AUTHORS INTERVIEWING CHARACTERS: Susan Coll

THE LITERATI

An unexpected catastrophe of literary proportions . . .

Aspirant, bookish, and close to broke, 26-year-old Clemi steps into her dream job at a prestigious literary nonprofit and finds herself in the bull’s eye of a financial, legal, and existential calamity. The executive director has disappeared, leaving behind an inscrutable cat to which she is highly allergic. Meanwhile, the bank accounts have been overdrawn, the FBI is asking questions, and she has three days to pull off the annual fundraising gala, a glamorous affair filled with famous writers and local literati.

On the upside, she will get to meet her all-time favorite writer, who has won the award. Clemi has read and reread her novels, pouring over her every word. But her interactions with the author and her eight-year-old son, as well as with the nonprofit’s Board Members, leave her wondering whether certain writers are better on the page than in person.

All the while, Clemi is trying to sort out her own life: her current boyfriend is, like every boyfriend before him, a pompous poseur, and the clock is running on her apartment-sitting gig. She finds herself wondering what all the goings-on in this dysfunctional, scandal-plagued nonprofit have to do with literature. And if it’s time to let go of her literary aspirations and apply to law school.

In the week in which this madcap story unfolds, USA TODAY bestselling author Susan Coll weaves together a charmingly witty and warm comedy of manners that offers a peek behind the literary curtain–one that anyone who’s ever been a little bit uncertain of what the future might hold can relate to.

The Literati – interview with Akhil Attais

Thank you for finding the time to meet with me, Akhil. You are a relatively minor character in The Literati – you don’t get a lot of ink on the page – and yet you are responsible for an important plot twist.

Happy to be here, and yes, thank you for acknowledging my importance to the narrative. 

For our listeners who have not yet read the book, Akhil is the husband of Sveta Attais, the winner of the literary award at the center of the novel. Let’s begin with the elephant in the room: you don’t come off especially well, Akhil. Is there anything you would like to say about the way you are depicted?

Oh, you bet. You know, that’s the problem with fiction. It’s all just fake news. The author thinks she can go ahead and say whatever it is that she wants to say, then make air quotes and call it “fiction,” and that somehow gives her permission to go ahead and say all manner of disparaging things about me, implying that I’m a complete cad, that I was a philandering jerk and that I bought…”

Okay, I’m going to stop you right there, Akhil, because we don’t want to give any spoilers. 

I’m not overly concerned with spoiling this book. The fewer sales the better, from my point of view. 

I understand you’re not a huge fan of Susan Coll’s work, but you did agree to this interview, so if you don’t mind, let’s get back to it and as a courtesy, I’ll rephrase my question. What is it that you’d like the reader to better understand about you?

Thank you, I appreciate this change of wording to set the record straight. If you read her work closely, she’s always got these male characters who don’t come off particularly well and I just don’t get where that comes from. 

But to answer your question: You know, I’m an honest guy just trying to make a living. In this book, there is the not-very-subtle suggestion that I did some shady business deals with a guy named Herring, which – come on, I mean for one thing I’m as honest as they come and for another, who would be that stupid to do any business with a guy named for a slippery, smelly forage fish? 

Does herring smell bad? I was not aware of this. 

He was wearing a rather strong, musky cologne. Also, his breath…

No, I mean herring-the-fish.

Oh, the fish! Well yes, but I think it depends. Here, let me look it up on…

You really don’t need to look it up. It was just an aside. Let’s get back to the book, which is why we’re here.

Well, it’s a good question, actually. And here, this is what I’m seeing on the internet. Fresh herring does smell…fishy. But also, it says that’s a good thing. Apparently fishy means fresh. It’s when it smells like ammonia that you need to worry. But also…okay I see, herring smells really really bad when it’s fermented. It says that in Sweden, they prefer to eat it outdoors on account of the smell.

That’s funny, I never would have thought of it being a Swedish delicacy, although, obviously, that makes sense. But I always thought of it as being more of a Jewish thing.

Yeah, it also says something about that. Jews seem to like salty foods, which is something they have in common with the Swedes, and, really, with all of the people from Nordic countries. 

I have to say, I don’t especially love it, myself, although my husband is a fan.

Yeah, me neither. My father used to talk about some little fish that he ate as a child in India. They called it something like ilish? Not sure if that’s it exactly.

I’m sorry to interrupt, Akhil, but my producer is concerned that we’ve drifted off track, and that we should get back to the book, The Literati, by Susan Coll.

I’d really rather talk about fish, but if we must.

Thank you. So, I get that you’re not a fan of the way your character is depicted in The Literati. Since we’re running out of time here, what, for the record, would you like to correct? No spoilers please.

We’re running out of time, already? It’s just like the book. No one even wants to hear what I have to say! I want you all to know that I love my wife, Sveta, very very much. And I adore my son Vlad. We had a misunderstanding, but we’re over it. I own it.  I made a mistake. She kissed me first, if we’re still talking about that Malaysian Airlines stewardess. Big deal. It meant nothing. 

I believe the correct terminology these days is “flight attendant.”

Sure, whatever will keep me from getting canceled. So, I screwed up. You know, I’m only human. It’s the nature of the beast. We all sin. 

I believe that was not your only indiscretion.

Oh, so this is a hostile interview, is it? I thought this was my chance to tell my side of the story and I can’t get a word in edgewise!

 I would like you all to know that Sveta might come off as some beautiful, brilliant goody two-shoes in the book, but she not the easiest woman in the world. She’s a prima donna. She’s got champagne taste, my wife. And also, it’s harder than you might think, living with a best-selling author. Everywhere we go, people stop her and want a selfie, and I have to get out of the way. It’s like, what am I? Chopped herring?

Did you mean to say chopped herring? I believe the expression is chopped liver.  Oh wait, I’m sorry. My producer is telling me we’re out of time. Do you have any last words about The Literati?

Yes! Don’t buy that book. It’s all fake…

Okay ladies and gentlemen. Our time is up. Please pick up a copy of The Literati from your favorite bookseller and make your own decision about whether Akhil is a cad. Also, if you have any good herring recipes, please feel free to share.

BUY THE LITERATI HERE

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Susan Coll is the author of seven previous novels, including Bookish People and Real Life and Other Fictions, a USA Today bestseller. Her third novel, Acceptance, was made into a television movie starring Joan Cusack. Susan’s work has appeared in publications including the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, Moment Magazine, NPR.org, and Atlantic.com. She is the events advisor at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., and was the president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation for five years. Her work has been supported by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities and by Yaddo.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing