When Tabitha, a fifty-year old writer in urgent need of cash, learns that Brent Vintner, a recognizably famous actor, and Piper Fields, a beloved children’s book author recently outed as the writer of erotic adult novels, are both staying in her small town for the summer, she hatches an ill-conceived scheme to complete both of their biographies at once. So begins Lee Upton’s comic novel Tabitha, Get Up, which follows the eponymous main character as she pursues her scheme regardless of whether or not her subjects are willing participants. 

Tabitha pitches both projects to her agent, who secures her a small advance and urges her to begin with caution. This word of caution, the reader soon learns, might be warranted. Tabitha’s previous work has led to outright bans from agents as well as entire agencies barring her from contacting their clients. But the proximity to Brent and Piper makes gaining access to these celebrities achievable. Tabitha taps into her limited network, including her nephew Leon, who owns a local bar named The End of the World, and begins to follow and observe her subjects before identifying herself as their hopeful biographer. Notably, Tabitha fails to read any of Piper Field’s books or to finish watching any of Brent Vintner’s movies in preparation for writing their biographies.

Tabitha’s antics are enhanced by Upton’s voice-y first-person narration. Tabitha’s jokes are often deprecating remarks, and her observations impatient. After finding the cafe where Piper eats breakfast, Tabitha watches the author eat breakfast: 

She is examining her waffle like a chessboard and she’s remembering losing a match. Has anyone ever eaten a waffle square by square? She’s now pouring the tiniest stream [of syrup], like a fairy wets its lips on tops of the waffle and she has to direct the stream into its pinprick mouth. 

Tabitha follows Piper until she’s able to seize the moment for a dramatic introduction. When a large man in a flannel lays eyes on Piper and approaches her, Tabitha sees that “[h]is attention amounts to a threat, to shoving her with his eyes,” so she steps in and scares him away. Approaching Piper after the incident, Tabitha is exhilarated:

I can’t believe my luck. Here she is: The subject of my biography, although she has no idea she is the subject of my biography. She owes me so much. It takes effort not to reach out and clasp her hand. 

Tabitha’s fervent descriptions establish her as a passionate narrator who borders on the endearingly unhinged. Whether it’s guilty enthusiasm for chocolates or her frenzied search or something else entirely, Tabitha’s opinions are exaggerated and resolute. Later in the novel, when Brent shares that he’s divorced and his former wife has written a memoir, Tabitha quips to the reader about her expectations reading the manuscript: “I am an ex-wife, and thus inclined to agree with other ex-wives.” 

The structure of the novel fits Tabitha’s off-beat approaches and her off-kilter personality. The text is broken into titled sections of lengths varying from a few paragraphs to a few pages. Many sections include scenes of Tabitha attempting to interview Brent and Piper, or frequenting The End of the World. Other sections consist of Tabitha’s notes for her writing projects or for herself, emails she has sent and received, or contemplative interludes.

This varied structure prevents the reader from settling into the narrative with ease, but the effect encourages a stronger connection with Tabitha. Upton not only shows how Tabitha sees herself and the world, but also gives a glimpse into how others see her. Tabitha’s emails from her publisher Rosamund and, even more, her voicemails from her mother reveal a support system that’s lacking, at best. At worst, her life is fouled by toxic relationships. 

Like the best comedy, Tabitha, Get Up contains deep feeling behind the sharp quips and humorous antics. As Tabitha’s mother’s voice mails escalate in cruelty, Tabitha’s pain is evident in her noticeably muted responses. Elsewhere, Tabitha recalls her wedding, which devolved into calamity, and her marriage to a predatory choir teacher, which ended in divorce after his multiple transgressions. These emotional wounds contextualize Tabitha’s persistent loneliness, as well as  her efforts to escape it. Tabitha yearns for connections to people, even if she struggles to navigate relationships and gain confidence in herself. In one touching note, Tabitha insists that she needs to get to work on her projects. She lists reasons, including: “Fulfill my life-long aspiration: to be someone others will tell their stories to, to be a biographer, which means to understand how others make their lives their own.” 

Throughout the novel, Tabitha is searching to understand exactly this—how others make their lives their own. To Tabitha, the biographies promise financial stability and professional success as well as creative fulfillment and respect. Her efforts are earnest as well as off-mark, and her goals are as relatable as her tactics are laughable. Towards the end, Tabitha remarks: “Being a biographer is such an attractive pursuit. You have access to another life but you don’t have to live it forever.” Joy and levity accompany Tabitha as she learns to make her life her own and decides to live it.

+++

Lee Upton’s poetry has appeared in The New Yorker, The New Republic, Poetry, and in many other journals as well as three editions of Best American Poetry. She is the author of books of poetry, fiction, and literary criticism.

+

Ceillie Clark-Keane is a writer based in New Hampshire. Her essays, book reviews, and author interviews have been published by Electric Literature, the Ploughshares blog, Bustle, Chicago Review of Books, and other outlets.