Marcie Maxfield Interviews Em

In Maxfield’s debut autofiction, Em’s Awful Good Fortune (August 3, 2021) main character “Em” seems like the consummate globe-trotter–traveling to Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Los Angeles and Seoul–but she’s handcuffed to her husband’s international career, having to give up her own in the process.

Behind every Insta-worthy travel experience is the dark (but relatable) side of a seemingly privileged world: a coming-apart-at-the-seams marriage, loneliness, depression, infidelity, and even PTSD. Grasping for her own identity and learning to prioritize her needs, Em must learn to stop letting herself be dragged along for the ride, both in travel and life. What follows is a dark, daring comedy about a woman’s global journey to reclaim her autonomy in a relationship stretched by the unfamiliar landscape of expat life.

Maxfield interviews her character Em

Marcie: Hi Em. Nice to catch up with you and the family. You must be getting excited about the book release. There’s lot’s of buzz …

Em: I wanted to talk to you about that.  

Marcie: Yes …

Em: Someone called me “Fiesty.” A reviewer! Called me Feisty—that’s sexist, you know. 

Marcie: Yes, I know. It’s been corrected. You’re now “tough-minded.”

Em: Ha! That’s like winning the battle but losing the war. Shoulda called me: badass. Or feisty as fuck.

Marcie: This is an official interview, Em …

Em: You’re the writer, Marcie, you can edit it to read “Feisty AF.” That’s your job. 

Ruby: Chill, mom. 

Rio: She can’t, she has to take up all the oxygen in the room. 

Em: It’s my name on the book cover, kids. Em’s Awful Good Fortune.

Marcie: Actually, I have a question for Gee. People want to know how you feel about having the details of your marriage exposed …

Ruby: OMG, I can’t hear this (she covers her ears with her hands). 

Marcie: Okay. Switching gears. How about a question for each of you? As an expat family, you’ve moved around a lot. Which was your favorite city? 

Gee: Paris. 

Rio: Didn’t mom have an affair with a poet in Paris? 

Em: Back to Marcie’s question, what was your favorite city, Rio? 

Rio: Shanghai was pretty cool. 

Ruby: Tokyo. You had no clue what I was doing! 

Rio: You were smoking Shisha at karaoke bars in Roppongi …

Ruby: Shhh

Em: What’s Shisha? 

Marcie: And you, Em? Your favorite city? 

Em: If I said Paris, that would be awkward. Let’s see, Tokyo was quirky. But the clothes didn’t fit. Korea had great food but let’s face it, Gee dragged us there and I was depressed most of the time. I had to quit my job, the kids were just babies, no friends, no mommy and me. Hmmm. I guess: Shanghai?

Ruby: You complained the whole time you lived there! 

Em: I only complained about the pollution. The city was fabulous. 

Gee: I’m glad to hear you say that. Because I’ve got an opportunity to move back to Shanghai. 

Rio: Notice how he says ‘I’ not ‘we’? Still the careerist dad, have passport will travel …

Gee: That’s my millennial son, he thinks ‘career’ is a dirty word.

Marcie: How do you feel about being an expat again, Em? 

Ruby: Yeah, mom. How do you feel about moving back to China?

Em: Can we discuss this off-line, please. 

Marcie: Sure. I don’t want to be intrusive. Em, as you know, the working title for this book was: The Tagalong Wife. Can you explain that term? 

Em:  In the expat world, it’s a very specific term that refers to women who follow their husband’s overseas career. But, when you think about it, Michelle Obama is a tagalong wife. She quit her job as a lawyer to support her husband’s political career. Moved to DC and had to completely redefine herself. She wrote a book about it, called: Becoming. Good book. Sold a zillion copies. But she kinda glossed over some of the hardships: loss of career, community, identity, infidelity. The struggle not to get subsumed by marriage. That’s why I’m glad you wrote our story, Marcie. You’re not the former first lady. You tell it like it is. Raw and unfiltered. 

Marcie: Thank you, Em. 

Em: Thank you, for switching the title to: Em’s Awful Good Fortune.

—

Maxfield’s voice is fierce, authentic and personal. Em’s Awful Good Fortune is her debut novel. Her play Girls Together Always won the Encore! Producer’s Award at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Marcie is a  teen mentor for WriteGirl, an LA organization that empowers youth through creative writing.

 Find out more abotu Marcie on her website https://marciemaxfield.com/

Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/marciemaxfield

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