Contemporary Authors

• Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2017

• Nuclear Family - http://nuclearfamilybook.com/

  Susanna Fogel
  © Zach Winnick

  Susanna Fogel is a Rhode Island native and apologist. She writes and directs films and television, including the film Life Partners and the ABC drama series Chasing Life. She is an alumna of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and Columbia University. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker and Time magazine. She lives in New York and Los Angeles. And she has bangs, obviously. Nuclear Family is Susanna's first novel.

• MacMillan - https://us.macmillan.com/author/susannafogel/

  Susanna Fogel
  Zach Winnick

  Susanna Fogel is a Rhode Island native and apologist. She writes and directs films and television, including the comedy feature Life Partners and the ABC television series Chasing Life. She is an alumna of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and Columbia University. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker and Time Magazine. She lives in New York and Los Angeles. And she has bangs, obviously. Nuclear Family is Susanna's first novel.
  https://us.macmillan.com/author/susannafogel/

• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2573005/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm - IMDB

  Susanna Fogel
  Biography
  Mini Bio (1)

  Susanna Fogel is a writer and producer, known for Chasing Life (2014), Joni & Susanna (2008) and Life Partners (2014).

  The Spy Who Dumped Me (post-production)
  Chasing Life (TV Series) (developed for American television by - 34 episodes, 2014 - 2015) (written by - 6 episodes, 2014 - 2015) (teleplay - 1 episode, 2014)
  - La Dolce Vita (2015) ... (creator)
  - Ready or Not (2015) ... (creator)
  - First Person (2015) ... (creator)
  - Bottle of Secrets (2015) ... (creator)
  - Wild Thing (2015) ... (creator)
  Show all 34 episodes
  2014 Life Partners (writer)
  2009 Washingtonienne (TV Movie) (writer)
  2008 Joni & Susanna (TV Series) (writer)
  Hide Hide Producer (3 credits)
  2014-2015 Chasing Life (TV Series) (executive producer - 19 episodes)
  - One Day (2015) ... (executive producer)
  - Life, Actually (2015) ... (executive producer)
  - Rest in Peace (2015) ... (executive producer)
  - The Big Leagues (2015) ... (executive producer)
  - April Just Wants to Have Fun (2015) ... (executive producer)
  Show all 19 episodes
  2009 Washingtonienne (TV Movie) (executive producer)
  2008 Joni & Susanna (TV Series) (producer)
  Hide Hide Director (6 credits)
  2018 The Spy Who Dumped Me (post-production)
  2017 Play by Play (TV Series) (4 episodes)
  - The Party (2017)
  - Old Time Hockey (2017)
  - Revenge of the Frosh (2017)
  - Boner for God (2017)
  2017 Famous in Love (TV Series) (1 episode)
  - Fifty Shades of Red (2017)
  2015 Chasing Life (TV Series) (1 episode)
  - As Long as We Both Shall Live (2015)
  2014 Life Partners
  2008 Joni & Susanna (TV Series)
  Hide Hide Actress (1 credit)
  2008 Joni & Susanna (TV Series)
  Susanna
  Hide Hide Thanks (1 credit)
  2015 Hello, My Name Is Doris (special thanks)

Fogel, Susanna: NUCLEAR FAMILY
Kirkus Reviews.
(May 1, 2017): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Fogel, Susanna NUCLEAR FAMILY Henry Holt (Adult Fiction) $25.00 7, 18 ISBN: 978-1-62779-793-1
The life of Julie Feller as seen through three decades of letters and emails from her family.Born in the New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" column, Fogel's debut starts with a letter sent to summer camp by her protagonist's father, a neurologist with a dopey sense of humor, followed by an apology note from her mother the psychoanalyst. The heroine of this epistolary novel is revealed wholly through letters, with titles that are part of the joke: "Your Sister Said Something Racist to Your Dad's New Girlfriend," "Your Hot Cousin Paul and His Friends Might Want to Chill Later," "Your Grandma Rose is Really Looking Forward to Her Son's Gay Beach Wedding," and "Your Mom Wanted to Run Her First Yelp Review By You," among others. We follow the Fellers and their running gags through three decades of correspondence. Highlights: her father's attitude toward her "career" writing celebrity stories for the Huffington Post; her mother's inability to understand computer basics and frequent trips to the Apple Store; her wacky sister, the star of the book, who writes in text-speak: "Heya, Just tried to leave u a voice mail but I think yr phone is dead. Or u are probably busy w/ mom helping her make arrangements for the funeral ugh." "Anyway I don't think u got much of a chance to talk to Bridger cuz you had yr hands full with mom (omg when she was singing along and dancing to that 'aint no mountain high enough aint no valley low enough' song and everyone was like GO BARBARA! GO BARBARA!...)" The letters from Julie's NordicTrack, her dead gerbil, and her IUD remind us that some "Shouts and Murmurs" columns are kind of dumb, and the letters from Dad's Chinese second wife themselves seem vaguely racist, or at least politically incorrect, but u prob won't mind b/c other parts are so funny. Bahahahaha.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Fogel, Susanna: NUCLEAR FAMILY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2017. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491002895/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=e7ea82ff. Accessed 27 Jan. 2018.
1 of 3 1/27/18, 10:37 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491002895
2 of 3 1/27/18, 10:37 PM

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
Nuclear Family
Publishers Weekly.
264.18 (May 1, 2017): p34. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Nuclear Family
Susanna Fogel. Holt, $25 (224p) ISBN 978-162779-793-1
Screenwriter and director Fogel offers a humorous, epistolary take on modern womanhood in her debut novel. Readers never actually meet Julie, who is a teenager at the novel's opening and in her mid-30s at its conclusion, or hear her voice; they only learn about her through the letters (and emails) she receives over the years. Largely these are from her ubermillennial younger sister, Jane, and their newly divorced parents, but Julie also receives missives from her straight-talking grandma, her closeted uncle, and a host of minor characters, including a handful of inanimate objects, from the family's NordicTrack to her own cell phone. Each letter is introduced with a whimsical heading, some of which are as amusing as the letters themselves ("Your Dad, Who Doesn't Understand Your Career Goals, Just Found Out You Got Fired"). Some characters come off as broad types (the mother who incessantly feels abandoned by her offspring, the father who disguises his criticisms as concerns), but Fogel's novel offers plenty of glimpses--both humorous and endearing--into the life of a single woman with a well-meaning, if clueless, family. (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Nuclear Family." Publishers Weekly, 1 May 2017, p. 34. PowerSearch,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491575259/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=fd2b5428. Accessed 27 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491575259
3 of 3 1/27/18, 10:37 PM

• Her Campus
  https://www.hercampus.com/school/chatham/review-nuclear-family-susanna-fogel
  Word count: 373

  A Review of Nuclear Family by Susanna Fogel
  Her Campus Logo
  By Claire Rhode
  Posted Sep 05 2017 - 12:00am
  Tagged

  Nuclear Family Susanna fogel books book review

  Nuclear Family by Susanna Fogel

  Nuclear Family: a Tragicomic Novel in Letters by Susanna Fogel is an exploration of one family’s life over several decades in letters sent to one relative, Julie. Julie herself never actually appears in the novel and although it’s possible to know things that are going on in her life, we never actually get to see Julie’s inner thoughts or truly understand her. Because of that, this novel is a brilliant exploration of the way our families can see the things that are going on in without truly understanding each other.

  Even though we don’t know much about Julie, we get to know a lot about her family. There’s her mother, a clingy psychologist who often overshares about her youth in a seemingly desperate attempt to reclaim it. Her father is a former child prodigy who has not escaped that mindset and frequently tries to run Julie’s life for her. Her sister, Jane, is bouncing between retail jobs and new boyfriends and is often the only character actually supporting what Julie wants to do. The novel also features letters and notes from unexpected characters like a treadmill and that creepy older guy who is friends with your father and who is always trying to “advance your career.”

  This novel was a fun, quick read and is able to dip into deeper issues, such as Julie’s early eating disorder, without stopping the momentum or completely changing the tone of the book. Fogel brilliantly straddles the line between the sad realities of life and the small, comic things that happen to everyone. These two elements together make this book truly seem like a chronicle of a real life and a real family, which might be because part of it is taken from Fogel’s own life. Nuclear Family is definitely worth a read and, despite its sadder moments, is an overall uplifting read that left me wishing for more at the end.

• Vanalden Media Book Review
  http://vanaldenmedia.com/2017/12/27/nuclear-family/
  Word count: 759

  Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters
  by Susanna Fogel

  This is the book. The one I look for. When I browse for a novel, when I have a sliver of time for pleasure reading, this is what I want. A book that’s funny and quirky and doesn’t make me work too hard, but that isn’t frivolous or phony, a book with enough depth to make me care and enough insight to make me think. A book that helps me escape, but isn’t dull, derivative “escapist” fiction. This is the book that so often eludes and frustrates me with its unattainability. I’ve found it, right here in Los Angeles, and it is every bit as great as I knew it would be.

  The book is Nuclear Family, by Susanna Fogel. It is the story of Julie, a contemporary young Jewish woman growing up and pursuing her dreams of love and a Hollywood writing career.
  The Nuclear Family That Laughs Together

  I listened to Julie’s story via an audiobook recording that is among the best and funniest I’ve ever heard. It made me laugh like a drunk duck and nod emphatically enough to tweak my neck. I actually cleaned my kitchen just to have more earbud time away from my kids.

  When my six-year-old son caught me cackling to myself, he wanted to know what was so funny. “Tell me one of the jokes!” he begged.

  I faltered. I can’t define satire to another adult, let alone to a precocious first grader. Nor for that matter can I explain the hilarity of perfectly captured passive aggression in the hands of a skilled writer and humorist. I lamely told my kid that it was the story of a woman with lots of friends and family who send her emails and voicemails, and that families can be funny. He was unimpressed, and I was relieved when he moved on so I could read more.
  Letters From Nuclear Family and More

  Nuclear Family calls itself a “Tragicomic Novel in Letters,” and it is. It is also a literary feat, as it attempts and succeeds with an epistolary narrative, meaning that the whole book is told in letters, texts, and voicemail messages from people in Julie’s life.

  In other books, the epistolary format often reads like the literary exercise it is. Entries can seem clunky as they work overtime to squeeze backstory, recap, action, and characterization into a series of letters. In Maria Semple’s 2012 bestseller Where’d You Go, Bernadette, the presentation of events and information in a variety of formats often felt forced and self-conscious. In the much loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, I always felt aware that I was reading letters that were working harder than typical letters should. The letter writers were so lovely and well-intentioned, I was willing to play along. But the format always felt like the device that it was.

  In contrast, Nuclear Family blends its backstory and character development with such astute and fun entries, the result is a reading experience that is as entertaining as it is insightful. Remarkably, the reader comes to know the characters well simply from the style and substance of their years of communications with Julie. Further impressive is that Julie’s own voice is never heard. We come to know and care for a character who herself never writes, texts, or utters a word in her own novel. This stands in significant contrast to the aforementioned epistolary examples, where the protagonists are central communicators whose voices become well known to the reader.
  Truth is Funny

  Fogel’s talent is profound. I recognized each character so that even when the humor occasionally took them over the edge of reality, I laughed out loud because even in their absurdity, they were just so true.

  They say comedy works when it tells the truth. They say the same about novels. Put it together, and this is the book we all look for – a funny, achingly absurd, painfully real story of family, growing up, and the people who help make us the characters we are.

  View at Goodreads
  View at Amazon

  Note: This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

• Boston Globe
  https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2017/07/17/new-novel-and-big-movie-keeping-susanna-fogel-busy/hUUZUnLOyp74skn83NkXdN/story.html
  Word count: 526

  New novel (and big movie) keep Susanna Fogel busy
  HANDOUT
  Susanna Fogel has a novel, “Nuclear Family,” out Tuesday and is busy shooting “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” an action comedy, in Budapest.
  By Mark Shanahan GLOBE STAFF JULY 17, 2017
  Writing about your family can be dicey, but, luckily, Susanna Fogel’s family has a sense of humor.
  “I have to say, my family’s always been incredibly open and encouraging of any way I might want to express myself,” says Fogel, a New England native whose divorced parents live in Brookline and Lexington. “At a very young age, they accepted that my outlet would be writing, and comedicwriting, and they were pretty accepting of that.”
  That’s fortunate because Fogel’s new novel, “Nuclear Family,” is full of characters who, she admits, bear more than a passing resemblance to members of her own family, including a former child prodigy dad who writes haikus in his old age and has a very young son.
  The book, which began as a “Shouts & Murmurs” piece in The New Yorker, is told through a series of letters and notes — some hilarious, some absurd, some sad — a literary device Fogel settled on because, frankly, it seemed easier and, potentially, funnier.
  It’s also what she’s good at. Fogel, who’s 36, has written a few screenplays, including one for a big-budget film she’s currently directing in Budapest, and she’s just most comfortable writing dialogue.
  “Honestly, a collection of monologues felt more doable than normal prose style,” she said. “I’m not sure I could get through even one page of normal prose without obsessing over it.”
  “Nuclear Family” comes out Tuesday, but Fogel won’t be in Boston to celebrate. She’s busy shooting “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” an action comedy starring Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis as besties who become embroiled in a spy caper in Europe when one of them finds out her ex-boyfriend (”The Leftovers” Justin Theroux) was a spy. “Outlander” hunk Sam Heughan plays a mysterious MI6 agent and Gillian Anderson is his boss.
  “The experience of writing a book was empowering because I dictated the format and the length and what I wrote about and how I wrote about it,” she said. “But the film business is great because I enjoy all the collaboration that’s required.
  “It’s a pretty opposite experience,” she said. “Being in pajamas all day writing a novel and running around Budapest as fake bullets are flying.”
  If it sounds like Fogel has a lot on her plate, she does. But she’s taking it in small bites.
  “Kate McKinnon asked me if I’m scared do this big movie,” Fogel said. “My answer is that I’m confident in the little decision, but when if I zoom out and think about what I’m actually doing, it’s totally terrifying. So I try not to do that.
  “Luckily, I’m so tired at the end of the day, I don’t have the energy to go there anyway,” she said.

• 52 Books or Bust,
  https://52booksorbust.wordpress.com/2017/12/14/nuclear-family-by-susanna-fogel/
  Word count: 281

  It’s nearing the end of the year, and I’ve only read 83 books, so I’m looking for slim volumes that I can read in one sitting and thoroughly enjoy to try to up my count to 90. Nuclear Family by Susanna Fogel certainly fits the bill. As the subtitle reveals, it is a ‘Tragicomic Novel in Letters’ and that’s about all I needed to hear.

  All the letters, emails and other missives are written to Julia, our silent protagonist, and paint the most delightful portrait of a family. Seriously, if you follow the link above you will have a sample of some of the letters. The clueless and self-centred dad, midlife crisis mom undergoing some sort of rebirth and deadbeat sister are the main letter writers, but notable mention should also be made of the nordic track, IUD and other inanimate objects that weigh in on Julia’s life. If you think any of this sounds familiar, some of the letters have been previously published in the New Yorker.

  Who would like this book? Have you ever had to listen to your mom go on and on about the nice man at the Apple store who has up sold her on everything she doesn’t need? If you are that mom, you might not like the book so much. If you are that child, then this book is probably a slice out of your own life – only funnier. I loved it. I read parts of it out loud to my husband. It was a quick romp for a rainy day and reminded me of something one might find in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.