
Lena Dunham on her memoir 'Famesick' and the intense bond between 'Girls' co-stars
From NPR's Book of the Day by NPR
May 7, 2026 · 11 min
About this episode
Lena Dunham discusses her memoir 'Famesick' and her experiences during the making of 'Girls'.
Lena Dunham shot the pilot for the HBO series Girls at age 24. Quickly, she was launched into the creative spotlight but the author says she was not prepared for “everything that came with it.” In her new memoir Famesick , Dunham recounts the “Wild West” of the 2010s, which included her rapid creative education, chronic health issues, and intense bonds with her Girls co-stars. In today’s episode, she tells Wild Card ’s Rachel Martin about being welcomed into, and stung by, the cultural conversation of this time period and her creative partnership with castmate Adam Driver. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
People in this episode
Host: Rachel Martin
Guest: Lena Dunham
Topics covered
- memoir
- creative process
- cultural conversation
- health issues
- television
- relationships
Keywords
- Lena Dunham
- Famesick
- Girls
- memoir
- Adam Driver
- HBO
- creative spotlight
- health issues
- cultural conversation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: HBO
Books & works: Famesick, Girls
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