Obsessions Bind and Break: Julia May Jonas on Vladimir and the Netflix Series

Julia May Jonas discusses the Netflix adaptation of her debut Vladimir, explaining that the novel probes how desire and aging distort perception and moral judgment, insisting on complex, non-punitive readings of MeToo-era events. The story centers on a narrator obsessed with a younger colleague, navigating an open marriage and the consequences of fixation rather than delivering tidy judgments. She cites Nabokov, Iris Murdoch, Ferrante, and Ginzburg as influences on portraying obsession as imprisoning, and notes the series adds layers, including Rachel Weisz's insecure professor and the character Lila to reflect unnamed allegations. The interview touches on her process of writing during the pandemic, her second novel Diana due in 2027, and a Lincoln Center play, while she manages family life with husband Adam Sternbergh. She remarks on avoiding Twitter to protect creative energy and emphasizes that knee-jerk moral dismissals do not deepen engagement with texts.