ingrid johnnson asked Jennifer Egan:

How do you choose the names of your characters? While reading Manhattan Beach I was drawn to the name Dexter Styles, and I'm curious how you found this name. (Also...you might enjoy this, I am in a book club in Berlin (Germany), and we will be discussing your book this Wednesday.)

Jennifer Egan Hi Ingrid, good to hear from you! I will be in Germany on a book tour in September--will certainly be in Berlin! As to names, I find that they either come to me instantaneously or else are slow to arrive. Usually it is the former, and that was true with Dexter Styles--the name came to me and felt indelible. The fact that the name sounds fake became a curious factor to incorporate into the plot as it evolved. One funny thing about names in MANHATTAN BEACH: Anna's younger sister was named Elsa when I began this book. When the movie FROZEN came out and immortalized that combination of sister names, I realized that I would have to change Elsa's name. It was incredibly difficult to do so, and I went through many names before I arrived at Lydia, which finally--phew--began to feel like her real name. Thanks **so much** to you and your book club for reading!!!

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