Allison L. Bitz is the author of the new young adult novel Three Things About Emmy Crawford. She also has written the YA novel The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom, and she also is a psychologist.
Q: What inspired you to write Three Things About Emmy Crawford, and how did you create your character Emmy?
A: Funny story about that—Emmy’s character was originally inspired by Angelica Schuyler from Hamilton!
When I wrote the original draft of this book back in 2017, I was intrigued by the idea of telling a story of love versus ambition versus sister loyalty, and I wanted to tell it in contemporary times. The manuscript went on to sit in the drawer from 2018-2022.
After I signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins, I knew I wanted Emmy to be my Book 2, but also that I wanted to change the story significantly.
My editor, Erika DiPasquale, has a very similar inflammatory bowel disorder to what I have (Crohn’s disease, in my case), and I thought—when am I ever going to have another chance to work with an editor who really gets the challenges of IBD?
With this in mind I crafted Emmy in a new way, and Three Things About Emmy Crawford was born. I’m so very glad this book was revised to its current form, and grateful for Erika.
Also fun fact—the character of Emmy had *many* other names previously, more than any other main character I’ve ever written.
Q: How would you describe the dynamics between Emmy and her family members?
A: Emmy is hyper-responsible and sees herself as a protector—of her debate bragging rights, of her family’s reputation, and especially of her next-youngest sister Issy, who has had a longtime struggle with anxiety.
Importantly, we see that this pressure to “protect” mostly comes from the circumstances of living in the public eye and from her own perfectionism, not necessarily from her parents.
In the twist that Emmy doesn’t see coming (although I think her readers might)—she spends so much time attending to outside factors and keeping everything in order that she neglects to protect her own health.
Q: The writer Joan F. Smith said of the book, “This coming-of-age tale will resonate with readers for its sharpness, wit, and the intriguing realities of life in the public eye.” What do you think of that description?
A: What a lovely compliment from Smith. She is such a talented writer—The Other Side of Infinity is absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. I do hope that Emmy lives up to her praise. Emmy does tend to be sharp in her observations and decisions, witty on the debate stage, and life in the public eye is a huge part of this story.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: For me the biggest thing is the idea that we need to “make friends” with our bodies, including but not limited to chronic physical and mental illnesses. As far as I know, the “ignore until it goes away” method has never worked for managing these things (and believe me, I’ve tried).
There are ways to honor our limitations and take care of ourselves without making a physical or mental illness our entire identity, and I wanted to show two girls (Emmy with Crohn’s disease, Issy with anxiety) growing into balance with these matters.
Emmy learns in the span of a novel what it has taken me years and years to learn in my own life (and I am still learning!).
Another big takeaway here is that sometimes we can trick ourselves into thinking that hiding our pain away is a kindness, i.e., “I don’t want to burden people with this, so I’ll keep it to myself.” However, this can come at the cost of closeness, authenticity, and others really knowing who we are and how to care for us.
I’ve learned, as a therapist and a human, that our close friends and families want to provide care and comfort when we’re hurting (!!!) and learning how to be vulnerable and ask for support when needed is an essential life skill.
I hope, too, that this book makes people think a bit about American healthcare, and how very far we still need to go to make it an equitable and compassionate system.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m chipping away at a few different projects, notably another book set in Washington D.C. (an adult novel), also with political themes, and then also a novel that would comp to The Good Place, but for YA. It’s been exciting to stretch myself a little bit in this phase of my writing career. 😊
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I love connecting with readers, and would especially love to hear from my readers with IBD (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.) or other chronic illness and mental illness. Please feel free to contact me via Instagram.
I especially love seeing pictures of my books in the wild—tag me in your stories! Tag me at the doctor’s office! Tag me while getting your infusions, taking your meds, or awaiting your therapy appointments! Let’s be in community together.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment