Katie asked Julia Phillips:

Hi Julia, I just finished your novel, and I (along with the rest of my bookclub) absolutely adored it. While I thoroughly enjoyed every story, the one that stuck out to me the most and will stay with me for a while was "New Year's". I NEED to know more about Masha, or women like her. Any chance you would expand on any of your character's stories? Also, is there any queer Russian fiction that you would recommend?

Julia Phillips Katie, thank you (and your book club!) so, so much for reading. It means a great deal to me that you connected with Lada and Masha's story. I don't expect to expand on any of the characters in this novel, but I think about them all and imagine them living past what's on the pages here. It makes me happy to picture them as real people in the world.

What a great question about queer Russian fiction. "Wings" by Mikhail Kuzmin is a classic, and "Russian Beauty" by Victor Erofeyev is more contemporary. In addition, I personally love Masha Gessen's nonfiction writing about queerness in Russia. Their reporting is always superb.

flag