Episode 96: Lena Dunham, "Catherine Called Birdy"

Host Alison Herman is joined by Lena Dunham to talk about the challenges of adaptation, the impact of success at an early age, discovering a love for outlining, and how it all comes back to the writing. Lena Dunham is the writer and director of several feature films, including TINY FURNITURE and SHARP STICK, as well as the creator and star of the acclaimed HBO series GIRLS. Most recently, she is the writer and director of CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY. CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY is an adaptation of the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman. The film follows Catherine (known as Birdy), the daughter of a financially destitute Lord in medieval England, and her efforts to thwart her father's plans to marry her off to a wealthy suitor. The comedy film premiered in September 2022 and is available to stream on Prime Video. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast