We chat with author Lauren Kuhl about The Art of Pretend, which is a tantalising debut about a woman drawn into the orbit of her friend’s wealthy artist family in New York City and the complications and consequences that arise when she embarks on a secret relationship with the golden-boy older brother.
What was the inspiration behind The Art of Pretend?
I had a loose vision of the novel back in 2014, and though I didn’t start writing it until years later, this concept of “pretending” and the price of belonging stayed with me. I thought of friends and acquaintances who perceived my PR job as “glamorous” but how it only looked that way and how this form of pretending seemed to inform the New York experience for others. I also considered the boundary between the people attending those events, and the people working them, and what it might look like if those lines were blurred.
What was it like writing your first novel during the pandemic?
Initially it was the greatest gift and respite from the rampant anxiety and nightmare that became our lives. It’s never lost on me what a privilege it was to be able to turn inward during that time. For the first six months, I didn’t allow myself to believe I was creating anything of actual substance. It felt like playing. I was able to write all these bad drafts (and there were many) and see how the story evolved without being too hard on myself. Of course, perfectionism entered the frame later and I learned an important lesson about writing and creativity. To quote Betsy Chester, one of my dearest friends (and incredibly talented lighting designer): “It’s never finished, it’s just f*cking done.” You can tinker with something forever, but eventually, it’s important to move on. (I still remind myself of this, because perfectionism is a tricky little monster.)
What was it like writing unlikeable characters? How did you go about rationalizing their bad behaviors?
I stand by that no matter how unlikeable a character is, if you ground them in their humanity and their desire for the most basic human needs, like giving and receiving love, people will try to sympathize and understand them. With Ren, this was rooted in her character’s estrangement from her family. Almost all of her relationships and actions are informed by this sense of rejection. The same also applies to Etta and Archer. While they seem to have everything (and in terms of material gains and financial security, they do!), they’re still searching for acceptance and belonging. In an ironic twist, this elusive longing is what unites Ren, Etta and Archer the most.
Importance of music in writing “The Art of Pretend”
Music was extremely integral in writing “The Art of Pretend.” I find it can be a helpful tool for setting a mood, or at least providing inspiration. If I was ever having trouble accessing a character’s emotions, I sometimes found it helpful to project my own onto them (could we call this method writing?!) I found myself listening to “All Eyes On You” by St. Lucia on repeat because I listened to it so often on when I was heartbroken, often on the uptown 1 train, oddly enough; needless to say, this song in particular was critical during the latter scenes of the novel. I also listened to a lot of LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire and Florence & The Machine.
If Ren, Archer and Etta each had a theme song, what would it be?
Ren is “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. Read the last page of the novel and I dare you to think otherwise. Archer is a cross between “The Archer” by Taylor Swift and Lykke Li’s “Rich Kids Blues,” two songs that strike the balance between someone who wants love but is also their own worst enemy. And Etta always makes me think of “Dream Girl Evil” by Florence & The Machine. The lyrics are fairly self-explanatory.
