We chat with debut author Mary Liza Hartong about Love and Hot Chicken, which is a spicy and hilarious Tennessee story about family, friendship, fried chicken, and two girls in love.
Hi, Mary Liza! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I guess the first thing to know is I’m a native Nashvillian. After many years of living in vastly different climates—New Hampshire, Ireland, and New Orleans, namely—I moved back home to spend time with my family. On any given Sunday you can find me on my mom’s patio hobnobbing with her corgis and sharing a scoop of pimento cheese with my uncle.
What else? My friends would probably tell you I’m a ball of energy. If I’m not writing, I’m sewing, jogging, careening my car towards the nearest yard sale, or collecting knick knacks. I’m not very good at rest, but I am good at motion.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Both of my parents are natural storytellers. When I was a kid, they were constantly reading to us and telling us stories. From the very beginning, I was hooked. I started writing my own stuff around kindergarten—The Dogs Who Spy being my first “masterpiece”—and carried on from there. I remember in third grade the school cancelled the play. I said to my teachers, “If I write a play with parts for the whole grade can we perform it?” I’m sure they nodded demurely, thinking I’d never focus long enough to do it. But I did write it! The Land of Onteriok is probably still somewhere in my mom’s attic.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Chinese Siamese Cat by Amy Tan. I loved the illustrations and the story. When the book became a TV series on PBS I was an extremely devoted little viewer. It came on at 3:30, so we had to race home from school to make it in time.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Poetry 180 edited by Billy Collins. I remember in high school being so stunned—in a good way—by the array of voices and styles. It’s still among my most prized possessions.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Inn at Lake Divine by Elinor Lipman. It was the most charming, inventive book I’ve read in a long time.
Your debut novel, Love and Hot Chicken, is out February 20th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Uproarious, tender, southern, zany, uplifting
What can readers expect?
They can certainly expect to laugh! I did college improv, so I’m not afraid to throw in an extremely ridiculous simile or a reference to mullets. In terms of vibe, I often describe this book as “Schitt’s Creek meets the South” or a modern day Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café. It’s queer, it’s southern, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
Where did the inspiration for Love and Hot Chicken come from?
Oh, goodness. So many places! I was very into country music as a kid, especially the Sunday morning country music video countdown on CMT. A wonderful aspect of the genre is its willingness to be playful. Simply put, a lot of country music is funny. You’ve got Brad Paisley’s song “Online” which pokes fun at catfishing and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” by Joe Nichols, to name a few. When I set out to write a novel, I decided I wanted to do something in the spirit of these goofy country songs.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Truth be told, I really let myself run wild and have fun with this book. In particular, I let myself go wild with the foods (Zebra Cakes, Bunny Bread, casseroles) and physical descriptions. I think there’s something so funny about specificity. Reba, Dillard’s, Krystal, Goo Goos, Randy Travis, etc. I decided to throw in all kinds of things that reminded me of my experience growing up.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I didn’t know much when I started this process, but my sister gave me a wonderful book called Before and After the Book Deal which really helped lay out the steps to publishing.
In terms of the book itself, I started with a 44,000 word draft. If you think the book is weird now, you should have seen it then. Agents kept telling me, “You’ve got to make it longer.” So, I set about adding on and querying until I felt like I’d gotten at little better at it. Eventually, I landed an agent. I could tell right away that she understood what made the book tick and what could make it better. We went through two or three revisions together as she started sending the book out to editors. Have I mentioned this process is a long one?
When people come up to me at parties saying they’ve written a book or they want to write a book, I always implore them to be tough. Not patient. Tough. It takes eons to get a book published, so you have to be stern in the face of critics. Every time someone told me Love and Hot Chicken was a long shot, I thought, “Just you wait.” I’m glad I trusted myself instead of the critics.
What’s next for you?
My latest project is still in the southern and zany orbit, but more of a coming of age story. I’ve been diving into my teenage journals for inspiration—man, did I want an iPod!—and revisiting those big emotions that come with being fifteen and sixteen.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
I’m super excited about Marie-Helene Bertino’s new book, Beautyland. I was blown away by 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas—gorgeous writing!—and absolutely have to snag a copy of the new book ASAP.
