Marina Rubin
Author Interview - Marina Rubin
Author of Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions
Insightful, and often wickedly funny, Marina Rubin's Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions is an award-nominated collection of stories - of desire, damage, and human meandering.
The profound, "Man in a Fedora," examines the depths and reality of friendship; In "Smorgas," a woman's relentless quest to have it all hurls her into a passionate and intricate relationship with two men who happen to be best friends; "Who to Call in Case of Emergency" is a unique take on the #MeToo movement, and "You Can Live with This Nose" is a conversation about plastic surgery overheard at an LGBTQ synagogue. Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions is filled with drama, irony, humor, and unforgettable characters.
Affairs, addictions, loss, and loneliness come alive on these pages, as well as hope, redemption, and the search for beauty.
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Author Interview - Marina Rubin
Author I draw inspiration from:
Too many! Jean Rhys, Colette, Lorrie Moore, Miranda July, Brontë sisters
Author Interview - Marina Rubin | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On a long train ride but only when sitting down! Because if I have to stand, it’s a nightmare! Or in bed
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
John Galt of course ( Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand)
Author Interview - Marina Rubin | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Still waiting for that moment! Any day now
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback by far! I love to feel the book in my hand, especially one that is nicely bound and maybe even glossy
The last book I read:
City of Thieves by David Benioff. That was before he was one of the writers on Games of Thrones and successfully screwed up the final season
Author Interview - Marina Rubin | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Pen & Paper of course! I love to write everything down, it feels authentic and raw while writing on the computer feels very official like I am a gymnast at the Olympics stepping up to the bar - this is it!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Elizabeth Gilbert in the book Eat, Pray, Love
Author Interview - Marina Rubin | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Fashion model
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Jazz age of course, I love the clothes, the long cigarette holders and of course the headbands with glitter and feathers
Place I’d most like to travel:
It’s time to go to China, this will be my 7th wonder of the world and I will complete the list. After that I will be free and will go on vacation to Jersey Shore to keep it as local and uneventful as possible
My signature drink:
Believe it or not, Coca Cola with ice
Favorite artist:
Chagall! Not only is he a fellow former Soviet Union Jew but his paintings made me believe in love, everyone is flying in his art, even the roosters are racing through the sky, in love
Number one on my bucket list:
Sit on Oprah’s couch!
Anything else you'd like to add:
Thank you for your intelligent, snappy questions!
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Author Bio:
Marina Rubin was born in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, and immigrated to the United States in 1989. She is an associate editor of Mudfish, a 2013 recipient of COJECO Blueprint Fellowship, and the author of the critically acclaimed flash fiction collection, Stealing Cherries (Manic D Press.) Her short story collection, Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions (Crowsnest Books) has received an Honorable Mention for the 2020 Miami Book Fair Emerging Writer Fellowship. In addition to writing, Marina is an avid mountaineer, having summited Kilimanjaro, made it to Everest Base Camp, completed Tour du Mont Blanc and Camino de Santiago. She lives in Brooklyn.
Knockout Beauty and Other Afflictions is available from the publisher: https://www.crowsnestbooks.com/product/knockout-beauty/
