Allegra Huston is the author of the new novel Say My Name. She also has written the book Love Child. From her Q&A with Deborah Kalb:Q: How did you come up with the idea for Say My Name, and for your main character, Eve?Visit Allegra Huston's website.
A: I wanted to write a love story, and I wanted to base it on my fantasy—that one of the great songs would have been written for me. It’s my first novel, and I wanted Eve to be somewhat similar to me, so I made her 48. I didn’t want an old rock-and-roller, but a guy on the verge of making it big. That led into the story of an older woman and a younger man.
Q: Do you think attitudes have changed over the years regarding relationships between older women and younger men?
A: I think they’ve changed to some extent, though not enough. It’s still, "Ooh, an older woman"--a programmed-in response that older women are more knowing and experienced. There’s something predatory, lubricious, forbidden, edgy about the whole deal, though certainly as you look around, there are more relationships between older women and younger men.
The cougar thing drives me mad. What is...[read on]
The Page 99 Test: Love Child.
--Marshal Zeringue