On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Cecilia Rabess to discuss her stunning debut, Everything’s Fine, a story that asks big questions about America and what it means to live and love in polarized times. 

Cecilia shares the origin story of this novel and the creation of her protagonist, Jess, a young black recent college grad working as an analyst at Goldman Sachs; how she crafted the complicated, chemistry infused love story between Jess and Josh, her ideological antithesis; whether everything really is fine and the meta, layered meaning of the title; the strawberry on the “arresting” cover and the larger metaphor it represents throughout the book; whether or not people can really change; and a new take on astrology for us. 

This book explores so many questions — What does it mean to be a black woman struggling with internalized racism? What happens when one person says politics and the other says my humanity? It will make you think but also make you want to keep turning the pages at a relentless pace! 

Everything’s Fine is out now and it’s a must read. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Cecilia Rabess to discuss her stunning debut, Everything’s Fine, a story that asks big questions about America and what it means to live and love in polarized times. 
Cecilia shares the origin story of this novel and the creation of her protagonist, Jess, a young black recent college grad working as an analyst at Goldman Sachs; how she crafted the complicated, chemistry infused love story between Jess and Josh, her ideological antithesis; whether everything really is fine and the meta, layered meaning of the title; the strawberry on the “arresting” cover and the larger metaphor it represents throughout the book; whether or not people can really change; and a new take on astrology for us. 
This book explores so many questions — What does it mean to be a black woman struggling with internalized racism? What happens when one person says politics and the other says my humanity? It will make you think but also make you want to keep turning the pages at a relentless pace! 
Everything’s Fine is out now and it’s a must read. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts!

In Pop Fiction Women we deep-dive into the complicated women of books, movies and TV shows, along with the women that bring them to life behind the scenes. Think Fleabag and Phoebe Waller Bridge, Normal People and Sally Rooney, and so much more.

In each episode you can expect us to:

* Break down the protagonist as we ask what makes her complicated?
* Identify the best scenes, which can mean sweetest, funniest, or most badass. Anything we love.
* Recount the cringiest scenes. The ones that make you squirm. Sometimes it’s self-sabotage, sometimes it’s growth, but it’s always part of the process of becoming our complicated selves.
* Play arm-chair therapist in What’s Your Damage, Heather? An homage to the iconic line in Winona Rider’s Heathers, we discuss how these characters got to be the way they are.
* “What She Said” - the segment where we scour every essay and interview with the women behind the scenes and share some of our favorite first person quotes. Real life is as interesting as fiction here.
* Look into our crystal ball and ponder where these characters are six months later and five years later. Typically, Kate gets very real and Carinn gets buck wild.
* Provide a takeaway, aka that part in the podcast where we try to sound deep. We leave you with some parting wisdom, challenge each other with thought-provoking questions inspired by the work, and urge you to “stay complicated.”

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