Jami Attenberg published her first book, the short story collection Instant Love, in 2006. Since then, Attenberg, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., has published three novels: The Kept Man, The Melting Season and, in 2012, The Middlesteins, a New York Times bestseller that was published around the world. Her latest novel, Saint Mazie, based on a true story about the owner of a Depression-era New York City movie theatre, was published earlier this month.
Why did you write your new book?
I learned about this real-life person, Mazie Phillips, through the wonderful Joseph Mitchell collection Up in the Old Hotel and I absolutely fell in love with her. She felt like a real hero to me, deeply flawed – she was brassy and big-mouthed and boozy – but also incredibly generous, spending decades of her life helping the homeless. I loved her for all her complexities and I felt like she deserved to be remembered and recognized for her good works. Although Saint Mazie is entirely fictional, my hope is that people will be inspired by her real-life story, too.
Which fictional character do you wish you'd created?
One of my most recent favourite characters was Ifemelu in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's brilliant novel, Americanah. I wished that book had gone on forever just so I could spend more time with her. She was just so sharp and witty and deeply felt. While she was completely distinct in her voice and experiences, still, her tragedies were all of our tragedies, and her triumphs made us soar. I felt grateful by the book's end that I got to spend so much time in her company.
What scares you as a writer, and why?
You know, I always love the first hundred pages when I'm writing a book because I allow myself to not know what I'm doing, and I am allowed to make mistakes and mess around a bit. Seriously – it's all fun and games for a few months. But then you hit those second hundred pages, and that's when it gets terrifying. Because you really have to start to know by then what your book is actually about. And it forces you to consider what you've already done as well. It's always the middle that is the hardest, scariest part for me.
Which book got you through the darkest period of your life?
About six years ago, I broke my ankle when I was visiting Los Angeles, and I ended up having to stay there for two months in a cast. It was a nightmare. I was stuck on this couch all day and all night by myself. Occasionally, a friend would come by and visit me, but I didn't know very many people there. One friend in New York City sent me a massive box of books and in it was Olive Kitteridge, and there was something about it that so deeply comforted me. The characters were so familiar but distinctive, and I was utterly immersed in it. I started to feel like my brain was working again then, instead of just being on high alert for physical safety.
Which books have you re-read most in your life?
I've re-read The Great Gatsby more than a few times, and I always find the experience rewarding and instructive. I reread Grace Paley short stories all the time; I keep her collected stories behind my desk. I often page through Dawn Powell's diaries when I'm feeling gloomy or downtrodden as a writer, and because her entries are similarly about the creative struggle it often cheers me.