Greenwich author’s debut is anticipated LGBTQ novel
Greenwich author’s debut novel is hilarious lesbian wedding romp
While the main character in her new novel might worry about whether or not girls from Greenwich can marry other girls, author Liz Parker said that was never a concern she felt. In fact, the Greenwich native married a girl from Darien in 2016.
Parker, who works as the head of Publishing at Verve Talent & Literary in Los Angeles, has recently made the shift from publisher to author with her debut novel “All Are Welcome,” available Aug. 3.
Her book follows a lesbian couple who were both raised in Greenwich as they travel down to Bermuda for their wedding with family and plenty of secrets. Entertainment Tonight called one of the most anticipated LGBTQ books of 2021.
Parker said that while her family isn’t anything like the McAllister family in her book, she admits that she does come from a long line of “WASPs”.
“There is inevitable humor in challenging the status quo,” Parker said. “I wanted to write a book that featured gay characters who weren’t coming out — it was the characters around them who were still struggling. But I also think there is a spectrum of acceptance and growth that comes with a family’s first gay child, and I wanted to shine a light on that process — a process that is challenging, at times frustrating, and often very funny.“
Hearst Connecticut Media recently chatted with Parker about the inspiration for her book, what it was like to experience the publishing process from an author’s perspective and “WASP” culture.
How would you describe your debut novel ‘All Are Welcome’?
A darkly funny story about a WASPy wedding that goes awry, and shows how it’s never too late to find your voice.
What inspired you to write this story?
My wife and I went to St. Barth’s shortly after a hurricane a few years ago, and we had a stayover in St. Maarten. As we walked on the beach, we passed a hotel that had been utterly destroyed, and I thought about whether a couple had planned to get married when the hurricane hit. And because I am married, I know that no wedding is without its stress, even when everything’s falling into place. I thought, “This could be a book.”
Everyone is keeping secrets at the wedding; why is it so difficult for these characters to communicate?
I think it’s easy to get lost in the space between wanting to please someone and not knowing how to articulate what you really want. For these characters, they’ve gotten quite far with avoidance, and this weekend finally forces everyone to speak up - for better or for worse.
Both you and Tiny are from Greenwich. How much of Tiny’s experience with her family is based on your own?
I may come from Greenwich, and I may come from ... WASPs who love to play golf, but that’s about it. I’m fluent enough in this culture that I can write fiction about it.
The book features some very ‘WASPy’ characters, did you play up the stereotype or was this something you often witnessed while growing up in Greenwich?
I had to learn my fluency in WASP culture from somewhere...
In the book, Tiny repeatedly says that girls from Greenwich don’t marry other girls. What is it about the town’s culture that makes Tiny (and you) feel this way?
Tiny is a young woman still figuring out how to find her voice - whether it’s her sexuality or her job, Tiny has never been good at saying what she wants out of life, and she believes Greenwich has something to do with it. That’s not me. I came out in 2004 and I married a girl from Darien in 2016. We had our reception in town, so I am quite literally a girl from Greenwich who married another girl. And it was great!
Both brides have fairly different personalities. Do you feel like you’re more similar to Tiny or Caroline?
I’m both proud and relieved to tell you that I am not much like either Tiny or Caroline.
As a publishing executive, what was it like for you to observe the publishing process as an author? Did your insider knowledge make it easier or more stressful?
I think already being in publishing allowed me to celebrate the victories and manage expectations: just to have this book sell to a publisher was an incredible honor. I’ve tried to have as much fun as possible through the entire experience.
How did it feel to hold the finished book in your hands for the first time?
Little Liz is still disbelieving that we published a book, but I keep trying to tell her that we’ve been at this for awhile. It felt like the culmination of one dream and the beginning of a new one.
What do you want readers to take away from this book?
I wanted to write a novel that featured gay characters, was not a coming-out story and was funny without being trite. I think we can talk about a lot of hard things through humor, especially when it comes to family. I hope readers come away with the sense that we should all find our voice, and do what’s right, even if that’s scary. And, #teamtiny.