our danielle chelosky module continues with pregaming grief, her first published piece of long-form writing. we talk about its ties to cheat, whether it could (canonically) be in the gossip girl universe, and how auto-fiction relates to this novel, her work as a whole, and the wider literature. we explore pregaming grief as a covid-era novel, albeit not a book about the disease itself, as well as how this informs the plot. chelosky’s description of older lovers hit a bit too close to home for us. we talk about her ability to write characters without condemning them (but in a way the reader likely will), her ability to write about a difficult state of mind, and the (limited) use of technology in this novel. shreds praise the very sudden ending. what’s blake middleton been up to? we wonder.

reading list for season fifteen

cheat and show me your face by danielle chelosky
pregaming grief by danielle chelosky
baby bruise and female loneliness epidemic by danielle chelosky