Intelligence Squared Lena Dunham: Famesick, with Dolly Alderton (Part One)
8 snips
Apr 26, 2026 
Lena Dunham, award-winning creator of Girls and author of Famesick, reflects on fame, illness and messy relationships. She reads vivid personal stories, from a hotel fire and hospital trips to reconnecting with an ex. Conversations range from teen sleepovers and internet romances to leaving social media and the ethics of memoir writing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Hotel Nightgown Fire And Hospital Ride
- Lena Dunham described accidentally setting her nightgown on fire in a London hotel while lighting a candle, then being treated by staff and paramedics.
- She details the panic, a valet pouring water in her armpit, refusing hospital until her dog Ingrid could accompany her, and being given gas and air in the ambulance.
Bruce Springsteen Gives Memoir Advice
- Lena recounts a surreal Mayfair dinner where she ended up between Jane and Robert De Niro and spoke emotionally to Bruce Springsteen.
- Springsteen replied with gentle advice about memoir and honesty, telling her to stop if it's boring and that you don't owe people every secret.
Show Your Mind Not Every Secret
- Bruce Springsteen's advice: you don't have to expose every private detail in memoir; prioritize showing how your mind works.
- He suggested keeping secrets where appropriate and focusing on honest inner logic rather than exhaustive disclosure.
