Photo by Brian J. Davis
Emily Schultz is the author of the new novel Brooklyn Kills Me. Her other books include Sleeping with Friends. She lives in Brooklyn.
Q: What inspired you to write Brooklyn Kills Me, and how did you create your character Agnes?
A: Agnes grew out of the first book in the series, Sleeping with Friends, but I didn’t know she would go on to star in her own book when I wrote that. It was kind of an ensemble novel, a weekend murder mystery where one of the characters, Mia, has been in a coma and can only remember her life though movies.
Somehow introverted and queer Agnes emerged as my parlor detective, my Hercule Poirot, so to speak. I knew I wanted Brooklyn Kills Me to also be set at a party—for Agnes to have to piece together an evening’s events in order to solve the murder of her neighbor.
I believe getting to gather together holds more importance for us post-pandemic. I live in Brooklyn, and New York was a ghost town. But those of us who stayed throughout the pandemic got to know our neighbors very well with the close proximity.
Q: What do you see as the relationship between this novel and Sleeping with Friends? Should a reader begin with one before starting the other?
A: The novels share characters but I wanted to be sure that readers could jump straight into either book if they wanted to. There are a few references that call back, but not too many.
In Brooklyn Kills Me, Agnes takes center stage. I knew that I wanted to place her in a circle of power brokers, and famous New Yorkers, artists, playwrights, musicians, journalists, politicians, star chefs.
Q: Without giving anything away, did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I did know at least some of what the ending would be. But there was a twist that even I didn’t see coming until the end of the first draft.
Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: Brooklyn Kills Me is very much a Brooklyn adventure—I’ve lived in Williamsburg and Greenpoint for almost 14 years now so it felt time to write about where I live my life and imbue them with some fictional ominousness: from Domino Park to Pete’s Candy Store.
The title is something I’ve said to myself on more than a few occasions.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I hope readers will bond with the characters and be drawn in by the absurd situations I put them through, but more than that I always want to portray a reflection of life in Brooklyn. Wealth, class, and privilege are threads I’m always trying to untangle.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m doing a lot of screenwriting—adaptations of my books and an original feature with my partner. I also have a couple different novels that I’m starting.
I like exploring cross-genre best, and have jumped between the genres a bit—as much as my publishers will allow—from literary thriller (Little Threats) to pure mystery (this series), to things that touch on horror, like my novel The Blondes.
Right now what I’m trying to decide is whether my audience will follow me if I step a bit off the beaten path. I find it interesting that there are some readers who are devoted to one kind of fiction only, and others who will read more widely. I love a challenge so I never want to write the same story twice.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I spent a decade running the literary journal Joyland and I recently got the bug again and started a pop culture zine on Substack called Medium Cool. The idea is that it’s for the formerly young and cool, such as myself!
It’s at https://www.themediumcool.com/
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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