I wanted to write a character who longed to immerse herself completely in her work, since I was so often drawn out of mine. While working on my debut novel, The Butterfly Effect, I wanted to create a strong Midwestern woman who didn’t really care for social niceties. By deliberately complicating societal expectation of a Midwestern main character, a writer can disrupt the narrative-and its reception by critics. Writing a book set in the Midwest, it’s impossible not to consider “niceness” as part of the equation. Performing “niceness” is nearly impossible to live up to when your rights, worldview, or livelihood are questioned. Wallace finds himself forever under the petty judgements of the predominantly white people around him. student from the south moves to a Midwestern university town. Take Real Life, by Brandon Taylor, in which a gay, black Ph.D. “Midwest niceness” is a convenient social salve, but it often favors and is most performed by those in the majority.
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