When I was doing the novel, I thought, “Okay, hang on, this isn’t going to work the same way.” Because you choose who your friends are, you have options. Philpott: Is there something different about the sisterly relationship from, say, two female friends? Do sisters have a bond that goes beyond that?īraithwaite: When I did the poem, initially, it was two friends. I think that that’s probably what I drew from, in some respects, creating these two. We did have a very tempestuous relationship, but I also knew that when push came to shove, she would be there. At some point I was convinced one of us was adopted, and it wasn’t me, because I looked like my mom. So, she’s the one I grew up with.īraithwaite: Yeah, she’s the closest to me in age, and there were periods where we couldn’t stand one another. After that it’s six years and thirteen years. So the girl after me, there’s just two years between us. Philpott: What about your sibling experience did you tap into for this book?īraithwaite: At the time I didn’t think I was tapping into anything, but looking back on it I do realize that. Philpott: I’m curious, do you have siblings?īraithwaite: Yes, I do. I was playing with an idea I was familiar with. Philpott: And they’ve been with you ever since?īraithwaite: Yes. They weren’t Ayoola and Korede then, but their foundation was there. So I think in many ways these two poems laid the foundation for what would be My Sister, the Serial Killer ten years later. They were friends, not sisters, but the black widow was the more attractive one, and the plain friend was the only one who knew that her friend had this other side to her. So, I had done that poem, which was about two women as well. Then, after I wrote that poem, I followed it with another poem, probably a few months later, about the traditional black widow - this idea of a woman who marries men, poisons them, and inherits their wealth. It made such a huge impression on me that I immediately wrote a poem called “Black Widow Spider.” For the first time I realized they existed - this creature who, you know, the female spider is bigger than the male spider, and after they mate, if the female spider happens to be hungry, and the male spider is still hanging around, she will eat him. Philpott: How did you first meet these women in your mind? Where did they come from?īraithwaite: In 2007, I was reading up on the black widow spider. Ayoola is the beautiful, charming, capricious, younger sister, but she also happens to be a serial killer. She’s a nurse, she’s very meticulous, knows how to keep things nice and tidy. Oyinkan Braithwaite: It’s about two sisters - the older sister, Korede, and the younger sister, Ayoola. Would you tell us what My Sister, the Serial Killer is about? Set up the characters for us. Mary Laura Philpott: Okay, let’s start with a quick book report.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |