In the intervening years, much has changed, but that novel still feels real the characters and experiences live on in The Candy House, where once again past, present and future mingle most happily. Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad perfectly captured our fractured experience of time. We’re all novelists, writing with actions in time instead of words on paper. Putting together a story to describe ourselves, we consider the whole shebang a smorgasbord, grabbing what we’re able to remember favorably, considered by the mood of the moment, assembled for an audience we both hope for and fear. The present feels ever motionless, the past is a mess, much of which we’d prefer to forget, and edited unconsciously if remembered, while the future is elusive, one moment a promise, the next, a threat. We’re inclined to think that time is the ultimate people-mover, carrying us smoothly, relentlessly ever forward. Below the interview, my previous review of The Candy House. As usual, she has lots of great (no spoiler) observations for those who want to read her novel and many a helpful thought for who are writing their own work. We spoke via Zoom before her appearance in Santa Cruz to promote the paperback release. Here’s a brand new 2023 interview with Jennifer Egan about her mosaic nove, The Candy House.
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