Lena Dunham

"If I could take what I've learned and make one menial job easier for you, or prevent you from having the kind of sex where you feel you must keep your sneakers on in case you want to run away during the act, then every misstep of mine was worthwhile. I'm already predicting my future shame at thinking I had anything to offer you, but also my future glory in having stopped you from trying an expensive juice cleanse or thinking that it was your fault...

"February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. "My poor boy, he was too good for this earth," the president...

A scripted half-hour series focuses on a group of 20-something's in NYC. Season Two episodes, Hannah forges ahead in her writing pursuits, but her enthusiasm is tempered by the responsibility for Adam; Marnie needs her best friend and former roommate; Jessa returns from her honeymoon in Mexico; Shoshanna takes charge of her new identity; and Ray has an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude.

Single, New York City artist Ellie Shine is looking to gain inspiration and tranquility as she housesits for a friend in upstate New York. She turns the adjoining barn into her new workplace, staging elaborate recreations of classic movie scenes. Business unexpectedly evolves into possible pleasure when Ellie invites three local men, two gardeners, and a lawyer, to participate in her art. Soon, all three men are romantically interested.

Life for these Brooklyn girls takes a series of bizarre turns as each tries to figure out what happens next, with and without each other's friendship.

In the fourth season the girls are tentatively edging toward maturity as they take on new personas in new worlds. As the season begins, Hannah leaves New York to attend the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop in the hopes of becoming a more serious writer, while confronting uncertainty in her relationship with Adam. Meanwhile, back in New York, Marnie pursues a music career while balancing her professional and romantic relationship with Desi; Shoshanna...

"As season 5 begins, Hannah's put her writing ambitions aside and is teaching alongside Fran, her new boyfriend. Marnie realizes that she needs more space after her honeymoon with Desi. While working towards becoming a therapist, Jessa also manages a budding relationship. And Shoshanna is thriving at her new job in Japan, flirting with her boss despite her long-distance relationship with Scott." -- From container

After the shocking suicide of their friend, a group of thirty-somethings reunite for his funeral and end up spending a weekend together, reminiscing about their shared pasts as children of the sixties and confronting the uncertainty of their lives as adults of the eighties.

Thoughtful and affirming, this collection of essays about the joys and struggles of being alone illuminates an experience that is rarely openly discussed.