“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.
