“Her Job Is to Show How People Live”: Claire Dederer on Laurie Colwin

We’re attempting to unravel the tangled web of literary influence by talking with the great writers of today about the writers of yesterday who inspired them. This month, we spoke with a writer who writes about literary monsters: Claire Dederer. Here, Dederer explores the kitchen sink domestic analysis of Laurie Colwin.

What drew you to Laurie Colwin’s work?

I have been a reader of Laurie Colwin since I was in high school in the