Q. How did this story come about?

This story started with a text message—the first line of the piece, “I’m on a filthy outdoor sofa.” The recipient said he would steal the line if I didn’t use it, and since I was trying to avoid another project anyway, I simply began there and kept going until it took me somewhere. The story was a stretch for me because I never write in first person and I never use details about my life in fiction. The situation is totally made up—different filthy outdoor sofa—but my grandmother really did start watching Fresh Prince in syndication after my grandfather died.

Q. Why is fiction necessary for you?

After coming up empty on this question at first, and feeling like I’m no different than anybody else, I looked up “necessary.” Seems it comes from the roots ne- meaning “not” and cedere meaning “to withdraw. Not to withdraw. This is a kind of lovely thing, given that some people say the point of reading fiction is to escape, and given that I disagree. So, for me, fiction is the very definition of necessary. Not to withdraw but to stay, steep, give.

*Q. What song would you pair with this story?”

Little Sister by Elvis Presley