Q&A: Holly Brickley on the tension between intimacy and ambition, and writing prose that feel like songs.

A conversation with the author of Ladies Who Lit's April book selection.

I was 12 years old when I attended my first book club, hosted by a small, independent bookstore in my hometown of Rockford, IL. We read Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, and the discussion rocked my world. This was 22 years(!!!) ago, and I obviously don’t remember the full breadth of what I’m sure was a fabulous conversation amongst pre-teens and their parents, but it was my first introduction to dual-perspective storytelling, a literary technique that I remain enamored with to this day, as both a reader and writer.

In love stories, fictional or otherwise, perspective is everything. No matter how self-assured we are in the certitude of our own experiences, it’s only half the story when another person is involved. Flipped was so revolutionary to me because it approximated a clairvoyance we’re not afforded in real life romance. Those aren’t the words I would have used to describe it at 12 years old, of course, but I knew it was exciting, if not a bit discomforting, too.

I thought of Flipped while reading Holly Brickley’s Deep Cuts last month. Deep Cuts is not a dual-perspective novel, but the nature of Percy and Joe’s romantic and artistically collaborative relationship results in lyrical prose (and songs) that felt somehow even more illuminating than if these characters had simply traded chapters back and forth.

I was so excited to interview Holly Brickley about this book: the tension between intimacy and ambition, how audience shapes voice, and what it means to write something that feels uncomfortably honest—or deeply familiar.

Hope you enjoy! See you soon—hopefully at the Hyde Park Art Center this month!

Xo,

Kaylen