Acclaimed debut novelist Penny Zang spoke with us about making friendship bracelets for readers, why the world doesn’t stop when you lose a loved one, hanging out with Sylvia Plath, and her psychological thriller DOLL PARTS

I am joined by a co-host this week, none other than The Book Babe, Milena Gonzalez.

Penny Zang is an English professor at Greenville Technical College and the debut author of DOLL PARTS, described as “... a dark, poetic, dual-timeline psychological thriller that blends sad girl lit and feminist horror with a heavy dose of 90s grunge nostalgia.”

International bestselling author Samantha Downing said of the book, "Doll Parts is the most mesmerizing and original book I’ve read in a long time. It’s eerie and addictive, a story that pulls you in and won’t let go," and Library Journal wrote, “Zang’s compelling debut delves insightfully into topics such as friendship, grief, and Plath’s place in literature...”

Penny Zang holds an MFA in Creative Writing from West Virginia University and is the 2024 Elizabeth Boatwright Coker fiction fellow via the South Carolina Academy of Authors. Her work has appeared in New Ohio Review, Louisville Review, Superstition Review, Potomac Review, and South 85, among others.

[Discover ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Writer Files Extra⁠⁠⁠⁠: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at ⁠⁠⁠⁠writerfiles.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please ⁠⁠⁠⁠click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews⁠⁠⁠⁠. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Penny Zang, Milena Gonzalez, and I discussed:

How she formed the #5AMWritersClub

Writing as a form of grief after losing a good friend

Reminding her parents that her fiction didn’t really happen

Wending pop culture iconography into her work

Why finding your writing community is so important

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

pennyzang.com 

Doll Parts: A Novel by Penny Zang (Amazon)

Penny Zang on Facebook

Penny Zang on Instagram

Penny Zang on Twitter

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices