Lauren Groffโ Confrontsโค American Masculinity & Male โViolence inโ Her Work
Author โฃLauren Groff recently discussed her writing, particularly โher โexploration of โmale violence and the complexities of raising sons in a society steeped โคin โฃpatriarchal norms, in an interview accompanying the publication of her short story, “Mother of โฃMen.” groff revealed the story wasโ conceived from a place of “snapping”โ – a culmination of frustration with “soulless, rotten men in the public โขsphere” andโ a personal experienceโข with a stalker โ(though the characterโ in the storyโฃ is fictional). She stated this feeling empowered her to โข”tell whatever story I want” and refuse “compliance nor silence” to those in power whoโค thrive on โฃfear.
the interview touched upon Groff’s ongoingโ engagement with themes of male violence, foreshadowing โขher โขforthcoming collection, Brawler, set to release next spring. Seven stories โขwithin Brawler were โpreviously published in The New Yorker, aโ process Groff described as an “amazing gift” due toโ the publication’s rigorousโ editorial process.
Groff explained that she doesn’t consciouslyโ set outโข to write โstories around a central โขtheme. Rather,she finds โthat collections reveal a “very clear,shining thread” woven through the subconscious during theโค writing process. She likened the assembly of a collection to crafting “the strongest possible argument” through careful story selection and ordering.
A important portion of the interview focused on Groff’s anxieties surrounding raising herโ sons.โข She expressed concern that they may not fully grasp theโ societal โฃimplications of their male privilege and the potentialโ for their bodies toโ be perceived as threats. โฃShe worries โabout the ingrained โmisogyny present in American masculinity,โ including the tendency to โขreflexively dismiss women’s perspectives. Despite acknowledging this deeply rootedโข issue – “tens of โthousandsโฃ of years ofโ male supremacy โand โคnormalized violence and domination” – she โremainsโฃ committed to educating her sons and “hope[ing] for theโ best.”
