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Sat #Breaky #ObeyLee #Arlington #Ihatebrunch

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Published on January 18, 2014 06:18

Forget the past, you can’t change it. #Notesfrommom

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Published on January 13, 2014 15:10

Five Questions for NITS Author Michele Harris

An insidious parasite is working its way through the suburbs of Washington, D.C. NITS follows the trail of a virulent outbreak of head lice as it wreaks havoc on the lives of a social climbing mother of a scholarship student, a buff young Latin teacher, and a controlling do-gooder who is so consumed with exterminating the pests, people start calling her the “Lice Nazi.” A social satire with bite, NITS explores the themes of class, ambition, and the unavoidable interconnectedness of modern life.

1. NITS has complex, human characters that can be hard to like at times. How do you as an author handle writing about these flawed personalities?

One of the themes I wanted to explore in NITS is the idea of groups and belonging. In today’s very diverse culture, it is extremely easy to make judgments about people or groups of people based on their beliefs or their personality flaws or even their nationality/ethnicity. Oftentimes, the first things we see about people is how different they are. But really, so many of those differences are superficial. The key is to recognize that and give people a chance to show who they are.

That’s what I tried to do with these characters. You see their flaws almost immediately, and hopefully, because they are drawn with humor, you laugh and stick with them until something touching or human or dare I say, likable is revealed about them, and instead of distaste, you feel empathy.

Besides that … flawed characters are lots of fun to write about. Getting into the heads of Mary Ellen, Wenn and Pups was a treat for me.

2. Why is the location of the Washington D.C. suburbs so instrumental to the social commentary within NITS?

I grew up in this area so I definitely understand how it ticks. I’ve worked in media, public relations, and political causes from both sides of the aisle and I’ve raised three children in this environment.

Of course, there is no place on earth where having head lice is something to brag about, but in a town as hung up on appearances as Washington, D.C., the shame of having something so common and so disgusting is magnified. In typical Washington fashion, these characters don’t just deal with the lice, they think tank them, they rally against them, they attempt to legislate them to extinction and they sneak around trying to outsmart them.

3. Do you relate to any of the NITS characters on a personal level? Have any favorites?

On a personal level, I probably relate to Mary Ellen and Pups the most. As a mom, I’ve lived through more than my fair share of lice outbreaks. I know the dread that comes over you when you get that infamous letter informing you that your child needs to be checked and I know the shame of having to pick kids up from school because they were found to be “carriers.” Once you’ve gone through it, you’ll never try on a hat in a store or borrow someone else’s hair brush ever again!

4. The brand Tory plays a prominent role within NITS, can you reflect on why that is?

Some people dress themselves and others, like Mary Ellen see clothing as form of expression. In Mary Ellen’s case, it’s really more like costuming herself because she goes to great lengths to build a look that an average middle-class mother of four couldn’t easily afford. She really worships all things style and fashion related. The mirror image T’s of the Tory Burch icon was the perfect representation of that–a very beautiful gold cross. I also happen to like the brand quite a bit. (Unlike Mary Ellen, I always wait for it to go on sale!)

As a really funny and ironic aside, shortly before publishing NITS, one of my daughters started working at the new Tory Burch store in Georgetown so now I can get Tory at a sizable discount! My other daughter works at the restaurant 1789, the fancy place above the Tombs where Wenn Mann and Elizabeth share that provocative plate of mussels. I feel like NITS is coming to life in a weird way.

5. What is next for you?

I’m working on another satire. It’s a multi-generational look at the celebrity culture. I’m really excited about getting to know a whole new group of flawed but ultimately lovable characters and I hope my readers will too!

Author Bio

Michele Harris is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she earned a BFA in film production. She has written and produced video and film projects for government, corporate and non-profit organizations. She currently works as a reporter for a national monthly publication, covering arts, books, food and culture. She is the mother of three grown children and has had her share of run-ins with head lice!