Q&A: Cary Gitter, Author of ‘Cammy Sitting Shiva’

We chat with author Cary Gitter about Cammy Sitting Shiva, which is an unflinching, darkly funny look at loss, family, and coming home—perfect for fans of This Is Where I Leave You and Competitive Grieving.

Hi, Cary! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Yes! I’m a playwright and novelist. I grew up in northern New Jersey and lived in New York City for many years, but I’m currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I relocated after meeting my wife. Up until now, I’ve primarily worked as a writer in theater; Cammy Sitting Shiva is my first novel.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember. Third grade was a particularly formative year for me because I had a wonderful teacher, Ms. Schubert, who really encouraged this passion. I recall devouring Roald Dahl books at the time, and I was already beginning to write my own little stories.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: His Finest Hour, a picture book by David Neuhaus
• The one that made you want to become an author: What Hearts, a young adult novel by Bruce Brooks
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Ghost Writer, by Philip Roth

Your debut novel, Cammy Sitting Shiva, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Jewish. Grief. Dark comedy. Jersey.

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect a story about a 29-year-old woman living in New York City who has to return to her small New Jersey hometown after her father dies unexpectedly. The novel explores the complicated experiences of grief and going back home—but with a healthy dose of dark humor. Cammy is a messy protagonist who makes a lot of mistakes, but I hope readers get on board with her all the same. Oh, and they should expect plenty of Jersey flavor.

Where did the inspiration for Cammy Sitting Shiva come from?

My own father passed suddenly in the fall of 2016, and I went home to New Jersey to sit shiva. (For those who don’t know, in Judaism, shiva—which means “seven” in Hebrew—is the seven-day ritual mourning period.) Shortly after, I tried to write a play about the whole ordeal, but it was still far too soon. Several years later, with the benefit of distance and perspective, I was able to revisit that experience of grief and transform it into Cammy Sitting Shiva.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really enjoyed writing the section of the book that’s set in Atlantic City. Cammy flees to the seedy Jersey Shore gambling town with her best friend, Fran, in a last desperate attempt to escape her grief—and, of course, the trip turns out to be a total disaster. It was a lot of fun to try to capture the weird and wild vibe of the place, with its boardwalk and casinos and unmistakable Jersey energy.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge in writing the novel was that the process was so different from what I was used to as a playwright. Theater is such a collaborative art form, and I’m accustomed to working closely with a director, actors, and designers to bring a play to life onstage. But with the novel, it was just me alone with the page. I tried my best to get through that isolation and uncertainty by believing in what I was doing and simply keeping at it, one day at a time.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

As I mentioned, I’ve mainly been a playwright, so my road to becoming a published author was an unlikely one. I started to think about writing a novel during the pandemic, because theater wasn’t happening and I had more creative time on my hands. Fortunately, I was able to connect with my fantastic literary agent, Maria Whelan, who liked the initial idea of Cammy Sitting Shiva and encouraged me to go ahead and write the manuscript. Then, just as fortunately, the project fell into the hands of my brilliant editor, Holly Ingraham, who responded to the material and took it on. I really owe the publication of Cammy to Maria and Holly, who both believed in the book as much as I did and were essential in shepherding it along.

What’s next for you?

This was a busy summer. In addition to Cammy being published in August, there were productions of two shows I wrote: How My Grandparents Fell in Love, a new musical, premiered at New Jersey Repertory Company in July, and my play Gene & Gilda, about the marriage of comic legends Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, ran off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters from July through September. I’m hoping both these pieces have further life ahead. I have other theater projects in the pipeline, and I’m also working on a new novel.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve enjoyed discovering excellent debut novels by some of the authors who’ve shown generous support for Cammy, including The Shore, by Katie Runde; Welcome Home, Caroline Kline, by Courtney Preiss; and I Made It Out of Clay, by Beth Kander. I also loved my friend Amy Feltman’s beautiful sophomore novel, All the Things We Don’t Talk About. There are so many books I’m looking forward to picking up, but here are a few: Esther Chehebar’s Sisters of Fortune, Jason Diamond’s Kaplan’s Plot, and Sam Sussman’s Boy from the North Country.

Will you be picking up Cammy Sitting Shiva? Tell us in the comments below!