Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Before you started reading, what was your impression of Lena Dunham as a public figure? How did reading Famesick confirm, challenge, or change your perspective on her and her work?

2. How does Famesick fit within the tradition of the female confessional memoir? Did you see connections to other works in this genre, like Elizabeth Wurtzel’s Prozac Nation (1994), which Dunham cites as an influence?

3. What was the most surprising revelation for you in the memoir? Was it the extent of Dunham’s physical illness, the dynamics of her professional relationships, or her struggle with addiction?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Dunham writes extensively about the “performance of womanhood,” from feeling pressured to change her body for her role in Girls to pretending she was well when she was in pain. Think about a time you felt you had to perform a specific role to meet others’ expectations. What did that experience teach you about the difference between your public and private selves?

2. The relationship between Dunham and her creative partner, Jenni Konner, evolves from a supportive mentorship to a codependent and painful dynamic. Have you ever had a mentor or close collaborator in your own life? What did you learn from that relationship about navigating trust and power?

3. Dunham’s parents, Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham, are a constant presence in her life, offering a complicated but unwavering source of support. How does their role as artists and parents shape her journey? Think about your own support system. Who are the people who ground you, and how do they help you navigate difficult times?

4. Throughout the book, Dunham struggles to set boundaries, both professionally with figures like Scott Rudin and personally in her relationships with Jack Antonoff and Nick. What do you think makes setting boundaries so difficult, especially for women? Has there been a time when you had to learn to establish a difficult boundary in your own life?

5. After years of chaos, Dunham realizes in rehab that she had become an active agent in her own suffering. Can you think of a moment in your life when you experienced a significant shift in perspective about a challenge you were facing? What did it take for you to see the situation, or your role in it, differently?

6. The idea of making a “living amends” becomes a key part of Dunham’s recovery, particularly in repairing her relationship with her sibling, Cyrus. Can you think of a way you, or someone close to you, have shown change through consistent action?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The memoir is set against the rise of internet “hot take” culture in the 2010s. How does Dunham’s experience as one of the first major targets of relentless online scrutiny reflect broader changes in media and celebrity? Do you think the online environment for public figures has improved or worsened since then?

2. Dunham’s decade-long battle to have her chronic pain from endometriosis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome taken seriously highlights the phenomenon of “medical gaslighting.” What does her story suggest about how the healthcare system often addresses women’s health issues? In what ways have conversations around these topics become more visible today?

3. Lena Dunham’s rise with Girls was met with immediate criticism about privilege, nepotism, and a lack of diversity. How does the memoir grapple with these critiques? Do you feel she adequately addresses the points raised by her critics about her position in the industry?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Dunham was mentored by Nora Ephron, whose novel Heartburn (1983) famously turned the painful end of her marriage into art. How do you see Ephron’s “everything is copy” (157) philosophy play out in Famesick? Where does Dunham’s approach to writing about personal humiliation differ from or align with the tradition Ephron represents?

2. How does the recurring motif of written texts, such as journals, professional emails, and public statements, drive the narrative? What does the book ultimately say about the power of writing to both create opportunities and cause destruction?

3. The symbolism of the uterus is central to the memoir. How does it represent Dunham’s conflicted relationship with her body, womanhood, and societal expectations?

4. The final scene shows Dunham checking into the Sunset Tower hotel, a site of past breakdowns, and using her real name instead of an alias. What is the significance of this act? How does it serve as a resolution to her journey?

5. Think about the book’s title, Famesick. After finishing the memoir, what do you believe this term means? Is it a sickness caused by fame, a sickness for fame, or a more complex condition altogether?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are adapting Famesick for the screen. Which specific scene or sequence do you think would be the most challenging to film, and which would be the most cinematically powerful?

2. If you could write an Epilogue for the memoir set five years in the future, what would a typical day in Dunham’s life look like? How would she be navigating her career, health, and relationships differently?

3. Dunham’s “values spreadsheet” exercise in rehab helps her see the disconnect between her core values and her life. If you were to create your own values spreadsheet, what five values would be at the top of your list, and how closely does your current life align with them?