Did you feel like you were pushing the envelope in any way with Bitch Planet, more so than you might have with other works?
I don’t know. I think, maybe, I’m more aware of eyes on me than I was with the first arc of Pretty Deadly. There was a certain freedom that came with the idea that nobody was going to read our weird little book anyway. With this one—and frankly, with the second arc of Pretty Deadly, too—I find myself fighting the impulse to play things safe…or maybe “safe” isn’t the right word. Does it sound arrogant to say I’m fighting the impulse to be ‘less me’? But then again, this book is called Bitch Planet—we’ve kind of thrown down, just with the title.
But yeah. I’m scared to death. On every level. I’m scared that I won’t pull it off. I’m scared that I will. I’m scared that people will find it too much, and I’m afraid that they’ll say I haven’t gone far enough. I’m afraid that it’ll be shrill. I’m afraid that it’ll be exploitative…I’m afraid of alienating male readers. And I hate myself for even having that thought. I’m afraid of being a white girl trying to talk about race. I’m afraid. But I feel like that’s my job? It’s my job to go there. And if I don’t, then I’m a fraud.
