Lauren C. Johnson- "The West Facade"

Lauren C. Johnson- "The West Facade"

From The He's Just Podcasts by Jules Douge

March 28, 2026 · 53 min · Season 11 · Episode 9

About this episode

Lauren C. Johnson discusses her novel 'The West Facade', exploring themes of life, death, and the choices we make.

Lauren C. Johnson, holds a B.S. in Journalism from Emerson College and an MFA in Creative Writing from American University. Her work has appeared in the Orion and The Rumpus. She is the co-host of Babylon Salon, one of the Bay Area’s longest-running literary and performance series, and the co-founder of Club Chicxulub. Today, we’re discussing her haunting new novel, “The West Facade.” Set during the plague in Paris, the story begins high above the city walls at Notre Dame Cathedral, where statues stand frozen as centuries pass below them. In an act of grief and devotion, a mourning woman places a citrus fruit into the hands of Sainte Geneviève, and that single offering changes everything. But freedom comes with a devastating cost. To remain human is to accept mortality, decay, and death. To return to the cathedral is to surrender choice and feeling, and exist forever untouched,,, but alone. Death and life are often spoken of as opposites, but sometimes the most painful moment is not the crossing itself, it’s the choice of whether to cross at all. At the center of today’s conversation is that impossible decision: remain untouched by time, or step fully into a life that will one…

People in this episode

Host: Jules Douge

Guest: Lauren C. Johnson

Topics covered

  • literature
  • creative writing
  • life choices
  • mortality
  • love and loss

Keywords

  • Lauren C. Johnson
  • The West Facade
  • novel
  • mortality
  • love
  • life choices
  • Notre Dame
  • Paris
  • literature

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Emerson College, American University, Babylon Salon

Books & works: The West Facade

Places: Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral

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