweater. And she just. She had me wear it with this sweater. And she was like, look at that. I'm like, oh, okay. And then she had me wear with like a T shirt and then like a jean jacket. Like, so she made me some outfit ideas and then we took photos of outfits that I would maybe I might wear on my book tour. And so I've got my book tour stuff. I have a couple of, like, more high profile things that I can't really talk about, but she made me outfits for that. And then she's been helping me. Like, she sends me like, oh, how about the scarf. How about this? You know, she sends me links to stuff, but she also is so generous. And I don't think a lot of stylists do this. She and I are roughly the same size, so she's just, like, letting me borrow stuff. I had to go to this event, like a dinner. She let me borrow her dress from the row. She let me borrow this little high sport blazer that I wore to the Golden Globe.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, this is a nice perk of your stylist relationship, because I was already going to say you're getting more than just a stylist already. Because she is also a de facto closet organizer.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes, but.

[Maureen Goo]

So I just think she's being really generous with. With me. And I don't know if, like, she even offers this service, to be honest, but I reached out to her and we were chatting about it, and I think she was excited by the challenge of the things that I needed clothing for. And then, of course, like, just the closet clean out is just her regular thing that she does. So, yeah, she's been great.

[Elise Hu]

We should mention that part of the reason you've been going to the Golden Globes and have all these big events is because your husband Chris is being celebrated after directing K Pop Demon Hunters. Perhaps y' all have heard of it. How has that ride been for y' all and your family over the last year?

[Maureen Goo]

Plus, it has been very nuts, you know, in a good way, but also in an overwhelming way, if I'm being honest. You know, it's just very shocking and lovely and really, it's thrown our lives, you know, kind of upside down, but all for good reason. And I feel really fortunate, obviously, and very proud.

[Elise Hu]

How do you feel like it's thrown your lives? Or how do you feel like it's kind of turned things upside down for you in the most tangible way, just schedule wise.

[Maureen Goo]

So Chris's schedule is nuts. You know, he was traveling so much. So they basically, like, there's an awards award season, campaigning that he had to do. And it just means he goes to, like, a bazillion festivals all around the world. And it's. You never, like, sometimes, you know, way ahead of time. Like, obviously, we have had Golden Globes and stuff like that on our schedule ahead of time. But certain things pop up very last minute. Like, oh, can you fly to New York for this thing, A screening that they're doing, Even, like, me hiring a stylist? I don't think I would have done that. And then my schedule, too, with, you know, just child care and having a kid and then, you know, money, you know, things have just really changed. If I'm being very, you know, very candid.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

So. But also, it's. And my husband is an introvert. You know, this is, like, really.

[Elise Hu]

This is a lot for him. Yeah. It must be very draining.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah, it is. But, you know, he's not a complainer, and he would never complain. Complain about this. He knows that it's also an honor and a privilege, so it's been very exciting. It's really. It's really something too, though, because I've watched him, and I have also sacrificed for this movie. He's been killing himself over for, like, five years. Ever since my kid was born, he's been working on this movie. And it was a lot. When we had a young child, and his schedule was nuts during this movie. It was very demanding. And so it is very gratifying to see something, you know, creative people. This is what we do. We do so much work, and we're, like, hoping maybe a few people connect with it. Maybe it'll be financially successful to help us out. And it kind of did all of the above.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Congratulations.

[Maureen Goo]

Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, I'm very.

[Elise Hu]

I mean, what a great film to put out into the world and look at what an impact it's had for generations of people, especially Asian, identifying, you know, to see all these kids dressing up as roomy during trick or treating, it was very moving. And then we had a guest on. My Dermatologist was on actually a few months ago, and we asked her about a celebrity that she wanted to be friends with. And she was like, does this count? EJ from K Pop Demon Hunters. Because of her story and what she's been through. And I'm like, of course it counts. She is a legit celebrity. Yes.

[Maureen Goo]

She was very lovely and wonderful. And I'm just. Yeah. Everybody involved, you know, like, it's been. Nobody involved. Only did a little bit of work. So it's just really. Yeah. I can't even tell you. Halloween, I'm like, oh, like, crying.

[Elise Hu]

It was so moving.

[Maureen Goo]

Right. Halloween, you know, parade they have at school. I'm like, everybody is roomy. Or Zoe. Not many mirrors. I have to say, I'm a little sad about that. A lot of the moms are. A lot of the moms are mirrors. But not only that, but, like. Like every. The boys were such a.

[Elise Hu]

Yes. Yes. To dress up as Asian boys or Asian men. Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

So many. Like, so many little white boys dressed.

[Elise Hu]

Up as a saja mom.

[Maureen Goo]

I'M like this is so cute.

[Dory Shafrier]

I mean just even on, even on my son's baseball team in the fall, they all had to pick a song for like walk Up Music. And like half of them chose songs from K Pop Demon Hunters. Some of them were Korean, but not all of them. I mean it was just, you know. Oh, that's the thing really unifying, really cool.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, let's take a break and we will be right back. Have you ever found the product you've been looking for online? The one you've been scouring the Internet for for hours or maybe even weeks. And then you get to the checkout and realize you have to create an account, enter your card info, do all the things just to finally check out. I've been there so many times. Compare that to the feeling you have when you see Shopify's purple button instead of jumping through those hoops and Shopify is the commerce PA platform behind millions of businesses around the world, from household names like Rare Beauty and Thrive Cosmetics to brands that are just getting started. On the flip side, if you have a business, Shopify can help you accelerate your efficiency. Whether you're uploading new products or trying to improve existing ones, Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines, enhance your product photography. Best yet, it's your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping and processing returns. See fewer cards go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop Pay button. Sign up with your $1 per month trial today at Shopify Forever 35. Go to shopify.com forever35 that's shopify.com forever35 if you've been traveling a lot over the holidays or busy as the new year begins, you know firsthand that takeout can take it out of you. Because nothing hits like home cooking and hellofresh makes it easy to do more of it this year with recipes that feel good and taste delicious night after night. You can turn on a little music, have the kids help make a fun time of it. You can choose from more than 35 high protein recipes each week including new Mediterranean and GLP. One friendly options feel great with wholesome ingredients like sustainably sourced seafood and 100% antibiotic and hormone free chicken. I just had some of that chicken in this chicken sand soup that we made this week with all of our hello fresh ingredients and everything portioned out exactly perfectly. It is something that we have not only enjoyed on the first night, but enjoyed as leftovers as well. Because when dinner tastes this good. Nothing hits like home cooking. Go to hellofresh.com forever3510fm to get 10 free meals and a Freeze Willing knife, which is a $144.99 value on your third box offer valid while supplies last. Free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only. Varies by plan.

[Dory Shafrier]

I want to get back to your book, if I may. It was such a delight to read. I mean, partly because I know you, but also because it was just a delight, but. And also because like you said in the beginning, it's such a love letter to la. And I love how your books feel. So la, but it's not like a Hollywood la. And there were so many little details in it that I loved. For one thing, I was just at Spoke Bicycle Cafe on Saturday with Henry because it's one of his favorite places and we always go there and then like take a walk along the LA River. So there were just like all these little spots that I was like, oh, I love that. I love that spot too. I love that too. So thank you for like just your beautiful writing about Los Angeles. And now I must discuss Ellis.

[Maureen Goo]

Oh, yes.

[Dory Shafrier]

I mean, what a hunk.

[Elise Hu]

Like Ellis is the young guy.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah, he's the 20.

[Elise Hu]

He's the young guy out of the two.

[Dory Shafrier]

Even talked about the fact that there's like a delicious age gap relationship here.

[Maureen Goo]

Oh, yes.

[Dory Shafrier]

You know, she falls for this 28 year old guy who rescues her from the banks of the LA river after she falls on her back. This all happens in the first like 10 pages or something. So I'm not like revealing it.

[Maureen Goo]

The LA river has no water in it really. So I mean it had some this.

[Dory Shafrier]

Past weekend, so that's true.

[Maureen Goo]

We are, we are out of the drought. We are out of the drought.

[Dory Shafrier]

So we do have. Yeah. So yeah, I don't, I don't really have like a profound question here. I just wanted to like take a moment to appreciate the character of Ellis and like what was in your head when you were creating this delectable snack of a man?

[Maureen Goo]

Well, there are two hunks in this book. Just want you to know one of them is Ellis, who is a 28 year old and his boss is Daniel, who is more in early 40s. Okay.

[Dory Shafrier]

Daniel is also a hunk, but like Daniel, Daniel's hot.

[Maureen Goo]

He has a British accent. Okay. And he's true.

[Elise Hu]

This is true.

[Maureen Goo]

But Ellis is like deadly combo.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah, I know. Ellis is a special cinnamon bun. I wanted to make a younger dude. I knew that was Going to be a pivotal plot point. And you know, there's so much age gap romance right now happening. I feel like it is our time, but I really wanted it to be grounded in reality.

[Dory Shafrier]

Other.

[Maureen Goo]

Well, other than the fact that there's a bit of magic in the book, but what does it actually mean for a 40 year old woman to date a 28 year old guy? It's not just, you know, it's not just glamorous and like titillating. You know, you have to have questions of what, what is our future if we are talking about a real relationship here. And also. But at the same time I wanted this woman to be confident and, and the thing that isn't like a conflict is am I hot enough? Am I going to stay hot enough for this young guy? It's like she's like, dude, I'm hot, it's fine.

[Elise Hu]

Right.

[Maureen Goo]

And also, who cares? Like, yes, I'm an interesting. He's lucky to be with me.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes. Yeah. Her reservations about the age gap weren't like based in an insecurity about her looks or anything like that. It was more just like where she was in her life.

[Maureen Goo]

Exactly. Like, does he want to have a family if this, you know, of course there is one. The first time they are intimate, I guess. Or she does of course have to have a moment of like, listen, I'm not just going to show up. I have to do things, I have to groom, I have to like do the routine.

[Elise Hu]

Like, I'm not delusional.

[Maureen Goo]

Okay. I'm still 40 and totally, I don't, you know, I still want to look hot. So there was, there was a bit of that that I was thinking about. And I also wanted him to be a character that was worthy of, of a 40 year old woman who had a great life, you know, that he's offering more than just I'm free, I'm a free spirited cutie. It's like he's also like a wonderful human.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah.

[Maureen Goo]

And she admires him and there are things that he brings out in her that are valuable to her. And the way that he conducts his life in a way that is beyond, it goes beyond age, you know, So I needed to create. He was a hard one, you know. And I also didn't want it to feel too like, oh, he's so perfect. Earlier dress, my editor was like, okay, both of these guys are too perfect.

[Elise Hu]

They need some edge, they need some texture.

[Maureen Goo]

Fine.

[Elise Hu]

It is a romance though. So sort of like this is aspirational. Maureen, before we let you go, we Mentioned at the top or you talked about at the top, about how you read a lot of romance as well, and you're just a big reader in general. So what's on your nightstand? What do you recommend?

[Maureen Goo]

I love this question. I am currently reading August Lane, which is. I think it came out a year ago. A couple of years ago. My friend who is also a romance author, Christina Forrest, she recommended it to me. It is about the daughter of a black country singer and her romance with her old high school love coming back into town. And it's just really angsty and beautiful. And I always love, like, I think because my foot is always in ya. I love when you get to go back in time and like, read their high school romance and then fast forward to today. I love the country music element of it. I think that makes this really fun. And then I'm. I also just finished. See, I read so many books at once when it's romance. I also finished Tessa Bailey's newest one. She's doing this, like, fun sports series, which, you know, I'm like, yes, please. And the newest one, I think is called Catcher if youf can, you know, baseball player and a burlesque.

[Elise Hu]

Okay.

[Maureen Goo]

Burlesque dancer. Amazing.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Because the heated rival rivalry series is so, so booked out on Libby, you know, and at the libraries, there's like, you know, 24 week holds for everything.

[Maureen Goo]

Tessa Bailey also has two hockey romances in this. So, yeah, she's always reliable.

[Elise Hu]

Awesome.

[Dory Shafrier]

Great.

[Elise Hu]

This is fantastic. And we are listeners. You can hear more from Maureen in our Q And a, our Forever 35 questionnaire on the Patreon tomorrow. So long as you are a Patreon subscriber. Maureen, congratulations on the latest book. Thanks for coming on.

[Maureen Goo]

Thank you, guys.

[Dory Shafrier]

It's always fun when I get to, like, have you meet someone that I've known for a long time.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

And like, I feel like you must feel that way too. Like, when we talk.

[Elise Hu]

I was gonna say it goes the other way around too, with Tanya last week. And we've gotten a lot of good feedback from that episode as well. So I'm really thrilled to get to know her. And she's nearby, so maybe I will see her in person sometime. It was funny because after we had Jade Chang on another author here in Los Angeles not long after that, I got to see her in person because it was her actual book event and she had this massive book party, lots of overlapping friends, and then surprise, surprise, like, at a totally unrelated thing. It wasn't a book party for her. I Ran into her again, and it had nothing to do with literary. The literary community. It turns out she is really old friends with my doctor friend, the Dr. Jen, one of my besties who runs the ketamine clinic from who knows where. I have no idea. That was like, from college or like a college. Mutual. Yeah. So it's great. You know, we live in a big city, but it always feels like a small town, and I like that. And we've gotten to, like. I think one of the great thrills of getting to be an interviewer for a living is all the cool people that we get to meet.

[Dory Shafrier]

It's so true. Elise, last week, your intention was to take care of your plants. So how did that go?

[Elise Hu]

I watched Abe climb in the houseplant that's in my bedroom and pee in it.

[Dory Shafrier]

Oh, okay.

[Elise Hu]

And then he kicked up all the dirt, like the potting soil all over the place because he was treating it like a litter box. So my plants aren't that happy with me.

[Dory Shafrier]

I, like, failed to protect it.

[Elise Hu]

And I was like, abe, no. And I was, like, trying to stop him before he could finish. And he was just staring, staring at me. Total eye contact the whole time while he's urinating in my plant. I know both my dog and my cat are boys and they are very male. I sent these photos to our group chat, our show group chat with the two Sams and you of both of them just like, man spreading.

[Maureen Goo]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dory Shafrier]

Really?

[Elise Hu]

Same position.

[Dory Shafrier]

They were just really man spreading.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. My pets are bros. I guess they have to, like, balance out all the estrogen in the house.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yeah, they really were, like, taking up space.

[Elise Hu]

So I'm a little upset about what's going on with my plants. I'm still working on it, but this week my intention is going to be to actually take vitamins because I have these. I got a bunch of ritual vitamins which are supposed to be like some newfangled good vitamin that's like.

[Dory Shafrier]

They're.

[Elise Hu]

They're colorless and I don't know, they're supposed to be good vegan or whatever. And so I have two bottles of ritual vitamins, and I'm going to start taking them.

[Dory Shafrier]

I'm supposed to take two a day.

[Elise Hu]

And that's going to be my intention. And I'm just trying to do something with some regularity. What about you? How did you do on being okay with uncertainty?

[Dory Shafrier]

You know, I. I am just. I'm just, like, taking it day by day, I guess. It's the only way to. That's all we can do one that's bird by bird. Exactly. Exactly. So, yeah. And, you know, trying not to catastrophize, like, too many steps down the road. You know what I mean?

[Elise Hu]

I have a tendency to do that with the kids, especially because Ava wanted to quit dance. And I was like, well, then now you will never dance again.

[Dory Shafrier]

Right?

[Maureen Goo]

You're not.

[Dory Shafrier]

And she's like, mom, slow down.

[Elise Hu]

She's like, I just don't want to take dance anymore because I have too much going on. And I'm like, you're giving up on your magic.

[Dory Shafrier]

Oh.

[Elise Hu]

That'S a me problem, not a her problem. I think her magic, if it's magic, will live inside her always.

[Dory Shafrier]

Yes, for sure. For sure. I do have one project that I just. I need to finish, and I need to, like, not let my anxiety about this. This other uncertain stu to get in my head and make me not finish this other thing. Do you know what I mean? Sorry to, like, be so vague, but it's like, I don't. But, you know.

[Elise Hu]

All right, let's clarify what the intention is then. Is it just to, like, finish the first. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

The intention is to finish this project and not let my brain spiral. Like, not just staying focused sometimes. Yeah. Yeah. Stay focused. Sometimes I feel like I get so consumed with anxiety about and another thing that I can't focus and finish, like, what I need to do. Does that make sense?

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. So just staying focused, staying in the flow, that kind of thing. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrier]

Love that. Yeah. Which is, like, similar to my intention from last week, but I feel like I'm still kind of in the same mode.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Dory Shafrier]

All right. All right. Well, thanks, everybody. Yeah. Forever 35 is hosted and produced by me, Dory Shafrier and Elise Hu and produced and edited by Sam Hunio. Sami Reed is our project manager and our network partners, Acast. Thanks so much.

[Elise Hu]

Talk to you next time.

[Dory Shafrier]

Bye.

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[Dory Shafrier]

ACAST Powers the World's Best Podcasts Here's a show that we recommend.

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It's a job.

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What I learned from Michael Jackson Here's.

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[Elise Hu]

And Tim Spengler wherever you get your podcasts.

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