Susan Coll Weaves Reality and Myth in Her Captivating Literary Worlds
Exploring Humor, Folklore, and the Craft of Storytelling
Susan Coll discusses her novel Real Life & Other Fictions, blending humor with folklore, her bookselling experience, and how her literary journey—from writing to film adaptation—continues to shape her storytelling.
Susan Coll, an acclaimed American novelist known for her sharp wit and masterful storytelling, brings a compelling blend of reality and myth to her latest novel, Real Life & Other Fictions. With a literary career spanning decades, Coll has captivated readers with her ability to balance comedy and tragedy in her narratives.
Her works include Bookish People, The Stager, and the widely recognized Acceptance, which was adapted into a television film starring Joan Cusack. Beyond her novels, Coll has contributed to The Washington Post and The New York Times and has played a significant role in the literary community through her work at Politics and Prose Bookstore and as president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.
With wit and brilliance, Susan Coll masterfully blends humor, history, and mystery, crafting novels that entertain, challenge, and deeply resonate.
Blending Surreal Humor with Real-Life Mystery
“I’ve never been sure if it’s a gift or a curse, but no matter how tragic the subject, I wind up injecting humor into the narrative,” says Coll when asked about the unique tone of Real Life & Other Fictions.
The novel draws inspiration from the legend of The Mothman, a supernatural figure linked to disasters such as the 1967 West Virginia bridge collapse. Coll’s protagonist, orphaned by the tragedy, embarks on a journey to uncover the past and the secrets her family refuses to discuss. This interplay of history, folklore, and personal discovery brings a distinctive depth to her work.
A Bookseller’s Perspective on Writing
Having spent nearly nine years at Politics and Prose, Coll finds that working in a bookstore offers a unique vantage point on the literary world. “It’s just a book, after all, an object that is logged into our inventory system and sold—or not sold—on the sales floor,” she reflects. This perspective helps alleviate the pressure of writing while also providing inspiration for her novels.
Coll’s upcoming book, The Literati, is set at a literary nonprofit, a setting influenced by her tenure as president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. Similarly, her previous novel, Bookish People, was inspired by her bookstore experiences, introducing quirky characters, including a vacuum cleaner with its own storyline.
Writing with a Comic Lens
Coll’s ability to balance humor with poignant themes has become a signature element of her storytelling. From karlmarx.com, which transformed a historical tragedy into a satirical novel, to Bookish People, which emerged from the events surrounding the Charlottesville protests, she finds a way to explore serious subjects through an accessible, often humorous lens.
Her work in literary criticism has also sharpened her storytelling. As a reviewer for The Washington Post and The New York Times, she analyzes narrative structures and pacing, ensuring her own novels maintain a compelling momentum.
The Evolution of Acceptance from Page to Screen
When Acceptance was adapted into a television film, Coll embraced the experience of seeing her work reinterpreted. “The screenwriter made choices that would probably not have occurred to me, such as using one of the characters to narrate the story and inverting the plot,” she shares. The expanded role of a character played by Joan Cusack also brought fresh energy to the adaptation.
Looking Ahead
As Susan Coll continues to shape contemporary literature with her distinct blend of humor, insight, and folklore, readers can expect more thought-provoking narratives that challenge and entertain in equal measure.
“I’ve never been sure if it’s a gift or a curse, but no matter how tragic the subject, I wind up injecting humor into the narrative.” – Susan Coll
Originally published in Reader’s House Magazine.
