The novel, set in the late 1990s, follows two aspiring actresses who attend a boarding school for young celebrity hopefuls.

And as of this week, in a sense, it is one. On Wednesday, American Girl released its first twin dolls, Isabel and Nicki Hoffman, who are also the first characters from an interfaith family.

I have to give my editor, Caroline Bleeke, credit for that, which is funny because I’ve written about the ‘90s before ... went to the Valley of the Dolls.” Were you influenced at all ...