Totally Booked with Zibby Owens
Guest: Lauren Grodstein
Episode: A DOG IN GEORGIA
Date: August 25, 2025
Episode Overview
In this engaging episode of "Totally Booked," Zibby Owens sits down with acclaimed novelist Lauren Grodstein to discuss her latest novel, A Dog in Georgia. The conversation delves deep into the book’s unique blend of midlife reinvention, humor, geopolitical insight, and a love of animals—specifically, an American woman's impulsive journey to the country of Georgia to help rescue a missing dog. Beyond the plot, the episode explores themes of freedom, meaning, privilege, and the impact of global events on the personal. Zibby and Lauren’s lively, candid exchange offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of the writing process, the emotional realities of midlife, and the surprising ways animals can clarify our purpose.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. What A Dog in Georgia Is Really About
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Dual Narrative:
- Part adventure (“middle-aged mom goes on a quest to save a dog in Georgia”)
- Part introspection (“an American woman learns about her place in the world and the nature of freedom”)
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Lauren shares that the protagonist, Amy, channels her own habits, like doom-scrolling animal rescue videos to manage stress (“I just, like, really feel more at peace when I’m looking at animals and not, say, the New York Times” [05:07]).
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Lauren’s own experiences with animal rescue and volunteering directly influenced the story.
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Georgia as a Setting:
- The country’s fraught history with Russia is woven into the narrative, drawing parallels between the fragility of freedom abroad and complacency at home in America.
- Amy, unfamiliar with Georgia’s “partially-occupied” status and the daily risks locals face, finds herself transformed by the experience (“...when you lose the ability to make your own choices, you really lose your future. You lose your children’s future.” [07:00]).
2. Humor, Midlife, and the Messiness of Reinvention
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Zibby highlights the novel’s funny, sharp depiction of midlife angst, reading a witty scene about marriage, friendship, and self-worth (“Her body was a secret she liked to keep from herself...” [12:06]).
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Cursing in fiction and backlash from readers (and family!)—they joke about parental critiques of swearing in books ([13:47]).
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Midlife as Motif:
- Both Lauren and Zibby reflect on the “stretch of time” after parenting and before grandparenting (“What happens between the kid’s schedule and, like, maybe the grandkids schedule? If I’m lucky” [19:34]).
3. Privilege, Meaning, and the Anxiety of Modern Life
- Lauren’s son inspires a thought experiment: “Do you think it’s better to be you today or Louis XIV in France?” (17:10)
- Despite unprecedented comfort and longevity in modern life, many today feel paralyzed by the existential question, “How do we make meaning?” (18:51)
- The clarity of helping animals: Lauren contrasts the tangible satisfaction of rescuing an animal (“the A to B of helping an animal is so clear”) with the murkier process of helping people ([20:58]).
4. The Writing Life, Literary Recognition, and What’s Next
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Lauren recounts the surreal joy and “sheer luck” of being a Read with Jenna Pick ([23:20]), including the thrill of bringing archival stories to wider audiences and connecting with other acclaimed authors.
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Jenna Bush Hager “really does read the books. She knew my book inside and out. It was very, very moving for me” ([25:33]).
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Upcoming Projects:
- Lauren hints she’s working on another novel grappling with democratic instability, citizenship, and the responsibilities of Americans—still in early stages (“There’s not even really...a plot” [25:52]).
- Writing as a way to “work out my anxiety.”
5. Advice for Aspiring Writers ([26:52])
- Read, especially good fiction.
- Keep a job: “It’s very hard to write if you’re worried about keeping the lights on.”
- Write daily: Make it a routine, even if only 20 minutes a day—“Try to cultivate the same icky feeling if you haven’t written as if you haven’t brushed your teeth.”
Memorable Quotes & Moments
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On Summing Up the Book:
- “You can either say, like, middle-aged mom goes on an adventure to save a dog, or you can say, American woman learns about her place in the world. And...it takes a long time to explain how they could both fit in one book.”
—Lauren Grodstein [09:28]
- “You can either say, like, middle-aged mom goes on an adventure to save a dog, or you can say, American woman learns about her place in the world. And...it takes a long time to explain how they could both fit in one book.”
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The Paradox of Modern Privilege:
- “There has never been a better time to be alive for many of us...But when all of that existential stuff is taken away, we're left with our big brains with lots of stuff to think about...What is the meaning we should be making?"
—Lauren Grodstein [17:28]
- “There has never been a better time to be alive for many of us...But when all of that existential stuff is taken away, we're left with our big brains with lots of stuff to think about...What is the meaning we should be making?"
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On Animal Rescue:
- “The A to B of helping an animal is so clear, whereas the A to B to helping another human being is less clear. But, like, if you help an animal, an animal is happy right?”
—Lauren Grodstein [20:58]
- “The A to B of helping an animal is so clear, whereas the A to B to helping another human being is less clear. But, like, if you help an animal, an animal is happy right?”
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On Literary Recognition:
- “She reads the books. She’s like an Energizer bunny. She doesn’t stop. And she reads the books. She knew my book inside and out. It was very, very moving for me.”
—Lauren Grodstein [25:33]
- “She reads the books. She’s like an Energizer bunny. She doesn’t stop. And she reads the books. She knew my book inside and out. It was very, very moving for me.”
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Advice for Writers:
- “Get a job, read, and write. Those are, I guess, my three pieces of advice.”
—Lauren Grodstein [28:45]
- “Get a job, read, and write. Those are, I guess, my three pieces of advice.”
Notable Segments & Timestamps
- Lauren on the Book’s Dual Meaning: [04:52]
- Animal Rescue and Personal Motivation: [05:45]
- Georgia’s Political Reality & Parallels to the U.S.: [06:35–09:00]
- Humor, Marriage, and Midlife in Fiction (Read-Aloud): [12:06]
- Making Meaning in Modern Life: [17:10–20:00]
- Lauren’s Research & Travel in Georgia: [21:42]
- Read with Jenna Experience: [23:20–25:36]
- Advice to Aspiring Writers: [26:52]
Tone and Flow
The episode is warm, witty, thoughtful, and conversational. Lauren’s dry humor and candid self-reflection mix with Zibby’s enthusiasm and curiosity, resulting in a discussion that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. The conversation ranges easily from the personal to the political, and from practical craft wisdom to existential musings, all grounded by the relatability of messy, midlife reality.
Summary
If you’re curious about how a funny, moving novel can intertwine the search for a lost dog, the struggle for democracy, and the search for personal meaning—all with sharp wit and emotional honesty—this episode is for you. Lauren Grodstein’s A Dog in Georgia is both a page-turner and a mirror for our collective anxieties, and this conversation with Zibby Owens brings its rich themes to life for readers and writers alike.