Pop Closer: Interview with Lev Grossman
Are you a fan of Lev Grossman’s immersive and dark novels? Then check out our interview with Lev and read about his working process, influences, and favorites.
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Get to Know Lev Grossman Closer
Lev Grossman is one of the most beloved contemporary novelists who is most known for his #1 New York Times bestselling The Magicians a darkly immersive fantasy book trilogy that was turned into a successful and thrilling series also titled The Magicians.
“If there’s a single lesson that life teaches us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so.”
, The Magicians
Lev has also been working as a journalist and you can even watch a movie he wrote titled The Map of Tiny Perfect Things which is a charming contemporary romance fantasy story about two teens who relive the same day over and over again and create a map so they can remember things.
Lev’s newest young adult horror fantasy short novel titled Persephone is a part of the Into Shadow anthology (Book 2 of 7) that’s a quick but fun and emotional read about a young girl who suddenly gains superpowers after suppressing her emotions for too long. Fans can enjoy the story both in Kindle Edition and as an Audiobook.
He also published a new fantasy novel The Golden Swift in 2022 which is a sequel to Lev’s popular YA fantasy novel The Silver Arrow. So, fans of Kate and Tom can go on a new and adventure-filled magical adventure.
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A big-big THANK YOU to Mr. Grossman for doing the interview.
You can also follow Lev on Twitter or check out his site levgrossman.com.
Lev Grossman Interview
What inspired your story?
I went through a period of being completely obsessed with The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I loved the idea of writing something in a similar style but in more of a fantasy vein. I ended up with a story that’s a little bit like The Fault in Our Stars but instead of cancer the characters have superpowers.
What would you like to express/achieve with your work?
Oof. I try not to think too hard about that. I hope my work means something to people, and that they find something consoling in it. Also I hope it’s fun.
How do you do your research?
Usually I do it by spending literal months reading archives and scientific journals and Wikipedia. But in the case of this story it’s set in the town where I grew up, and the characters have made-up powers, so research was minimal.
How did you start writing?
I noodled around with stories when I was in high school. It wasn’t till I was in college and I read Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf, that I realized that I wanted to write for a living. Then I spent the next 10 years totally failing to write for a living.
As a reader and art lover, do you have any book, movie, or music recommendations you’re excited about?
Oh, loads of them. Just in terms of recent books, Blitz by Daniel O’Malley is absolutely magnificent – I wish I could write about superpowers the way he does. And In Memoriam by Alice Winn, which is coming out in the spring, is going to break everybody’s hearts. It’s about English schoolboys fighting in World War I.
What kind of music do you listen to while writing?
For years I would listen to Metric whenever I got stuck, especially their album Synthetica. Lately I just listen to classical music, especially Philip Glass. It helps if there are no lyrics – if someone’s singing words while I write I just get confused.
What other artists/writers influenced you as a kid?
So many. C.S. Lewis. Fritz Leiber. Anne McCaffrey. Ursula Leguin. Larry Niven. Daniel Pinkwater. Like most writers I read all the time as a kid.
What is the best and most challenging part of being a writer?
I think the hardest part is revising. My early drafts are very very bad, and it takes a lot of rewriting – like 20 or 30 times – before I get to anything that’s remotely publishable.
The best part is when people read your work and it makes a difference in their lives.
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why?
Flight. I’m just being honest here, no points for originality. I don’t even know why, I just feel like you’d never get tired of it.
Do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations your fans should know about?
I’m within inches of finishing a book about King Arthur that I’ve been working on for years and years. Also I’m getting ready to try to sell a comic book that I’m collaborating on with my friend Lilah Sturges, who’s an incredible writer. It’s space opera — lots of lasers and robots. It’s going to be epic. Hopefully.
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Thank you for reading!
