My grandmother and mother were from Uganda but my sister and I were raised here in the United States. But they almost always told the truth in a way that could feel, well, brutal but also couldn’t help but make you laugh. I don’t mean they yelled at others or were quick to curse, in fact they were both incredibly rule bound and obsessed with decorum. My mother and grandmother raised me and my sister and neither woman understood tact.
So maybe there is a brutality to my characters and if so I’d like to credit it to growing up in an almost thrillingly honest household. I suppose vain people never realize they’re vain either, instead they just think of themselves as astute. I must admit I never think of my characters as brutal, but of course brutal people never do.
I suggest all self-loathing writers try it.Īs for brutality I often wonder at this. I tell it to myself once or twice a day just to offset the crushing self-loathing. Victor LaValle: There are never too many times to tell writers you love their work. How would you explain this juxtaposition of darkness and humor, and the truth of character that results from it? Something I come back to time and time again in your writing is this inherent brutality in your characters, but there’s a sharp humor there that makes them endearing and honest. As I’ve told you many (possibly too many?) times, I love your work. I’d also like to ask you to brace yourself, because I think we may be hopping all over the place with this one. Erin Armstrong: First, I’d like to thank you for taking time to speak with me.
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