The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire #117: Maris Kreizman
"I wanted to write about my own political awakening from a personal perspective, and hope that readers will identify with it."
Since 2010, in various publications, I’ve interviewed authors—mostly memoirists—about aspects of writing and publishing. Initially I did this for my own edification, as someone who was struggling to find the courage and support to write and publish my memoir. I’m still curious about other authors’ experiences, and I know many of you are, too. So, inspired by the popularity of The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire, I’ve launched The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire.
Here’s the 117th installment, featuring Maris Kreizman, author most recently of I Want to Burn This Place Down: Essays. -Sari Botton
P.S. Check out all the interviews in The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire series.
Maris Kreizman is an essayist and columnist for Literary Hub whose work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, the WSJ, Vanity Fair, and GQ, and more. She hosted The Maris Review, an intimate author interview podcast, from 2018 to 2023, and it now continues as a newsletter. A former board member of the National Book Critics Circle, she has served as a judge for the annual NBCC Awards as well as for the NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her books.
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How old are you, and for how long have you been writing?
I’m 46, and I’ve been writing for about 16 years. Before that I thought I was going to be a book editor, and so I never really tried to write for myself.
What’s the title of your latest book, and when was it published?
I Want to Burn This Place Down. It’s being published today, July 1.
What number book is this for you?
Two.
I Want to Burn This Place Down is an angry yet hopeful middle finger to so many of the goals for which I seemingly have always been striving. It's about all of the broken systems that I once thought were working for me and for others, and all of the liberal myths I held onto tightly like facts. I got sick of the media pushing this narrative that we all grow increasingly conservative as we age, and I wanted to speak for the rest of us who’ve moved further to the left than ever, and are dreaming bigger now than we did when we were kids.
How do you categorize your book—as a memoir, memoir-in-essays, essay collection, creative nonfiction, graphic memoir, autofiction—and why?
It’s a memoir in essays, broken down by topic. I wanted to write about my own political awakening from a personal perspective, and hope that readers will identify with it.
What is the “elevator pitch” for your book?
I Want to Burn This Place Down is an angry yet hopeful middle finger to so many of the goals for which I seemingly have always been striving. It's about all of the broken systems that I once thought were working for me and for others, and all of the liberal myths I held onto tightly like facts. I got sick of the media pushing this narrative that we all grow increasingly conservative as we age, and I wanted to speak for the rest of us who’ve moved further to the left than ever, and are dreaming bigger now than we did when we were kids.
What’s the back story of this book including your origin story as a writer? How did you become a writer, and how did this book come to be?
I always knew I wanted to make books for a living, but I thought I’d be better off behind the scenes. For the first years of my career I was very happy to be an editor. And then I was laid off from my job and couldn’t find a new one in book publishing and social media was gaining in popularity. The more I developed my voice on Tumblr and Twitter, the more I realized I liked to express my own damn opinions! That gave me the confidence to start freelance writing, which led to criticism, which led to wanting to write this book.
What were the hardest aspects of writing this book and getting it published?
I’ve worked in and around books for nearly 25 years, which is just to say I know how the encased meat gets encased. I know how difficult it is for a book to succeed. So it was tough to not get into my head about it. Good thing my agent, Sarah Burnes, is the best.
I always knew I wanted to make books for a living, but I thought I’d be better off behind the scenes. For the first years of my career I was very happy to be an editor. And then I was laid off from my job and couldn’t find a new one in book publishing and social media was gaining in popularity. The more I developed my voice on Tumblr and Twitter, the more I realized I liked to express my own damn opinions! That gave me the confidence to start freelance writing, which led to criticism, which led to wanting to write this book.
How did you handle writing about real people in your life? Did you use real or changed names and identifying details? Did you run passages or the whole book by people who appear in the narrative? Did you make changes they requested?
I changed some names, but for the most part I was pretty accurate. My husband read a ton of different drafts of this book, and he didn’t ask me for any changes.
Who is another writer you took inspiration from in producing this book? Was it a specific book, or their whole body of work? (Can be more than one writer or book.)
Recollections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnit was a really excellent reminder that the intersection of the personal and the political is a great place to explore.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to publish a book like yours, who are maybe afraid, or intimidated by the process?
You’ll never know if you don’t try.
What do you love about writing?
I love that the only person in charge when I’m facing the blank page is me. At least for the first draft. It’s really freeing to know you can do whatever you want.
What frustrates you about writing?
How it’s become so devalued. Look at freelance rates. I have been freelancing for more than 15 years and I never got a raise! And I’m worried about enormous companies taking books to train their AI.
What about writing surprises you?
I often have the thing where it feels impossible to translate the thoughts in my head onto the page, but sometimes I’ll write something and realize that I was able to do just that.
I’ve worked in and around books for nearly 25 years, which is just to say I know how the encased meat gets encased. I know how difficult it is for a book to succeed. So it was tough to not get into my head about it. Good thing my agent, Sarah Burnes, is the best.
Does your writing practice involve any kind of routine, or writing at specific times?
I never thought I’d be a morning person. Too many fun things going on at night. But I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that morning is when my head is clearest and I can be the most productive.
Do you engage in any other creative pursuits, professionally or for fun? Are there non-writing activities you consider to be “writing” or supportive of your process?
Walking my dog is a big part of my writing process. It’s thinking time. Karaoke is part of my writing process because it… gets me in touch with my emotions?
What’s next for you? Do you have another book planned, or in the works?
I have an idea for one that I’m hoping to develop a little bit more. Stay tuned!
What an epic cover. Hope the book is a roaring (as in burning fire) 🔥 success.
Something about the mornings provide so much clarity for writing.
Added this book to my to-read list Maris!