CR 010: Jessica Anthony on Her Brilliant New Novella, ‘The Most’

The critically acclaimed author discusses her influences, the craft of writing, and her love for absurdity in fiction.

Jessica Anthony’s work has been referred to as “achingly funny” (The Guardian), “thrilling” (The Los Angeles Times), and “weirdly compelling and compellingly weird” (Kirkus). One of the most innovative authors working today, her writing is ambitious and clever, with each project different from the last. Her widely praised 2012 novel Chopsticks (written in collaboration with designer Rodrigo Corral) was told entirely through images and featured a companion app, while her third novel, Enter the Aardvark, was one of Time Magazine’s “100 Must-Read Books of 2020” and a finalist for the New England Book Award in Fiction.

Her latest work, The Most, is a novella that brilliantly tackles marriage, longing, secrets, and shame as it pulls back the curtain on a seemingly idyllic 1950s suburban family. Taking place over the course of a single day, The Most tells the story of Kathleen, a housewife who gets into her apartment complex’s pool one warm November morning and refuses to get out. Over the c…