Ashley, Fredrick’s wAgent (wife agent) here: I recently sat down with debut novelist Fredrick Soukup (i.e., what I do every day) to talk about his forthcoming novel BLISS. Here’s how our—somewhat awkward—conversation went.
Ashley: Hello, Mike*, ahem, I mean Fredrick.
Fredrick: Thank you for having me here, um, in our kitchen.
Ashley: Shhh! Come on, pretend I’m a literary blogger and tell me about yourself and where the inspiration for your book came from.
Fredrick: Okay… My middle class upbringing in northern Minnesota taught me as much about urban living as it did poverty—almost nothing. In 2011, I moved to Saint Paul; the year and a half I spent working at the Juvenile Detention Center led me to some insights about impoverished urban communities and, in contrast, affluent ones. The disconnects between socioeconomically and, of times, racially divided communities was the theme that guided me through Bliss.
Ashley: I’ve read BLISS, well, several times, and each time I’m drawn into the main character, Connor’s, struggle living between two worlds. Tell me about this tension.
Fredrick: Connor’s cynicism toward his upper middle class environment, which he finds sedated and superficial, inspires him to make a radical choice. After college in Minnesota, he forgoes medical school and moves to a struggling neighborhood in inner-city Chicago, where he falls in love with Danielle, a woman uncompromisingly devoted to her underprivileged neighborhood. He soon finds himself caught between two lives, one of luxury, security, and connections and one of spontaneity, danger, and passion. The former he does not want and the latter he cannot have because the woman he loves is too skeptical of his commitment to her world to love him back wholeheartedly.
Ashley: Describe BLISS in 6 words or less.
Fredrick: Confused man falls for unconfused woman.
Ashley: Why did you name the book BLISS?
Fredrick: The title is ironic. Ultimately, Bliss is about the often times hazardous pursuit of personal connection and overall happiness in America. Also, the title connotes marital bliss, which we all know is a hoax.
Ashley: …
Fredrick: Just kidding about that last part.
Ashley: Moving on. I personally love how the book features several strong women characters, especially Danielle and Vanessa, his old girlfriend in Minnesota (folks, you’ll have to read the book to learn how these relationships play out). Where does their strength come from?
Fredrick: Danielle’s strength comes from two places: her faith in God and her certainty about her purpose in life. She doesn’t have the same type of existential concerns about her vocation that Connor has about his. And she rarely struggles to discern who she is and what she wants.
Vanessa’s strength, too, comes from her compassion. As a social worker, she’s dedicated to assisting those on her caseload. However, unlike Danielle, she has doubts about whether she’s doing everything she can and she struggles to separate her work life and personal life.
Ashley: Why should people read your book?
Fredrick: I did not play it safe when it comes to the novel’s themes: racial differences, income inequality, materialism. I hope that readers find Connor, Danielle, and Vanessa captivating and the overall novel both compelling and thought-provoking.
For more on Fredrick’s debut novel, BLISS, subscribe to his blog and follow him on Facebook to keep in the loop on upcoming launch events.
*Fredrick is my husband, but I call him by his middle name, Mike.