Corie Adjmi
Author Interview - Corie Adjmi
Author of The Marriage Box
Casey Cohen is a teenage Middle Eastern Jew in 1970’s New Orleans who’s just gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd. When she really gets into trouble, her parents send her reeling by deciding to return to their roots in the Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. Casey suddenly finds her world turned upside down: in this new and foreign world, men pray daily to thank God they’re not women, parties are extravagant events at the Museum of Natural History, and the Marriage Box is actually a place – a pool deck designated for teenage girls to put themselves on display for prospective
husbands. Casey is at first horrified but finds herself tempted after she meets Michael. Looking for love and belonging, she marries him at eighteen, hoping and believing she can adjust to Syrian ways. But when Michael tells her he wants her to have a baby instead of going to college, Casey begins to wonder if she can integrate her two opposing worlds, or if she’ll need to leave one in order to find her way.
Author Interview - Corie Adjmi
Author I draw inspiration from: Nathan Englander, Dorothy Parker, Noah Baumbach, Nora Ephron. These writers have taught me a lot about cinematic writing. They also explore relationships and Jewish themes using humor.
Author Interview - Corie Adjmi | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: Under the covers in bed.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Superman, for practical reasons.
Author Interview - Corie Adjmi | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: When I received my first acceptance letter for a short story I'd written, I knew I wanted to make writing my career.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Paperback. I read with a pencil in my hand. I underline and circle and highlight. It feels easier to do that with a paperback than with a hardcover.
The last book I read: I'm reading Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky. I'm working on my next novel with six points of view. A writer suggested I read Very Nice. I'm enjoying it and the many perspectives.
Author Interview - Corie Adjmi | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Both. I start with pen and paper and then use my computer.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Kya from Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Kya is smart, adventurous, strong, curious, self sufficient, passionate and caring. Of course, she has some flaws, but who doesn't.
Author Interview - Corie Adjmi | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Teacher. I was a 4th and 5t grade teacher before I started writing. I love creating curriculum, especially around the arts.
Favorite decade in fashion history: 60s!! Flare jeans and halter tops.
Place I’d most like to travel: I'd love to go biking and hiking all over Europe
My signature drink: Black coffee every morning and vodka straight up in a martini glass at night
Favorite artist: Basquiat. I love his work visually, but I also appreciate the political statements he makes.
Number one on my bucket list: Write a TV series or a movie
Find more from the author:
Instagram: @CorieAdjmi
Twitter: @CorieAdjmi
Facebook: CorieSuttonAdjmi
Author Bio: Corie Adjmi grew up in New Orleans and started writing in her thirties. Her award-winning fiction and personal essays have appeared in dozens of publications including North American Review, Indiana Review, Huff Post, Medium, Motherwell and Kveller. Her first book-length publication was a collection of short stories titled Life and Other Shortcomings. The collection won a number of prizes including an International Book Award, an American fiction award and an IBPA: Benjamin Franklin Award. When she is not writing, Corie does volunteer work, cooks, bikes and hikes. She and her husband have five children and a number of grandchildren, with more on the way. She lives and works in New York City.
