Elissa Shappnell Interview

Lisa Dusenbery bio ↓  ·  October 7th, 2011  ·  filed under books

“That was when I knew what I wanted to do was create these archetypal female characters — the slut, the good girl, the bad mother, the party girl, all these women we think we know — and subvert the reader’s expectations of who they were. I wanted each story to in some way confront what would be considered, “a problem” or “female dilemma” that was ages old. So what if you’re called a slut? What do I do if I’m raped? I wanted them to be clear and distinct.”

That is Elissa Schappell conversing with Jacket Copy about her second collection Blueprints for Building Better Girls. The interview zeroes in on the book’s subtle links between characters, intergenerational conundrums, and sadness.

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Lisa Dusenbery is the assistant editor at The Rumpus. Besides writing, her interests include dancing, practicing winking, and the smell of basements. She is a recent convert to San Francisco, CA. More from this author →

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