American writer Lorrie Moore reflects on the interplay of humor and tragedy in her work and how the inherent quirkiness of human interactions often shapes her storytelling. “Sometimes light banter is not that light. There’s a little bit of hotness to it and anger to it,” Moore says, hinting at the emotional complexity beneath the surface.
Moore delves into her writing process, describing the “conversation” between tones in her stories where the “lightness and heaviness are having a conversation.” She views this dynamic as a natural expression of human experience, blending the tragic and the comic in a way that resonates with readers. Moore adds that “it’s not just the characters, and it’s not just the ideas having a conversation, it’s also the tones”, comparing listening to characters to listening to music.
Known for her sharp observations and nuanced dialogue, Moore denies having a unique perspective, stating, “I don’t think I see anything differently from other people. But people see things and then don’t write them down, but I write them down.” Her keen ear for everyday speech and her use of repetition, which she attributes to her “aesthetic interest in songwriting,” enrich her narratives with rhythm and depth.
Throughout the conversation, Moore explores the universal appeal of jokes and songs as acts of connection and release. “Sharing a song when someone actually is hearing and feeling what you feel… is a tremendous connector,” she says, likening the writer’s craft to composing music that seeks shared understanding.
But Moore adds that “sometimes jokes also contain something that’s quite forbidden and so people who are sharing jokes are sharing them almost as secrets or as private things to see if a laugh will come.” Again, Moore compares this to songs that can be “very personal so you try to share a song that you love with someone else and they go “eh”. And you want to kill them, because it means so much to you.”
Reflecting on her recent novel, ‘I’m Homeless If This Is Not My Home’, Moore discusses themes of revisiting and redoing, underscoring her belief that “nothing’s ever really over” and that unresolved matters linger in the spaces between life and death.
Lorrie Moore, born in 1957 in Glens Falls, New York, is one of America’s most celebrated contemporary writers. Known for her wit and emotional insight, Moore is the author of acclaimed works such as Self-Help (1985), Birds of America(1998), and A Gate at the Stairs (2009). Her novel, ‘I’m Homeless If This Is Not My Home’, published in 2023 mixed a historical ghost story with a zombie romance. Moore’s many achievements include the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story and recognition as a finalist for the Orange Prize. Moore’s work continues to explore the humor, heartbreak, and humanity that define everyday life.
Lorrie Moore was interviewed by Elisabeth Skou Pedersen in connection with the Louisiana Literature festival, in August 2024, in Denmark.
Cameras: Rasmus Quistgaard
Edit: Nanna Rebekka
Produced by Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2025
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