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Beth S's avatar

I just discovered your substack and started reading I'm the Girl. Any chance this will be available again soon? I would really love to read it!

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courtney summers's avatar

Hi, thank you for asking and sorry for my delay in response! As of now, the story is included in the audio version: https://courtneysummers.substack.com/p/drive-on and at some point in the future we are figuring out how we can incorporate it into print availability though I can't speak more on that now :)

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Emily Slaney's avatar

Me again, sorry 😖 (so much thinking I guess...)

With regards to thinking about I'm the Girl, meant to also say that I'd been thinking about Nora's mom too, and everything she knew and what that meant in terms of Aspera's protection of Justin. And why she left her girls knowing what she knew about her husband and the lodge (choice, threat, or maybe she never even left 🤔)

And also: that room with all the windows and chairs facing to overlook that patch of grass and woodland, that Georgia describes as a part of a picture of a bigger puzzle (or something like that) I was sure we were going to discover something sinister and voyeuristic about that! Creeper me out for sure.

Anyway. I'll stop now. Promise.

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courtney summers's avatar

Don't apologize! I love the comments and I'm so grateful you take the time to write them, and it's a privilege to have my work read so thoughtfully--I'm so glad you got a chance to read the short story! And enjoyed The Project reference hehe.

Sadie's story casts a certain shadow, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to tell it--and I love how I'm the Girl is revealing more to you on rereads. It's meant to, but it's such a difficult book I'm not sure that will be a very explored aspect of it for many so that part of your comment made my day. :) I also like that you're questioning the circumstances of Nora's mom's leaving too. We know Aspera has some murder-y habits...

Thank you so much for giving the book such care and consideration. Every author should be so lucky! And never apologize for that! I would never leave the comments open if they were unwelcome :) they're always welcome!

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Emily Slaney's avatar

Well that's good to hear 😁.

Have you ever read The End of Everything by Megan Abbott? The first time I read that I went looking for conversations about it, but couldn't find any. I've reread it many times (there's sooo much in retrospect!) and even this year I noticed something new. Anyway, since reading about the reactions that some people had to Georgia I was curious to go back and see how people reacted to Megan's narrator and characters, and to see whether people react differently to thirteen year girls old vs sixteen year old girls. Well, comments involved the words sick, stupid, naive, disturbed, disgusting etc, one even suggested that the author was sick and needed therapy ☹. Such a disappointment.

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courtney summers's avatar

I have that book but haven't read it yet, though I do love her work overall! She does take those kind of leaps with her narrators, despite those repeated responses, and I really respect that.

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Emily Slaney's avatar

Yes, I love her work too 😁.

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Emily Slaney's avatar

Also, forgot to say, I like "The Project" reference 😁

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Emily Slaney's avatar

Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this, because I'm from England I couldn't do your pre-order campaign, so this is...wow 🥰🥰🥰

And maybe I'm reading between the lines too literally, but if I'm not, then I'm sorry that you have to deal with every girl being compared back to Sadie, to have every new girl be judged. I can only imagine how that must feel. Please know, five girls before, two girls after: ALL strong, unique, and beautifully complicated. Also I fully appreciate the way that you and West are comfortable to choose to believe Sadie is okay and to leave her to a future of her own. I think that's the best ending.

I have been thinking so much about I'm the Girl these past few days, not just about Georgia (the mirroring of the bathtub scene, the repetition of the meaning of "nothing" and the fact you begin - and continue this theme throughout - by calling her the very thing you hope your readers won't), but also about Katie and what being Matthews favourite meant for her, and of Cleo, and how she got to where she was. Also I flicked back to revist a few conversations and the one between Matthew and Aiden Archer when he first sees Georgia is so so loaded. I expect I'll notice more when I re-read it next year (I'm a big fan of re-reading, how retrospect and knowledge reveal so much more of a story and the work that went into it)

Anyway I'm probably talking too much 😖 thanks again for sharing ❤

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