A huge thanks goes to Daria Snadowsky for taking the time to let me conduct this interview over email!

See my reviews of Anatomy of a Single Girl and Anatomy of a Boyfriend here.

Q: What inspired the series? Why write the books with such forthrightness and honesty?

A: Thank you! I’m asked this question a lot, so here’s my standard reply:

I remember my first hall meeting during freshman year of college–we were introducing ourselves and discovering that nearly half of us had boyfriends from high school. Then by the following semester, almost everyone had dumped or been dumped by her high school sweetheart. So I wanted to focus on that part of a girl’s life when she’s simultaneously excited for and scared of how college will change things. In the book, Dominique, the protagonist, says, “I used to think of college acceptance letters as emancipation proclamations. Now they’re like divorce papers.”

It was important to me to write a straightforward, nonjudgmental treatment of the emotional roller coaster of love. I resent that all of the words associated with romantic love are so pejorative. We’re often called “nuts,” “obsessed,” “head over heels,” “infatuated,” and “addicted”. Why is love saddled with such negative words considering that any one of us, no matter how brainy, sane, or logical, can feel this way? The Anatomy books concern a girl whose intelligence is above average but still longs uncontrollably for her crush. Her behaviors may seem crazy, but in truth what she’s experiencing couldn’t be more natural and human.

Q: The many breakups in the books were absolutely refreshing. But why not allow your protagonist to ride off into the sunset with her prince charming?

A: My aim was realism. Although I know people who ended up deliriously happy with their high school sweethearts, I know many more who did not.  And by and large that’s a good thing.  Breakups are excruciating and humbling, but they can also be empowering.  Rejection forces us to face and overcome our deepest fears and insecurities, and it gives us a greater capacity for compassion.  To me, happily ever after doesn’t have to include a significant other…it can be about feeling fulfilled on your own.

Q: What’s your dream cast for Anatomy and Anatomy?

A: Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with young talent today, so I’d cast teen versions of the following actors:

Dom:  Emma Stone

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Amy:  Christina Ricci

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Wes: Paul Bettany

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Guy:  Jason Segel

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Calvin: Michael Cera

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Q: Who are your favourite YA authors?

A: Judy Blume, Judy Blume, and Judy Blume.  Did I mention Judy Blume?  Her books basically got me through adolescence, and I dedicated Anatomy of a Boyfriend to her.

Q: When you were in high school, did you know that you were going to write a book? What did you want to be?

A: Gosh, no.  I thought I’d be a journalist or a professor.  I didn’t begin writing until after college and I got laid off as a magazine editor.  I wrote the first draft of Anatomy of a Boyfriend in the year and a half between losing my job and starting law school.

Q: Can you tell us 3 random facts about yourself?

A: 1) I used to be obsessed with Anthony Hopkins.  That’s not an exaggeration.  You can read about it here.

2) I wrote my college thesis on Ang Lee just so I could have an excuse to watchSense and Sensibility over and over again.

3) Forgive me, but I enjoy movies more than books.

Q: If you could take five things with you onto a deserted island, what would they  be?

A: A sonar power generator, a smoothie maker, my computer, sunblock, and a satellite phone.

Q: What are you working on next?

A: I have nothing to report on at the moment, but you can preview the first three chapters of Anatomy of a Single Girl here.

I’ll keep you posted,