My favourite things: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Though her career began in film production, Taylor Jenkins Reid published her first novel, Forever, Interrupted in 2013. Since then, Reid has published a novel every year, the most recent of which was 2019’s acclaimed Daisy Jones and the Six.

The novel, which is currently in development as a web-based miniseries, tells the story of a Fleetwood Mac-esque band in the 70s as they record a hit album, and plays on themes that have become hallmarks of her work: artifice and truth, and the nature of success and celebrity.

It’s unsurprising, then, that when we asked Reid to share the TV, music and other culture she’s been enjoying, those themes cropped up again. Read her picks below.

Film: Echo in the Canyon

My book Daisy Jones & The Six was hugely inspired by the Laurel Canyon music scene in Los Angeles. I was captivated by the stories of all of the 60s and 70s folk and rock stars who all lived near each other in Laurel Canyon – one of the neighbourhoods in the hills just north of Hollywood. Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass, CSNY, The Eagles, Frank Zappa – the list goes on and on. Echo in the Canyon is a documentary (made by Jakob Dylan) that takes you through some of the most magical moments from that period of time. 

TV: The Last Dance

I devoured The Last Dance, a ten-part documentary on ESPN about Michael Jordan and the last season of the Dream Team on the Chicago Bulls. The psychology of what it takes to win – and to keep winning – at such an elite level had me enraptured. Michael Jordan is a captivating icon and human, deeply competitive, hard-working, and high-achieving. But he also was supported on the Bulls by people like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and coach Phil Jackson, who stand as fascinating icons on their own. 

Podcast: You’re Wrong About

You’re Wrong About is quickly becoming one of my favourite podcasts. It’s a deep dive into one particular topic each episode, as the two hosts reassess the way our culture has viewed a particular person or issue, detailing the ways we’ve misunderstood or misrepresented the topic. One of my favourite episodes is ‘You’re Wrong About - Yoko Ono Broke Up The Beatles’. It details not only Yoko Ono’s life and art but also the cracks that began to form in The Beatles long before she met John Lennon. If you’re interested in the complexity of The Beatles’ breakup – and the love story of John and Yoko – this is an interesting take on it.

Lockdown Hobby: The two-minute egg sandwich

I’ve been making food at home a lot more, for obvious reasons. I started watching Nadiya’s Time to Eat to find easy, quick recipes. In the very first episode, she shared a recipe that I know I will use for the rest of my life - an egg wrap that takes two seconds to make. I’ve been making it almost every afternoon for lunch. The show itself is so relaxing. I swear I could watch Nadiya Hussain read the phone book. And I’m deeply indebted to her for that egg sandwich. 

Music: KAMAUU

I've been listening to KAMAUU lately. I discovered him while watching one of my favourite shows, Insecure, which featured his newest song, ‘Far Rockaway’. I loved it so much I went back and started listening to the EPs he’s released over the years. He’s a singer and a rapper, but what I love best about his work is that it defies genre categorization a bit. 

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is out now.