True Fiction Project – S7 Ep 7: “Jurassic Girl”

Host: Reenita Hora
Guest: Michelle C. Hollow
Date: February 10, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the True Fiction Project explores how real-life stories inspire creative fiction. The featured guest, journalist and author Michelle C. Hollow, discusses her deep fascination with animals, her work on biographies for young readers, and the inspiration behind her upcoming historical middle-grade novel, "Jurassic Girl," based on the life of Mary Anning, a pioneering young fossil hunter in early 19th-century England. The conversation highlights the process of transforming biography into engaging historical fiction, addresses challenges in historical storytelling, and features a vivid excerpt from Hollow’s forthcoming novel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Michelle C. Hollow’s Background and Passions

• Love for Animals as a Lifelong Motif
  • Michelle describes her childhood in the Bronx, growing up surrounded by animals, thanks in part to her mother's compassion and early experiences at the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo.
  • “As a kid, I grew up loving animals. I think I blame my mom. …I loved all kinds of animals.” (03:20)
• Journalistic Approach and Varied Writing
  • Michelle shares her approach to writing: treating kids’ books with the same journalistic thoroughness she brings to articles, whether about wildlife, health, or even music.
  • She highlights her unplanned path to writing a middle-grade biography of the Grateful Dead, including a memorable encounter with Bob Weir.
  • “I’m a journalist, so I, like, approached it that way. …My favorite chapter was interviewing Deadheads.” (07:39)

Transition to Historical Fiction: The Story Behind "Jurassic Girl"

• Mary Anning’s Inspiration
  • Michelle was moved by Mary Anning's story—a poor, self-educated 12-year-old girl in 1811 who made major fossil discoveries but was dismissed by male scientists of the time.
  • “Mary was poor, she was female, she was 12 years old. She was self educated…So a lot of the men in the Geological Society just dismissed her and didn’t believe her. And she triumphed, she persisted. And that’s what got me into the story.” (01:07, 09:29)
• Blending Fact and Fiction
  • Hollow clarifies that while "Jurassic Girl" is a fictionalized account, it closely adheres to Anning’s real life, aside from dialogue and some composite characters to maintain narrative flow.
  • “Everything in the book except the dialogue and one or two characters to move the story along is true.” (09:29)
  • Both Michelle and Reenita reflect on the challenge and value of creating dialogue in historical fiction, bringing the past to life for contemporary readers.
  • “The dialogue is always a challenge because you weren’t there in the room when it happened…recreating a story through dialogue I think is so much more interesting…” (10:45)

Research Process for "Jurassic Girl"

• Diligent Research and Consulting Experts
  • Michelle’s process involved reading multiple biographies (notably "The Fossil Hunter" by Shelley Emling), direct correspondence with staff at the Lyme Regis Museum, and even family assistance for on-the-ground details.
  • “I looked up Lyme Regis…at the Lyme Regis Museum there’s a Mary Anning wing…it has part of the ichthyosaurus that she found. …I was going back and forth through email with one of the researchers there…” (11:20)

Previewing "Jurassic Girl"

• Excerpt and Historical Context
  • Michelle reads an excerpt from Chapter 5, depicting Mary’s first visit to Elizabeth Philpott’s home, integrating themes of gender inequity in science and the emotional wonder of fossil discovery.
  • The reading powerfully underscores Anning’s determination and passion, as well as the close but rare friendship between two young, female fossil enthusiasts in a male-dominated field.
  • Memorable Excerpt:
    • “Look at all these books. Mary exclaimed. And I see you have newsletters from the London Geological Society going back a number of years up to the present. …Even though they don’t see us as experts, we can still learn from the information in these newsletters.” (16:47)
    • “To hold something in our hands that’s millions of years old is remarkable. I never tire of it.” (18:29)
    • “You’re the only girl I ever met who loves learning about fossils as much as I do, Mary continued. …They think it’s impossible anything would die out.” (18:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Women in Science (c. 1811):

  • “Is that true? Not one mention of women’s or girls contributions. That’s true. Even though they don’t see us as experts, we can still learn from the information in these newsletters.”
    — Michelle C. Hollow as Elizabeth Philpott (16:54)

• On The Wonder of Fossils:

  • “To hold something in our hands that’s millions of years old is remarkable. I never tire of it.”
    — Michelle C. Hollow as Mary Anning (18:29)

• On Storytelling & Fiction:

  • “The dialogue is always a challenge because you weren’t there in the room when it happened…recreating a story through dialogue I think is so much more interesting…”
    — Renita Hora (10:45)
  • “Everything in the book except the dialogue and one or two characters to move the story along is true.”
    — Michelle C. Hollow (09:29)

• On Music Writing:

  • “I’m not a Deadhead. I respect them greatly. And they gave me the best information about how there could have been, like, 25 people in a small little room in Hotel 6, Motel 6…they followed [the band]…across the country.”
    — Michelle C. Hollow (07:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:20] - Michelle’s childhood love of animals and her start at the Bronx Zoo
• [06:04] - How Michelle came to write a middle-grade biography of the Grateful Dead
• [08:55] - Introduction to "Jurassic Girl" and the life of Mary Anning
• [09:25] - The historical and social context of Mary Anning’s accomplishments
• [11:20] - Michelle’s research process for writing the novel
• [13:36] - Explanation and setup of the reading from "Jurassic Girl"
• [16:47] - Michelle reads the excerpt from her forthcoming novel, featuring Mary and Elizabeth’s first meeting
• [19:04] - Reaction to the excerpt and closing thoughts

About the Author and Book Release Info

• Author: Michelle C. Hollow
• Book: "Jurassic Girl"
• Publisher: Ulysses Press
• Release Date: September 10 (available widely, including bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon)

Michelle is also reachable at her website: Michelle C. Hollow (note: Michelle with one L). She contributes regularly to outlets like Next Avenue while working on future books.

Overall Tone and Takeaways

This episode blends warmth and curiosity, celebrating the power of women’s stories in science and the joy of researching both animals and music. Michelle C. Hollow’s account of crafting “Jurassic Girl” is both inspiring and informative, and the excerpted reading paints Mary Anning as a passionate, overlooked figure whose story resonates for young readers and adults alike.

For Further Information

• Visit reenita.com/podcasts/true-fiction-project/ for full episodes and submission info
• Connect with Michelle at michellechollow.com