How Cheryl Strayed Whittled Down Years of Advice for One Dazzling Show

Cheryl Strayed knows, just like many of us do, that writing can be an extremely laborious process. This may be shocking to discover, seeing as Strayed has penned a few New York Times’ bestsellers (Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things), worked on one of the most famous online advice columns of the early 2010s (“Dear Sugar”), and still releases a monthly Substack newsletter that offers life tips. But yes, Strayed is honestly just like the rest of us—writing is tricky for her, too.

But if you’re not squeezing every muscle in your brain to eke out the best possible piece of writing you can produce, what’s the point of writing at all? (Well, some writing might not be that unpleasant. Often, though, great writing can come from tenderness.)

The writing Strayed and I are talking about is Tiny Beautiful Things, a Hulu series adaptation of her 2012 collection of pieces from her “Dear Sugar” column in The Rumpus; Strayed served as a writer and executive producer. While the book has a steady influx of non-fiction essays guiding readers through life, the show shines a light on portions of Strayed’s own life. The story of Clare (played by Kathryn Hahn and, in flashbacks, Sarah Pidgeon) echoes some of Strayed’s past—her mother’s passing, getting married young, struggles with her father—but still strays away at some points to form a new character.

Read more at The Daily Beast.