Allyson Reedy jokes she’s “clearly a psycho” — about Gatsby

Allyson Reedy is a fiction writer, food journalist, and restaurant critic. Her work has been published in a number of newspapers and magazines, including The Denver Post, Bon Appétit, and 5280. She is the author of several cookbooks, including “50 Things to Bake Before You Die” and “The Phone Eats First.” She lives in Broomfield with her children, husband, and pug. 

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SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory – what’s it about and what inspired you to write it? 

Allyson Reedy: This is a “The Great Gatsby” retelling from Myrtle Wilson’s point of view. (Myrtle is Tom Buchanan’s mistress in the book.) Like many people, I’m a Gatsby fan, and I’ve read the book at least 10 times. It’s the first book I read to both of my babies when I brought them home from the hospital, wanting that to be their introduction to the English language. I own 50+ copies of the book, my dog’s name was Gatsby, and yes, I’m clearly a psycho. 

SunLit: Place the excerpt you selected in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole and why did you select it?

Reedy: I chose a chunk of the first chapter, when we meet Myrtle and George, followed by that fateful meeting of Myrtle and Tom on the subway. It’s where it all begins.

SunLit: What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write? 

Reedy: Obviously, Gatsby was my main influence, but Fitzgerald wasn’t kind to women, especially women from lower classes. I always thought that he was especially cruel to Myrtle Wilson, depicting her only as a money-grubbing, social climbing adulteress. I wanted to explore her character, flesh her out, imagine her past experiences that got her to this point. 

And then my husband and I separated. Within weeks I started this book, and writing it was my therapy. It gave me a break from my grief and heartbreak. The day in, day out ritual of writing this novel gave me something positive during that dark time. 

SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?

Reedy: I’d read Gatsby numerous times, but never like this. I read every line involving Myrtle so closely, even weaving in original Gatsby dialogue to my novel. After all, that was my framework, the guardrails I used to construct her story. The chronology is exactly the same in “Mrs. Wilson’s Affair” as Gatsby, and I tried to be 100% true to that, while giving Myrtle more depth and sympathy. 

SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?

Reedy: Those guardrails, that dialogue. I wanted to stay true to Fitzgerald’s Myrtle, while merging that with my version of her. At times that was difficult, as he didn’t give her the same depth as he gave his other characters. I’m almost offended on her behalf by how Fitzgerald treated her. I hope that I gave her story the consideration I believe it deserved, while still preserving Fitzgerald’s original framework. 

SunLit: What do you want readers to take from this book? 

Reedy: It’s a story about love – unfulfilled, unrequited, how it changes over the years. I guess in a way, that’s very similar to the original Gatsby. Affair is in the title, but it’s a story about a marriage. I hope that reading “Mrs. Wilson’s Affair” inspires readers to see “The Great Gatsby” in a different light. 

SunLit: Tell us about your next project.

Reedy: Probably a restaurant review or food story – I’m a restaurant critic for 5280 magazine and freelance for The Denver Post, The Infatuation, and many others. 

A few more quick items

Currently on your nightstand for recreational reading: Fredrik Backman “My Friends”

First book you remember really making an impression on you as a kid: “Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great” by Judy Blume

Best writing advice you’ve ever received:  If you’re a writer, write. 

Favorite fictional literary character: My crushes, Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot.

Literary guilty pleasure (title or genre): There should be no guilt associated with pleasure! (This applies even more so to my job as a food writer.)

Digital, print or audio – favorite medium to consume literature: Only print 

One book you’ve read multiple times: “The Great Gatsby!”

Other than writing utensils, one thing you must have within reach when you write: A pug 

Best antidote for writer’s block: Just gotta write. When you’re a freelancer, you don’t have the luxury of waiting it out. 

Most valuable beta reader: My agent, Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen

Type of Story: Q&A

An interview to provide a relevant perspective, edited for clarity and not fully fact-checked.