Author Q&A: A.K. Pittman, Author of Pudge and Prejudice
I have a special treat for you today! Our first-ever author Q&A is with A.K. Pittman, whose delightful Young Adult retelling of Pride and Prejudice came out from Tyndale’s Wander imprint in January.
Pudge and Prejudice is a wryly witty take on Jane Austen’s beloved classic, set among Texas high school students in the 1980s. While adhering to the spirit and structure of the original, Pittman has taken some fun liberties with the story as well. (Don’t miss what she does with the names and qualities of the Northenfield Texas High School football players; it took me a moment to catch on, but when I did, I lost it!) A high school teacher as well as an accomplished writer, Pittman was uniquely suited to transpose this tale to the teenage world.
Q: There are all kinds of possible settings for a Pride & Prejudice retelling. What made you choose the 1980s? Also, why did you decide to make it YA?
A: I wanted to write for the YA market for a while, and the idea of adapting a classic seemed like a great way to do it. I’ve been in a high school environment for the vast majority of my life, and have always loved the subculture there. As for why the ’80s—well, for today’s teens, that’s historical. I was a teenager in the ’80s, so I know that decade. I loved that decade. Moving the story into the past meant keeping some of the same courting rituals used in the original text. Visits to homes. Letters. Conversations. Also, the music is awesome.
Q: What was the most fun part about going back to the ’80s? Were there things about the period that you had forgotten and had to research to get back up to speed?
A: Oh, a ton! Mostly little things, like—was that show on in 1984, specifically? Had that album released yet? There remains some controversy in that area over the Cotton-Eye Joe. In my original draft, I had the family sitting around watching “The Cosby Show.” I have them getting a VCR for Christmas, and that was a huge deal for any family. (Before that, we rented the VCR along with the movies from Blockbuster.) The most fun was being free from smart phones and chat rooms and Instagram while maintaining a modern setting of telephones and TV.
Q: Your heroine, Elyse, refers to herself as “the fat sister.” She says her weight doesn’t bother her, and it usually doesn’t seem to, but there are moments when the criticism of others clearly hurts. What are some of the truths about body image and self-acceptance that you hope readers will take away from her story?
A: High school is such a paradox: wanting simultaneously to be noticed and to blend in. You don’t want too much attention, but you don’t want to be invisible, either. It’s so tricky, being noticed for the right reasons while hoping your flaws (even your perceived flaws) fly under the radar. Elyse’s moments of hurt come when what she wants to hide comes out into the light. Not her weight so much as the way she feels about her body.
I want readers to come away knowing that body image has nothing to do with body size. Self-acceptance is the foundation of strength. If you cannot see a way to love yourself, you’re going to be blind to the way others love you. Transformation isn’t a matter of physical change, it’s re-positioning of your mind and your heart—which, I think, is super hard to do alone. Trust the foundational love in your life. For Elyse, that’s her sister Jayne (and even, oddly enough, Lydia). See yourself through their eyes, and love yourself the same way.
Q: For Elyse and Jayne—and for Elizabeth and Jane in the original story—where do you think their difference from the rest of their family, and their sense of self-worth, come from?
A: I think Lydia was just so exhausting, their parents just gave them over to their own pursuits. Seriously, though, as the older sisters—Jane especially—the responsibility of making a good match and paving the way for all the sisters to follow would have been such a burden, and one to be taken seriously. The younger sisters would have been somewhat insulated from that. Plus, in the original, the family was in a financial crisis, and the older girls weren’t spared any of that conversation. In Pudge, Jayne and Elyse carry the greatest burden of re-homing in a new town. Nobody else has the same pressure to make a place in their world.
Q: What’s the best part of writing a Jane Austen takeoff? What’s the hardest or most intimidating part?
A: Not going to lie … the best part was knowing what was going to happen next from chapter to chapter. Like having a divine outline from beyond. The hardest? Worrying about pleasing all of the Austenites out there who know and love this story so much. It’s a balancing act to stay true to the original while creating something completely new.
Q: You’ve done creative and interesting things with some of the characters—for instance, making Collin (Mr. Collins) a rather good-natured and put-upon boyfriend to an exacting Lottie (Charlotte). How did you decide which characters would be pretty much true to the originals, and which ones you wanted to play around with?
A: I had to think about filling all of the high school clichés. The jocks, the nerds, the freaks, the geeks … and whatever Collin is. I really dislike writing children, thus the younger sisters were shuttled off stage to become The Littles. [Editor’s note: Lydia becomes the middle sister in this version, so Mary and Kitty are the two youngest. –GRD] I like YA stories in a vacuum, so you’ll notice none of the adult characters are allowed to have dialogue, which was a sacrifice because I love Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth’s relationship. I’ve gotten a lot of criticism for my portrayal of Charlotte, but I was channeling the character in her marriage to Mr. Collins, not the sweet, supportive friend in the earlier part of the novel.
Q: Following up on that, 10-year-old Caroline is truly evil in this version. Maybe not quite Bad Seed levels of evil, but getting there! Do you see any hope for redemption in her future, or do you see her as being evil to the bitter end?
A: I didn’t initially even create her as a character. I needed a reason for Jayne to go to the Bingleys’ house … and somehow, she is my proudest moment in this story. I had these maniacal giggle-fits writing all of her scenes. As for redemption? The only thing I’m totally sure of is her future political party affiliation.
Q: Billy’s reason to separate Jayne and Charlie came across to me as a little more palatable than Darcy's reason in the original story. Do you see it that way too, or do you think there’s an equivalency there?
A: There’s somewhat of an equivalency. In both, we have a guy’s best friend trying to protect him from heartache. I think in my story, there’s more of an idea that Billy feels somewhat indebted to Charlie. Both Billy and Mr. Darcy are convinced that they see things beyond what poor, love-blind Bingley is able to see.
Q: I don’t think it’s giving too much away to say that, although you follow the original storyline pretty faithfully, the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Are we going to get a sequel? And if so, can you let us know a little about what to expect?
A: So, that last line. It was pretty much tossed on at the end to give … an end. I have mad hopes for a sequel, and even a few ideas for it! But, sorry! Nothing to share, yet.
Book Links:
Pudge and Prejudice on Amazon
Pudge and Prejudice on Bookshop
Other Links
Go here to see my review of Pittman’s recent devotional Keeping Christmas: 25 Advent Reflections on A Christmas Carol. And go here to see my review of The Seamstress, her spinoff of A Tale of Two Cities. (She published both under the name Allison Pittman.)
Finally, WORLD magazine has announced its Children’s Book of the Year, along with a substantial list of runners-up and honorable mentions. These are books targeted at the middle-school age group. I served as a judge and can recommend all of these books for the middle-schooler(s) in your life, so go see what we picked!