Taylor Jenkins Reid recollects a second writing her new novel, “Atmosphere: A Love Story,” set in opposition to NASA’s sturdy Nineteen Eighties shuttle program, the place she felt caught. She went, the place she typically goes, to her husband to speak it by way of.
“I said, ‘I can’t write this book. I don’t know enough about the space shuttle. I don’t know what happens when the payload bay doors won’t shut and you have to get back within a certain amount of revs, but they can’t land at White Sands. They have to land at Cape Kennedy.’ And he’s like, ‘Just listen to yourself. You know so much more than you knew a couple months ago. Keep doing what you’re doing.’”
“Environment,” out Tuesday, follows the journey of astronomer Joan Goodwin, an astronomer chosen to affix NASA’s astronaut program. She and fellow trainees turn into like household and obtain their dream of going to house — till tragedy strikes.
The story unfolds in two timelines: One when Joan first joins the NASA program and the opposite in December 1984 when a mission goes terribly mistaken. The duo behind “Captain Marvel,” Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, are adapting the guide into a movie with a theatrical launch in thoughts.
Reid knew that she needed to do extra than simply her common six to eight weeks of analysis. Analysis and rabbit holes, by the way in which, are Reid’s jam. She’s written blockbuster novels set within the golden age of Hollywood in “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” the 1970s rock scene in “Daisy Jones & the Six,” 1980s surf culture in “Malibu Rising” {and professional} tennis in “Carrie Soto is Back.” With “Atmosphere,” although, it took additional time, studying and understanding.
“It feels like a fever dream now when I think about it,” Reid told The Associated Press. “It was a very intense period of time.”
For this endeavor, she wanted help.
“I needed to attain out to individuals, full strangers that I didn’t know and say, ‘Will you please help me?’”
Reid was shocked at how many individuals mentioned sure. Probably the most essential voices was Paul Dye, NASA’s longest-serving flight director.
“He spent hours of time with me,” Reid said. “He helped me figure out how to cause a lot of mayhem on the space shuttle. He helped figure out exactly how the process of the connection between mission control and the space shuttle work. The book doesn’t exist if he hadn’t done that.”
In an interview, Reid additionally talked about astronomy, social media and sure, the most recent on “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” film at Netflix.
Solutions are condensed for readability and size.
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AP: How has writing “Atmosphere” modified you?
REID: I am actually into astronomy. Final Thanksgiving my household took a street journey to the Grand Canyon. I routed us by way of Scottsdale, Arizona, as a result of I needed to go to a darkish sky park.
Due to gentle air pollution, we will solely see the brightest stars after we exit and take a look at the evening sky in a significant metropolis. Whereas whenever you go to a darkish sky park there’s very restricted man-made gentle. So you’ll be able to see extra stars. We acquired there and it was cloudy. I used to be beside myself. The following evening we acquired to the Grand Canyon and all of the clouds had disappeared and you possibly can see every little thing. I stood there for hours. I used to be teary-eyed.
I can’t emphasize sufficient: If anybody has any inclination to simply go exterior and search for on the evening sky, it’s so rewarding.
AP: Final fall you left social media. The place are you at with it now?
REID: I didn’t notice how a lot social media was creating so many messages in my head of, you’re not ok. You ought to be higher. It is best to work more durable. It is best to have a prettier dwelling. It is best to make a greater dinner. And after I stopped occurring it, in a short time I began to listen to my very own voice clearer.
It was a lot simpler to be in contact with what I believed, how I felt, what I valued. I used to be extra in contact with myself but additionally I’m going out into the world and I’m trying up on the sky and I’m seeing the place I’m in relation to every little thing round me and I beginning to perceive how small my life is in comparison with the dimensions of the universe.
AP: Serena Williams is govt producing “Carrie Soto” for a collection at Netflix. Did you meet her?
REID: Sure. It is the one time I have been starstruck. I used to be in my bones, nervous. I needed to discuss to myself like, “Taylor, slow down your heart rate.” The admiration I’ve for her as an athlete but additionally as a human is immense. The concept that I may need written one thing that she felt captured something value her time, is a good honor. And the truth that she’s approaching board to assist us make it probably the most genuine story we presumably can, I’m thrilled.
It’s one factor for me to fake I do know what it’s prefer to be standing at Flushing Meadows and win the U.S. Open. Serena is aware of. She’s carried out it a number of instances. And in order we render that world, I believe it’ll be actually, actually particular as a result of we’ve Serena and her crew to assist us.
AP: Now in your favourite query. What’s up with the “Evelyn Hugo” film?
REID: There’s not a lot that I’m allowed to say however quite a lot of instances I believe individuals mistake me not saying something as an absence of curiosity or focus and that’s not the case. Everyone seems to be working extremely arduous to get this film made and everybody is aware of that there’s a lot of strain to get it precisely proper. We’re all arduous at work. We’re taking it very severely and I give Netflix a lot credit score as a result of they’ve such an immense respect for the readership of that guide. They need to make them pleased.
