We chat with debut author Avery Cunningham about The Mayor of Maxwell Street, which follows a rich Black debutante who enlists the help of a low-level speakeasy manager to identify the head of an underground crime syndicate, and so the two are thrust into the dangerous world of Prohibition-era Chicago.
Hi, Avery! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey, y’all! My name is Avery Cunningham, and I’m a debut writer of Historical Fiction. I was born and raised in Jackson, TN just outside of Memphis. I lived in Jackson for most of my life before attending DePaul University in Chicago. There, I earned a BA in English and an MA in Writing and Publishing. I’ve lived in Memphis for the past 5-6 years, picking over manuscripts and chasing down exciting new ideas for novels.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My mother, Cheryl Pesce, is the source of my love for storytelling. She’s a fellow English major and an educator. She has always understood the importance of stories, and when she saw that same understanding in me, she nurtured it.
As an example, when I was maybe 3 or 4 years old, I would stand on a stool in our kitchen and orate. For hours, I would tell theses stream of consciousness tales to a nonexistent audience. One day, my mother stopped and listened and decided that what I had to say was worth writing down. She transcribed one of my very first stories, and she still has the original copy today.
This was just one of the many moments in my life where my mother supported my writing journey ,and I’m so grateful for her ever-lasting encouragement.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The one that sticks out in my mind is Amy’s Eyes by Richard Kennedy. It’s a children’s book about a girl who turns into a doll, a doll who turns into a sea captain, and a swashbuckling tale with fantastical characters in search of treasure. It was such a strange, delightful story, and it made its mark on me. Even today, when I think back to that opening scene of a little sailor doll being left on the doorstep of an orphanage, it’s like I’m reading the book for the first time all over again.
- The one that made you want to become an author: This may be an odd answer, but it’s Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I also credit this back to my mother. When I was 10 or 11, we spent an afternoon marathoning Hamlet film adaptations. This was my first time experiencing Shakespeare. Over the course of that afternoon, my worldview was flipped on its head. I didn’t know that heroes could be so flawed, complex, and tragic. I didn’t know they could be conflicted to the point of madness. I was immediately inspired to write similar characters, and when you read my debut, you can see the seeds that Hamlet first planted bearing fruit.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, without a doubt. I remember the day I first read that book; and it truly was over the course of one day. I just couldn’t put it down. Every sentence was so impressively clever, the world building so creative, the story so deftly crafted. I was shocked by how good of a novel it was. I read it almost annually now, and every time, I’m left shaking my head in awe.
Your debut novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street, is out January 30th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Intrigue, Lush, Ambition, Consequences, Legacy
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a little bit of everything – mystery, extravagance, danger, a vibrant setting, 1920s revelry, a dash of romance – but more than that, I believe readers can expect flawed characters who make controversial choices for the sake of their own individual happiness. If you are someone who finds yourself pitying the villain more than the hero, then The Mayor of Maxwell Street will be perfect for you.
Where did the inspiration for The Mayor of Maxwell Street come from?
My initial inspiration came from a lot of early 2020s media. At the time, Black characters were being incorporated into settings that traditionally didn’t represent us. And while I appreciated the representation, I was hungry for a story that made us the primary narrative.
The secondary inspirations were the 1920s and the novel that embodies the era, The Great Gatsby. It’s a fascinating tale of wealth, intrigue, and the American Dream, and a narrative I thought primed for the Black experience.
From there, I set out to write a novel about the world of the original Black upper class awash in the bright lights of the ‘20s. And while that is still the core of what The Mayor of Maxwell Street strives to be, it is now so much more than a Gatsby retelling.
The Mayor of Maxwell Street became a story of the Great Migration, classism within the Black community, the corruption of the ‘20s, the diversity of Chicago, and the moral sacrifices we are forced to make when challenging this country’s status quo, especially when that status quo is being challenged.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The relationship between Nelly and Jay is one of the most fascinating dynamics in the novel. It is also very controversial. Those characters are impactful on their own, but together, things become complicated. I do consider theirs to be a kind of love story, but “love story” does not always mean “romance”.
Our main characters do love each other, but in the way that all young people love those who understand them for the first time. Nelly is drawn to Jay because he challenges her. He cares enough to take her seriously. Nelly is accustomed to being ignored, which is something Jay refuses to do, even when it’s in his best interest. And Jay loves Nelly because he sees in her that same brutal ambition that drives him. Nelly is a kindred spirit until the moment Jay goes too far. They both come to realize that they are still strangers to each other, and a moment’s connection may not be enough to sustain a lifetime.
With The Mayor of Maxwell Street set in the 1920s, can you tell us a bit about your research process?
What we uncover in research is often more outstanding than anything we could ever capture in fiction, especially when it comes to the 1920s.
The ‘20s were boozy, flashy, and provocative, but they were also pivotal. Through writers such as Isabel Wilkerson (The Warmth of Other Suns), I learned just how transitional this time was for Black Americans all across the country. Her accounting of the Great Migration took this period out of a not-so-distant past and made it profoundly present.
Another great source was Our Kind of People by the late Lawrence Otis Graham. It is a comprehensive history of the Black elite in this country, from its history, to its culture, to its customs and traditions.
Other sources that really helped me fill out this setting include: Ira Berkow’s Maxwell Street: Survival in a Bazaar, Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties by Lucy Moore, The Negro in Chicago: A Study of Race Relations and a Race Riot by The Chicago Commission on Race Relations, and The Original Black Elite: Daniel Murray and the Story of a Forgotten Era by Elizabeth Dowling Taylor.
I also need to shout out the fashion history blog vintagedancer.com and the Chicago history website, encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I entered my first short story contest when I was in elementary school, and I’ve referred to myself as an author since fourth grade. I’ve been on this road for as long as I can remember. However, even though this year has always been my ultimate goal, I arrived at it untraditionally. My debut sold on proposal; something that I didn’t know was even possible for a new author. The book was under contract almost two years before its release date. Seeing the industry from this perspective was a fascinating experience, and it proved that every writer’s journey to publication is different.
What’s next for you?
Nothing to announce yet, but stay tuned for another sweeping historical epic exploring the many facets of the Black experience in America.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
I have to recommend these upcoming fellow 2024 debuts. They’re all exceptional!
- The Blueprint by Rae Giana Rashad (02.13)
- Remember, Remember by Elle Machray (02.29)
- All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (4.02)
- While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi (04.16)
- When I Think of You by Myah Ariel (4.16)
- Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi (07.02)
- The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew (10.08)
