Telling tales out of school

Two authors talk about their new novels that focus on the same subject — but with very different outcomes

INTERVIEW. This month marks the publication of two very different novels that focus on the same subject — the complexities of friendships forged while at school. 

“Commencement” by J. Courtney Sullivan is a dishy book which follows four girlfriends who meet their freshman year at Smith; whereas Colin McAdam’s dark “Fall” focuses on two boys in their senior year at an elite boarding school. We asked them the same questions on the slight chance there would be overlap.

There wasn’t. 

Q: Do boys and girls act differently in this closed environment?

Sullivan: It’s just a very extreme existence. You forge these amazingly close female friendships that you probably wouldn’t otherwise and at a certain age, that definitely breeds drama.

McAdam:   When I was starting this book, I started talking to old friends and the girls always did the same things to each other — it was kind of eye-opening in that it was pretty similar. The same pranks — you know, the hand-in-water-to-make-you-pee kind of stuff. 

Q: Do you think you’ll be welcomed back at your alma mater after this?

Sullivan: For many Smith graduates, Smith holds a lot of power and it’s a place that we cherish. I’m not sure what the official declaration is but I think the book is really a love letter to Smith College.

McAdam: A bit of press came out and they asked me to come and speak to the students for career day [laughs]. I’ve since learned that the headmaster is not too keen. I think it’s definitely not flattering for them but not particularly damning either. 

Q: What coming-of-age stories did you read to prep yourself?

Sullivan: I loved “The Group” by Mary McCarthy. People have compared “Commencement” in some ways to “The Group.” That’s a huge honor.

McAdam: I reread “Lord of the Flies” and “Catcher in the Rye,” just to get some of my bearings. And also Patricia Highsmith — and a few people have picked up on that. I was interested in how she created mood and the sense of denial.