Even if Susan Orlean's name is unfamiliar to you, her books probably aren’t. Her biography of Rin Tin Tin is a miraculous exploration into the life and legacy of Hollywood’s most famous dog. The Orchid Thief, quite likely her most famous work, about the eccentric plant dealer John Laroche and the secret world of flower fanatics was the inspiration for the many Oscar nominated movie Adaptation by Spike Jonze.

This week, on Bookmark, resident book geek Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to author and New Yorker journalist Susan Orlean about everything from the state of long form journalism to what happens when Hollywood appropriates your work.