webslog asked Jennifer Egan:

I'm immediately struck by how firmly you nail telling details about the places in which the two novels are set, and the ephemera ... Eddie's running down the list of card games he knows how to play, or Anna's collecting Raleigh coupons. Was this a product of deep research specifically related to the book? (novelturgy?) Or were you starting from a built-on love and acquired knowledge of the period. Thanks!

Jennifer Egan Thanks so much for the kind words, Web--and for reading at all! I knew almost nothing about the period when I began, and the research I did was extensive: first, I spent about 5 years interviewing elderly people with good memories while I also worked on other books: from about 2005-2009. Then, when I began to actually writing MB in 2012, and knew more clearly WHAT I needed to know, I researched both systematically and serendipitously; for example, the Raleigh coupons came from a small physical brochure I was able to buy on eBay that listed the various possible coupon purchases. It was a deep immersion, and tremendously nourishing in that it woke up the past for me and made me feel more deeply connected to the history that has shaped my own life. Next I'm thinking of tackling the 19th Century!! Thank you again...and all best, Jenny

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