Sheltering: Andrea Bartz Recommends Calvin & Hobbes in Quarantine

On this episode of Sheltering, Andrea Bartz talks to Maris Kreizman about her recently released novel, The Herd, a thriller set in an exclusive all-female co-working space… sound familiar? Bartz shares some thoughts on the female co-working space phenomenon, rues the day she chose to live in a 300-square-foot apartment, reveals her favorite popcorn topping she’s tried in isolation, and recommends we all just give in and reread our childhood comic books in this time. Bartz’s favorite local bookstore is Books Are Magic; please order The Herd through their website, or through Bookshop.

From the episode:

Maris Kreizman: I love that the younger sister in the book, Katy, is a tech journalist. Because, over all, watching people with good facades cracking seems to be what tech journalism is these days.

Andrea Bartz: No thats true, there was a lot to play with having Katy be a tech journalist. And see on the surface, she’s so different than her sister: she’s a lot less buttoned up, she’s more brash, she says things without thinking. And her sister, Hanna, is the head of PR for the Herd, she actually works for the Herd. And of course, PR is nothing if not trying to give the impression that everything is perfect. 

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But it was fun to alternate between their perspectives, because I was able to get into how—Katy the journalist seems to have a charm and is magnetic, but she also envies her older sister, and how she’s always in charge, and is dependable and always seems in control and Katy often feels like a hot mess compared to her. But then we flip the page and see Hanna’s perspective, and Hanna kind of resents having to be in charge and is envious of her little sister for being so immediately charismatic and magnetic.

So I wanted to play with that idea that we, as women, even since we were little, elicit feedback about who we are allowed to be in the world, and what will make us likable and lovable and palatable. So we put on this armor, and then we start feeling like imposters having this veneer and mask, and yet we assume that everyone else really is who they seem, really as effortless, and they’re being who they are.