JOHN COREY WHALEY

This year, as part of the annual William C. Morris Interview Series, I was delighted to speak with the uber-talented and oh-so-brilliant Becky Albertalli.  Becky’s debut novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda has not only landed her a Morris nomination, but also a spot on the National Book Award long list and a Publishers Weekly Flying Start honor.  This mother of two and former clinical psychologist has wowed readers and critics alike with her whip-smart and heartfelt story of identity, first love, and the nuances of the teenage experience.  

JCW: For starters, congratulations on a truly lovely, original novel and all the very-well deserved praise it’s received this past year.  How has the experience of publishing your debut been so far?  Overwhelming?  A dream come true?  A strange mixture of both?

BA: Thank you so much. (And just to get it out of the way, you should imagine a thousand cat emoji lined up making heart eyes at you.)

This experience has definitely been a mixture of dreamy and overwhelming. SIMON was my first attempt at writing a novel, and my book deal happened really quickly. I had to adjust to the publishing world quickly – and this can be a challenging field for people who are anxious or sensitive (I’m both).

That being said, for me, it’s been an incredibly rich and fulfilling few years. I’ve had the opportunity to become a part of this weird, awesome YA community. I hear from readers all over the world who feel connected to Simon or feel inspired by his experiences. I’ve gotten fanfiction and fanart (I’m a giant fangirl, so this is honestly my dream). It’s challenging, emotional work – even after the writing part is over – but my readers and this community make it worthwhile.

 JCW: YA writers frequently get asked, “Why do you write for teenagers?” and it occurred to me that your answer may be the only one I’ve ever really been interested in hearing.  You’re an experienced psychologist, having worked with teens for years in various capacities.  So, why write about teenagers?  Why Simon? 

BA: It’s funny – I think people assume I write YA because I worked with teenagers (and therefore know all their secrets). Totally not the case. I think I’m drawn to YA for the same reasons I was drawn to working with teens in therapy. I feel connected to teens. I’ve known so many who are interesting, funny, vulnerable, and sincere. And high school is still really vivid for me, even though I’m in my early thirties.

Simon, in particular, appeared in my head very early in the process, and he was easy to get to know. He’s a lot like I was as a teen – though he’s much more charming, and a little less self-aware.

JCW: In Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, the title character begins an online correspondence with an anonymous boy named Blue.  This gets him into a strange situation, but I hate spoilers so I’ll stay mum on that.  My question, though, is if you could, in some hypothetical reality, have Simon correspond with a fictional character outside of the world you so skillfully created, who would it be and why? 

BA: I don’t think this answer will surprise anyone, but if Blue wasn’t in the picture, I’d ship Simon with Aaron Soto, from Adam Silvera’s MORE HAPPY THAN NOT. They’re both these softhearted nerds who think they’re cool, and have no idea how painfully earnest they are (i.e. they are Adam and me). And I think they’d be good for each other. Simon has a lot of social support and fairly minimal angst, so I think he could help Aaron find some stability. And I think Aaron would be able to gently challenge and work through some of Simon’s assumptions and misconceptions.

JCW: Someone once told me that there are about five stories out there and we (writers) are all just trying to create our own unique versions of them.  Where do you think Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda fits into that theory? 

BA: I’ve heard that – though I don’t know what the five story prototypes are! For what it’s worth, I have always thought of SIMON as a romantic comedy – which is why I’ve been so happily surprised that it’s been nominated for awards (I believe romantic books should get recognition – I just didn’t expect it). Actually, when I was writing SIMON, I wasn’t concerned with the story being absolutely unique – because no story is.  My priority was telling a story that felt true, honest, and authentic.  

JCW: Did you find it especially difficult to write from the perspective of a teenage homosexual male?  Do you think that, as a writer, the very idea of exploring identity was aided by this feat?

BA: Simon’s voice and point of view actually felt really natural for me! This is partially because he’s similar to me, and partially because I think there’s a lot more fluidity to gender and character voice than people realize. That being said, I wrote this book after working for years with LGBTQ kids, teens, and adults, especially gay boys. It’s hard to tease apart what felt natural because it was natural, and what felt natural because my work had become almost a part of me.  

JCW: One of the many things that stands out to me about your writing is that it has this uniquely accessible intelligence to it—you don’t talk down to your readers (teen or adult), but you also don’t waste any of our time with pretentiousness.  It’s a straight-forward story that packs emotional punch equal to its skillfully woven emotional depth.  So, you know, how do you do it?  Haha.  I’ll rephrase that to be more of a question: What is the Becky Albertalli writing inner thought process like?

BA: I have no idea.

Seriously. There is so much I don’t understand about my own creative process. I know there are moments when I’m in the zone, where certain scenes (usually pivotal ones) seem to write themselves. There are other scenes that I have to fight my way through.

I do read my teen journals before drafting. I outline loosely. If the story wants to deviate from the outline, I always follow it. I know I write really conversationally, which isn’t for all readers, but it seems to be how my brain likes to explore ideas. And I try to write honestly, even if it’s embarrassing (it’s usually embarrassing).

JCW: Simon, to me, is all about identity.  It’s the reason I write YA—because it took me so long to figure out who I was in the world—so I’m wondering if your skill for writing this particular kind of story stems from any personal experience as well?  Perhaps from your work with teenagers or from your own teenage years?

BA: Absolutely - issues related to identity are why I write, too, and that definitely stems from my own experiences. Many of my personal conflicts were different from Simon’s, but they were real (and are real – I really believe identity is something we continue to work through as adults). I actually explore some of those conflicts in a way that hits closer to home in my next book, which centers on a chubby girl falling in love.

  Lightning Round:

JCW: Is there a question about Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda that you haven’t been asked yet but would really like to answer? 

BA: Not Simon-related, but I have a pretty great answer for anyone who wants to know my most embarrassing author moment. It involves Jasmine Warga’s launch party and a pair of tights.

JCW: What is your favorite song?  Can you sing it well?  

BA: Hmm – my favorite song changes a lot! Right now, it’s probably the entire soundtrack to Hamilton, and I can sing it VERY well.

JCW: Is there a book you’ve read that you secretly (but not so secretly anymore) wish you’d written? 

BA: So many. One I really wish I’d written is my agent sister Lianne Oelke’s book. I stumbled across the first few pages on a writing forum, and fell so deeply in love that I asked if I could beta read the whole manuscript. It was a good decision.

JCW: Finally, it’s a tradition here for me to make the last question all about myself.  You’re a former clinical psychologist.  You wrote a beautiful and hilarious book with maybe the coolest title in YA history.  And you’re a devoted and awesome wife and mother.  So, there’s only one thing left to ask: Do you think you’re better than me?

BA: I AM AN ACTUAL HOT MESS, THOUGH, COREY. (Can we print that? In the Morris interview?)

So, I just typed: “Yes, I am better than you, John Corey Whaley.” And then I started giggling. And then I had to delete it. That sentence cannot actually exist.

JCW: Oh now stop.  In the interest of humility, I’m printing it here for all the world to see.

All jokes aside--a big thanks to Becky Albertalli for an incredible debut novel, the hopes of many more to come, and for being down right fantastic.  She is a true original. 

To find out more about Becky and her books, stalk her using the following socially approved media: 

www.beckyalbertalli.com

http://www.tumblr.com/follow/beckyalbertalli

@beckyalbertalli

Good luck to Becky and all of this year’s Morris finalists!