Katie Kitamura

I mean, I really wanted interpretation to be at the center of this novel. In a funny way, even more than in my last novel where the character is literally a simultaneous interpreter. Because I wanted that... feeling of interpretation to be very active for the reader as well.

I mean, I really wanted interpretation to be at the center of this novel. In a funny way, even more than in my last novel where the character is literally a simultaneous interpreter. Because I wanted that... feeling of interpretation to be very active for the reader as well.

I mean, I really wanted interpretation to be at the center of this novel. In a funny way, even more than in my last novel where the character is literally a simultaneous interpreter. Because I wanted that... feeling of interpretation to be very active for the reader as well.

You know, I wanted the reader to also be trying, alongside all the characters in that opening scene, to understand what is happening between those two central characters. And I'm very interested in characters, in particular female characters, who speak the words of other people. And I'm interested in passivity. And that goes a little bit, I think...

You know, I wanted the reader to also be trying, alongside all the characters in that opening scene, to understand what is happening between those two central characters. And I'm very interested in characters, in particular female characters, who speak the words of other people. And I'm interested in passivity. And that goes a little bit, I think...

You know, I wanted the reader to also be trying, alongside all the characters in that opening scene, to understand what is happening between those two central characters. And I'm very interested in characters, in particular female characters, who speak the words of other people. And I'm interested in passivity. And that goes a little bit, I think...

against the grain or against what we're told to look for in fiction. You know, I teach creative writing, and in class often, if they're in workshop, if there is a character who the group feels doesn't have agency, that is often brought up as a criticism of the character. They'll say, oh, but, you know, she doesn't have any agency.

against the grain or against what we're told to look for in fiction. You know, I teach creative writing, and in class often, if they're in workshop, if there is a character who the group feels doesn't have agency, that is often brought up as a criticism of the character. They'll say, oh, but, you know, she doesn't have any agency.

against the grain or against what we're told to look for in fiction. You know, I teach creative writing, and in class often, if they're in workshop, if there is a character who the group feels doesn't have agency, that is often brought up as a criticism of the character. They'll say, oh, but, you know, she doesn't have any agency.

As if a character without agency is implausible or in some way not compelling in narrative terms, But of course, the reality is very few of us have total agency. I think we operate under the illusion or the impression that we have a great deal of agency. But in reality, when you look at your life, our choices are quite constricted.

As if a character without agency is implausible or in some way not compelling in narrative terms, But of course, the reality is very few of us have total agency. I think we operate under the illusion or the impression that we have a great deal of agency. But in reality, when you look at your life, our choices are quite constricted.

As if a character without agency is implausible or in some way not compelling in narrative terms, But of course, the reality is very few of us have total agency. I think we operate under the illusion or the impression that we have a great deal of agency. But in reality, when you look at your life, our choices are quite constricted.

So I'm interested in depicting characters who maybe understand that passivity a little bit more than other people might and who are trying to grapple with what that means.

So I'm interested in depicting characters who maybe understand that passivity a little bit more than other people might and who are trying to grapple with what that means.

So I'm interested in depicting characters who maybe understand that passivity a little bit more than other people might and who are trying to grapple with what that means.

I've been thinking about it for quite a long time. I tend to sit with an idea forever. An embarrassingly long amount of time, I would say. You know, I can sometimes look back and think, oh, I first started thinking about this idea and it was a decade ago. I really came to see the degree to which performance is present in our day-to-day lives.

I've been thinking about it for quite a long time. I tend to sit with an idea forever. An embarrassingly long amount of time, I would say. You know, I can sometimes look back and think, oh, I first started thinking about this idea and it was a decade ago. I really came to see the degree to which performance is present in our day-to-day lives.

I've been thinking about it for quite a long time. I tend to sit with an idea forever. An embarrassingly long amount of time, I would say. You know, I can sometimes look back and think, oh, I first started thinking about this idea and it was a decade ago. I really came to see the degree to which performance is present in our day-to-day lives.

You know, even now as we're talking to each other, even in our most intimate moments, we're always playing parts of some kind or another. Yeah. whether that is a part of a mother or a daughter or a partner or a writer or a student or a teacher. There are all these parts that we play every single day, and they come with quite prescriptive scripts in a lot of ways.

You know, even now as we're talking to each other, even in our most intimate moments, we're always playing parts of some kind or another. Yeah. whether that is a part of a mother or a daughter or a partner or a writer or a student or a teacher. There are all these parts that we play every single day, and they come with quite prescriptive scripts in a lot of ways.