Elizabeth Weiss
Author Interview - Elizabeth Weiss
Author of The Sisters Sweet
All Harriet Szász has ever known is life onstage with her sister, Josie. As “The Sisters Sweet,” they pose as conjoined twins in a vaudeville act conceived of by their ambitious parents, who were once themselves theatrical stars. But after Josie exposes the family’s fraud and runs away to Hollywood, Harriet must learn to live out of the spotlight—and her sister’s shadow. As Josie’s star rises in California, the Szászes fall on hard times. Striving to keep her struggling family afloat, Harriet molds herself into the perfect daughter. She also tentatively forms her first relationships outside her family and begins to imagine a life for herself beyond the role of dutiful daughter that she has played for so long. Finally, Harriet must decide whether to honor her mother, her father, or the self she’s only beginning to get to know.
Author Interview - Elizabeth Weiss
Author I draw inspiration from: So many! A recent inspiration is Maggie Shipstead’s Great Circle, which has made me feel excited about what historical fiction can do. Inspirations I return to again and again: Marilynne Robinson, Alice Munro, Edith Wharton.
Author Interview - Elizabeth Weiss | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: Any cozy spot, as long as I’m wearing soft pants. Bonus points if my elderly dog is curled up beside me. Lately I've been reading on a bench beside a lake in a park near my house, which also has its charms.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: One of the most fascinating characters I’ve encountered of late is Alma Whitaker from Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things. I’m not sure how she’d tolerate being trapped in an elevator with me, but I think I'd enjoy her company.
Author Interview - Elizabeth Weiss | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I’ve been writing since I was a tiny child, and when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say writer or actor. But those ideas gave way to practical considerations (i.e., student loans). When I was twenty-seven, I left a job that didn't fit in order to give writing a real go, and I think it was only at the moment of that decision that I *knew* knew.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Paperback. All the pleasure of the printed page but not too heavy.
The last book I read: The actual answer is Great Circle, but since I’ve already mentioned it I’ll choose another recent read: Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette. I loved it so much—a funny, surprising, deeply moving, beautifully written story about identity and faith and community.
Author Interview - Elizabeth Weiss | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Both! I need to type to draft, but before that, I like to take handwritten notes, and at a certain stage, I like to mark up a printed copy and take some more notes on paper. One of the great pleasures of starting a new project is buying a new notebook and pens.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: I keep trying to think of a less obvious answer, but I think the true answer is Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice.
Author Interview - Elizabeth Weiss | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Failed actor who became an English teacher.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Definitely the 1930s. I especially love a wide-legged trouser and the flowy silk pajamas women are always lounging around in in the movies
Place I’d most like to travel: Paris. I've been lucky to travel many places, but I've never managed to get to France. I'd really love to.
My signature drink: A cappuccino, always, and now and then a frosty can of Coke.
Favorite artist: I adore the puppeteer Basil Twist.
Number one on my bucket list: On my modest, Covid-times-with-a-baby bucket list, number one is just to share a good meal with my spouse at a restaurant.
Find more from the author:
Instagram: @lizjweiss
Author Bio: Elizabeth Weiss earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her nonfiction has been published in The New Yorker online. She has taught for the University of Iowa, the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, and the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop, and is a mentor for the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse, daughter, and dog.
