Annie Liontas' debut novel, Let Me Explain You, was selected by the ABA as an Indies Introduce Debut and Indies Next. She is the co-editor of the anthology A Manner of Being: Writers on their Mentors and the recipient of a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund.From the author's Q & A with James McDonald for Out:
Out: How did this novel emerge? Where was the impetus?Visit Annie Liontas's website.
Annie Liontas: You know, it sort of came like lightning one day. This man is going to die, and he wants to tell his daughters and his ex-wife how they are failing at life. That part came suddenly, the rest of it was pretty grueling. I had to figure out the voices of these people, who was going to take up more space in the book—it all got pretty complicated. But I'm gay, and I knew immediately that one of the daughters was going to be, too, that that would be one of the issues in the book. Greek culture is very patriarchal, as I've experienced. My father did have difficulty with my sexuality in the beginning... You know, lesbianism is in direct opposition to patriarchy, so I just knew that had to be incorporated.
Overall, what are Greek attitudes toward being gay these days?
Things are definitely changing, but it's all closely tied to gender expectations. It's a culture where women are meant to be mothers and wives. They're educated, but they're still expected to come home and be mothers. The last time I was in Athens, I remember there was a gay bar, so there's been a shift. But I haven't really been able to...[read on]
The Page 69 Test: Let Me Explain You.
My Book, The Movie: Let Me Explain You.
--Marshal Zeringue