Also this issue:

Worlds of Wonder
“Cabinets of Curiosities” is a magical journey through time and spaces.
-Robin Rice

20/20 Vision
Snyderman Gallery celebrates 20 years in the furniture business.
-Lori Hill

“A Night at the Casbah”
-Lori Hill

Baseball panel discussion
-Andrew Milner

Louis Faurer: A Photographic Retrospective
-John Vettese

Sherman Alexie
-John Freeman

Bloomsday Celebration
-Lori Hill

Frankie Avalon
-Interview by A.D. Amorosi

June 12-18, 2003

books

Caren Lissner

by Nancy Armstrong

Caren Lissner has never read Bridget Jones’s Diary. In response to the categorization of her debut novel, Carrie Pilby (Red Dress Ink), as the antithesis of chick-lit, Lissner says that of course she didn’t intend to be pigeonholed in a genre. "I can’t complain because the fact that these books were so popular probably helped me get published," Lissner says from her office in North Jersey, where she’s an editor for an eight-newspaper chain. "It’s kind of a double-edged sword; I think women who finally get into publishing this way feel like, on one hand, their book is being categorized. … But on the other hand, if there hadn’t been this genre created then it might’ve been harder for them to get published." Lissner’s early experiences with writing for an audience felt like "stumbling along in the wilderness," she says, which is why she’ll also answer questions about publishing at her Barnes & Noble reading Wednesday. "It’s a frustrating process so I always like to help people. … I didn’t have contacts when I started writing."

Yes, Carrie Pilby is about a young woman in the city -- the snag in the chick-lit formula, however, is that she rarely leaves her apartment, is anti-alcohol and doesn't date (at least not at first). In language both witty and sweet, Lissner describes the exploits of her 19-year-old heroine, detailing a transformation that is subtle, careful and believable. Instead of completing a total (and predictable) turnaround, Carrie, a genius who has just graduated from Harvard, goes on a quest for a way to live among others, having fun while still adhering to her strict moral code. The results are hilarious and impressive: Carrie realizes that she "can decide not to turn up my nose at those who aren't like me, while still staying true to my own beliefs. I can do this without changing myself." This sounds simple enough, but remember, she is only 19.

Lissner says that Carrie's life is not based on her own, but admits she had expectations similar to Carrie's when she began college at UPenn. That's where the similarities end: Carrie's brief affair with her English professor was "not based on my experiences at school," Lissner insists. Carrie Pilby is very much her own person, a fully realized character who is still figuring out her spot. Says Lissner, "I think people who are older than [Carrie] forget what it's like, that people really do mature and adapt at different paces. There's still room for her to grow at the end."

Stay tuned for Lissner's own growth; she's already finished a second novel and a third is in the works.

Caren Lissner reads Wed., June 18, 7 p.m., free, Barnes & Noble, 1805 Walnut St., 215-665-0716.