Now that the Sopranos is over, don’t go forgetting about how much you love all that is good, bad, ugly and odd about New Jersey! Despite the beating it takes as marginal step-child of Manhattan, neighboring New Jersey has loads to offer visitors and residents alike. And a new anthology from Touchstone sets out to prove just that: Living on the Edge of the World: New Jersey Writers Take on the Garden State is a literary tribute to the abused (but dearly loved) third state.
Anthology editor Irina Reyn originally hails from Russia, but spent her formative years growing up in the Garden State. Her short stories, essays and book criticisms have appeared in anthologies and publications such as Post Road, Nextbook, Ballyhoo Stories, The Forward, San Francisco Chronicle and The Moscow Times. After reading the book (and reconnecting with my own Jersey roots) I contacted Irina to chat more about the state and this unique collection of stories:
So, how does someone who was born in Russia and currently splits her time between Pittsburgh and Brooklyn wind up editing an anthology about stories from New Jersey?
My parents and I moved to Fair Lawn, New Jersey when I was fifteen years old, and I stayed on at Rutgers University for four more years, so I think some of my more seminal years were spent in New Jersey. It is this unique outsider/insider perspective that enabled me to edit this book.
Can you tell our readers a little bit about some of the essays and authors who have contributed?
Yes, I was thrilled to have enticed some great writers who have already spent part of their literary careers thinking about New Jersey. There’s Frederick Reiken, for example, whose novel The Lost Legends of New Jersey I’ve admired, as well as James Kaplan who first came to my attention after I read his fabulous novel Two Guys from Verona. Joshua Braff, Lucinda Rosenfeld and Lauren Grodstein were also writing fiction set in or that was indirectly about New Jersey. So for my anthology, I tried to get these authors to tackle the subject of New Jersey more directly, in nonfiction. So Rick Reiken writes about living in a high-rise in Fort Lee during his parents’ separation, Josh Braff demystifies that particular allure of the Jersey Girl, Lauren Grodstein considers the town of Camden (the most dangerous city in the country, they say), where she teaches writing at Rutgers-Camden. The combination of all the essays paints a fascinating picture of the Garden State.
Many of these stories are very personal perspectives on the author’s relationship with a certain place – towns like Hoboken, Jersey City, Camden, Hillside. But what are some of the universal “Jersey themes” that you think run through this varied group of essays?
I think you will definitely find links between the essays. One common idea I think corroborates what I write in my introduction-that the “edge of the world” is more crucial for me than any center. I think Lucinda, Dani Shapiro, Tom Perrotta, Cathi Hanauer and others say that it is growing up in New Jersey, as observers on the fringe, so to speak, that enabled them to become writers. Another interesting connection between the pieces is a surprising sense of danger-we think of New Jersey as comfortably (perhaps blandly) safe, but as The Sopranos showed us, and as Gaiutra, Dani, Liz Keenan, Rick Reiken and Adam Lowenstein prove, New Jersey has a dark side not always evident to the casual observer. And I think a strand of real affection for the state runs through the pieces as well.
Although the stories in this collection focus primarily on living in New Jersey, and not visiting it (as a tourist destination) do you think this book could inspire someone who has written NJ off as the “armpit of America” to make a visit?
I certainly hope so. The best piece to begin with is Kathleen DeMarco’s “The Family Farm,” where she reminds us of the gorgeous and vast acres of preserved land in Southwest New Jersey. Her descriptions of cranberry farming takes one’s breath away and really makes you want to see that part of the state. We often forget that the moniker “Garden State” is not ironic-that New Jersey is one of the leading blueberry and cranberry producers in the country, not to mention famous for its tomatoes. I think this book really makes you want to visit the Pine Barrens, the Jersey shore (for those who’ve never been). I think this book shows that New Jersey is a much more interesting and varied landscape than most people give it credit for.
In his story, “New Jersey: The Movie” Adam Lowenstein describes the state as a place, “…with more roads to drive through than destinations that can be reached.” But we know there are surely things accessible and worth stopping to see in NJ! What are some places or must-have experiences that you would suggest to folks traveling to (or through) NJ?
I think he means that more metaphorically. But absolutely! The shore is a must, but I would suggest the quieter beaches. I love Spring Lake and Sea Girt, Tuckerton and Long Beach Island. Cape May is its own world, with an almost European-style beauty. I go to Lambertville several times a year and actually prefer it to its neighbor, New Hope, Pennsylvania; in Lambertville you can stroll to some great restaurants, antique, independent wine and book stores. Princeton, of course, is a day trip on its own, Montclair, Ridgewood and Metuchen are all sophisticated towns. I always have a soft spot for New Brunswick, which is in the midst of an on-going cultural renaissance. Hoboken is not considered “real” New Jersey by New Jerseyans, but its easy access from New York City makes it the ideal place to jaunt when one needs a break from Manhattan.
Lots of good suggestions there, thanks. Where else do you like to travel? Do you return to your native Russia often? What are some other places (anywhere in the world) that you have been to or enjoy visiting?
I’m heading to Moscow and Paris this summer, but I also love traveling in the U.S. and Canada. This past year, I’ve been to Toronto, Chicago, Seattle, Cleveland, Charlottesville, Virginia. And of course, New Jersey! My husband and I have family and friends to visit, so it feels like we’re in New Jersey every other week during the summers.
You mention in your introduction that you wish you could have included essays on towns like Asbury Park, Cape May, Newark, Paterson or Trenton. Do you think a second volume of stories could emerge as a future project?
I’m still excited at the prospect of readers discovering this book!
Oops! Yes, sorry to rush things. Well, can you tell us about upcoming projects that you are working on? And are any of them travel or place-related in some way?
I have a novel coming out next year called What Happened to Anna K. The novel transposes the Anna Karenina story onto the Russian and Bukharian Jewish immigrant community in Queens, New York. I also have a short story out in a wonderful literary journal called One Story, which is set in Warsaw. And the novel I’m working on now is partially set in New Jersey! Place is a crucial element in my fiction-it is often where I begin when thinking about a new story.
Thanks for talking with us Irina! We hope to help spread the word about this well-done tribute to New Jersey. And best of luck with your other writing projects.
Gadling readers: You can hear Irina and Living on the Edge contributors read from their stories at two upcoming events. There will be a reading tomorrow night, June 14, at Symposia in Hoboken. Or head to Mo Pitkins on Monday, June 18, for their evening Reading Room series event.