Julie Murphy has an unexpected story, one that involves a winding road to her writing career. With equal parts quick wit and matter-of-factness, Julie shares that part of her confidence that she could dare to be a writer came after falling deep into the Twilight series. If Stephanie Meyer, an untrained author, could write an international bestseller about shiny vampires, why couldn’t she write a bestseller too? Okay, possibly not that easy, and of course Julie’s journey to self-assurance and self-love, both for her writing and herself, has been far from just getting caught up in Team Edward vs Team Jacob. 

Navigating the tumult of unstable finances, queerness within Christian religious environments, and body image issues, Julie’s coming-of-age years were full of challenges. Yet, through writing, reading, and self-reflection, she has cultivated a deep love and appreciation for her authentic self and her body. Now, she writes stories that feature characters who undertake similar journeys of self-discovery and who live in and love their bodies.

Julie Murphy is beloved by kids and adults alike. Her acclaimed novel "Dumplin'" was adapted into a popular Netflix film. Along with the “Dumplin’” series, Julie has written the middle grade “Camp Sylvania” series, the "Faith Herbert Origin Story" series and was widely celebrated for her 2014 debut novel, "Side Effects May Vary." In all of her stories, Julie features plus-sized characters whose bodies are incidental to the story, but that inclusion is central to Julie’s own story and to the die-hard fans of her books (raises hand!). 

In this episode, Julie tells us about the double-edged sword of her self-deprecating humor and how she feels about the response she gets not just from her young readers, but especially from their moms. She also discusses the evolution of body politics. She shares the college class that bored her into oblivion, leading her to discover the Twilight series and sparking the chain reaction that landed her in the literary world. 

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While Julie’s own love story is rom-com worthy (she’ll share in the episode!), for her reading challenge, “Love Hurts”, she wants us to read love stories that also… well…. hurt.

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This episode's Beanstack Featured Librarian is Lauren Mobley, a middle school librarian in Atlanta, Georgia. She tells us a funny, heartwarming story about her attempt to curate a special book selection for some new students.

Chapter 1 - Texas Needs Churches Too

Chapter 2 - Dieting with Mom

Chapter 3 - Twilight: A Masterpiece

Chapter 4 - Ask The Passengers

Chapter 5 - Finding Confidence… and Rejection

Chapter 6 - One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

Chapter 7 - Julie Murphy Fan Club

Chapter 8 - From Cradle to Grave

Chapter 9 - Love Hurts

Chapter 10 - Beanstack Featured Librarian

Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey

Producer: Jackie Lamport and Lower Street Media

Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey