“I remember thinking that a girdle was barbaric, and that never in a million years would I treat myself like a sleeping bag being shoved into a stuff sack. Never! Instead, I would run marathons and work out and be in perfect shape and reject the tyranny of the girdle forever.”

American journalist, television writer, and author

Susan Orlean is an American journalist, television writer, and bestselling author. She has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992 and is known for books such as The Orchid Thief and The Library Book. Her work has also appeared in magazines including Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Outside. In 2021, she joined the writing team of the HBO comedy series How To with John Wilson, adding television to a career built on reporting and long-form nonfiction.