15: Mary Trump

15: Mary Trump

Author: Jennifer Taub & Politicon LLC March 5, 2023 Duration: 1:11:26
You may think that Mary Trump needs no introduction, because you believe you know who she is in relation to a certain distasteful someone who shares her surname. Or you have read her first bestselling book:  Too much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. Or her equally stellar second, The Reckoning: Our Nation’s Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal.

But what an author produces or shares with the public, as well as the degrees they collect (in Mary’s case a BA and MA in English literature as well as a doctorate PhD in clinical psychology) is only a part of who they are. And, it should go without saying that our family of origin is a piece, but not all of us.

In today’s episode, Mary and Jen get lost in a conversation about books. They start with Mary’s childhood favorite, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, a children's picture book written and illustrated by William Steig that won a Caldecott Medal in 1970. And the conversation continued into weightier tomes like the more than 1,534 page epistolary novel Clarissa, by Samuel Richardson. The 1748 work’s rather lengthly alternative title reveals a bit about the story, but hardly as much as Mary does: The History of a Young Lady: Comprehending the Most Important Concerns of Private Life. And Particularly Shewing, the Distresses that May Attend the Misconduct Both of Parents and Children, In Relation to Marriage


Contact Booked Up:

You can email Jen & the Booked Up team at: BOOKEDUP@POLITICON.COM or by writing to: 

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Get More from Mary Trump
Twitter | The Good in Us Substack | Author of TOO MUCH AND NEVER ENOUGH and THE RECKONING

Get More from Jen Taub:
Twitter | Follow the Money Substack | Author of BIG DIRTY MONEY 



For anyone who’s ever finished a great book and immediately wanted to dissect it with a smart friend, Booked Up with Jen Taub is that conversation. Hosted by author and legal commentator Jennifer Taub, this podcast digs into the ideas, arguments, and narratives shaping our world, all through the lens of what we’re reading. It’s less a formal book review and more a lively, critical exploration. Episodes weave together themes from politics, culture, and current events, treating books as vital source material for understanding the bigger picture. You’ll hear Taub’s insightful commentary and analysis, often drawing connections between an author’s work and the real-world issues it illuminates. The discussion feels urgent and relevant, whether tackling a new release or a classic with renewed significance. Listening to this podcast is like joining a book club where the conversation is always sharp, informed, and unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. It’s for readers, thinkers, and anyone curious about the power of stories to explain our complicated present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Booked Up with Jen Taub
Podcast Episodes
59: Sgt. Aquillino Gonell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:06
Today nearly three years after the attack on the US Capitol my guest is American hero, Aquillino Gonell, author of the new book American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy. You know Staff Sergeant Gone…
58: Norman Lear: Even This I Get to Experience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:36
Welcome back to Booked Up, a podcast that features you, me and our favorite authors. We release a new episode every Sunday morning. Today for the December book club, we are discussing Norman Lear, the Hollywood legend wh…
57: THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE with Rob Verchick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
Rob Verchick, author of the award-winning new book, The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience is Jen’s guest today. Why this unusual title? As he describes: “One morning in Miami Beach, an unexpect…
55: Chuck Collins on ALTAR TO AN ERUPTING SUN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:05
Chuck Collins, author of several works of nonfiction including The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions is Jen’s guest today. They mostly discuss his debut novel, Altar to an Erupting Sun, a n…
54: Orly Lobel on THE EQUALITY MACHINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:26
Today Jen’s guest is Orly Lobel, author of the recent book THE EQUALITY MACHINE: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. Orly just sold the film rights to her book on Barbie to CBS Studios. T…
53: THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:12
For our special book club episode today, we are discussing the new bestselling memoir – THE WOMAN IN ME by pop icon Britney Spears. As you know, Britney is a multiplatinum, Grammy-Award winning entertainer. She has sold…
52: Taylor Lorenz is EXTREMELY ONLINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
Today Jen’s guest is Taylor Lorenz, author of the new book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. Together they discussed many topics including the controversy around mommy blo…
51: Andrea Chalupa on DICTATORSHIP IS EASY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Today Jen’s guest is journalist, filmmaker, author, and activist Andrea Chalupa. You know Andrea from her award-winning podcast Gaslit Nation that she founded with Sarah Kendzior. Fake populism. Demonizing the press. Sca…
50: Illeana Douglas on CONNECTICUT IN THE MOVIES [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:01
Film star Illeana Douglas is Jen’s guest today. Ileana is the author of the gorgeous new book: Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia. This spans around 100 years from the silent film era up throug…