If reality opened up and offered you a chance to right the one wrong that's haunted you most, how far would you go to fix it? Can a heart break so horribly that reality itself follows suit? Barry Lyga’s new novel Edited captures love and loss through the lens of the teenage years.
Audible: In three sentences or less, how would you describe Edited to a new potential listener?
Barry Lyga: Boy loves girl. Boy stupidly loses girl. Boy goes to the ends of the universe and demands his author help him get girl back.
When a romantic relationship ends, it often feels like the world is shattering—but in Edited, that might literally be the case for characters Mike and Philomel. Where did this unique story idea come from?
As with everything, it came from experience. Everything in the book is real and happened, except for the fact that it didn’t actually happen that way—it just felt like it. The book tries to distill that “world is shattering” feeling you describe into text and then reckon with it.
Why did you choose to tell this story now?
Ha! I didn’t! I actually told this story 10 years ago; it took this long to find a publisher. But I think it’s a good time for it. It feels like a risky story and I’m at a place in my career where if I don’t do something risky, I’ll end up stagnating.
You’ve written a strong variety of listens—from Marvel content to scary stories to metaphysical romance. What’s the through line in your catalog of stories? Is there something central to the tales you tell?
I used to think there was no through line, but someone pointed out to me that my stories all tend to involve outcasts. I think that’s as good an answer as any—I write about people who are isolated, either through their own choice or through society’s whims. And then I try to find a way for them to become connected—to a lover, a friend, a culture, a place, whatever. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t, but I always learn something while trying.
What is your go-to book or listen when you’ve experienced heartache?
Oh, wow! This is going to sound hilarious, but … I read a lot of John Grisham when I was hurting. I think it’s because his stories can be complicated plot-wise, but the characters are always pretty straightforward. When you’re hurt and trying to figure out what went wrong, it can be comforting to settle into a world where everyone acts the way you think they will. Fortunately, I’ve been married long enough now that that sort of heartache is a distant memory!
What do you hope listeners will take away from this book?
I hope they’ll have a sense of what it’s like to write a book, an appreciation for the work involved. And I hope they’ll be intrigued enough to check out Unedited, which is the original, longer, unexpurgated version of the tale, with a lot more weirdness and a lot more story to tell!
