Interview with Jason Rekulak

Jason Rekulak is the author of three novels. His most recent book, The Last One at the Wedding released last month is already a New York Times bestseller. Jackie and I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Jason about his novel at Main Point Books for a Halloween event. His quiet demeanor faded away throughout the panel as his storytelling persona emerged. When he had everyone in the audience enthralled and laughing, I just knew I needed to interview him for our Local Literati series.

Below, you’ll find Jason’s take on being a Philly transplant, the books he likes best, and the challenge of being a writer (it’s not what you think.)

Jason Rekulak on Philadelphia

What is your connection to the Philly area and if you went to school here, where?

Back in the late 1990s I was living in Jersey City and dating a young woman who lived in Philadelphia. If you’ve ever tried long-distance dating, then you know it’s miserable — but I assure you it was even more miserable in the late 1990s, back when long-distance phone calls still cost eight cents a minute. So on a whim I decided to move to Philadelphia and see if I could make the relationship work. We’ve now been married 24 years.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Philly area?

It’s tempting to say something like Suraya or Zahav because of course they are both excellent. But there’s a soft spot in my heart for South Street Souvlaki. I love Greek food, I love the décor, I love everything on their menu. And they’ve been in business since 1977. That is no small feat, especially on South Street.

What is your favorite hidden gem in the area?

I’m surprised more people don’t use the backyard patio at Good Karma Café at 922 Pine Street. It’s a beautiful space, wonderfully decorated, a perfect urban oasis. I write there all the time in the spring and summer, and often I have the entire patio to myself. 

What is your favorite memory of this area?

This probably isn’t my favorite memory but it is a funny story so here goes: Back around 2005 I was living in the Gayborhood near 12th and Waverly and sometime around two in the morning a pair of police officers came knocking at my door. I went downstairs and let them into my house, and one of the officers explained, “This is going to sound crazy, but there’s a woman around the block who just called 911.  She says there’s a blue Volkswagen parked in front of her house, and she insists there’s a cat trapped inside the hood. She claims the cat has been meowing all night long and keeping her awake, and she wants us to get it out.  So we ran the plate on the car and we discovered the car belongs to you. And so we’re wondering if you might be willing to walk over with us, unlock your car, open the hood, and let the cat out.” 

The cops were practically laughing as they told me the story — I think they felt ridiculous knocking on my door at two o’clock in the morning — but of course I was thrilled to help them. As a novelist, this is an example of a great opportunity that is literally knocking at my front door. So I put on a pair of sneakers and grabbed my keys and we all walked over to the car. I popped the hood and…there was no cat inside. There was no meowing. The cat had vanished, I guess, and we never really figured out what happened. The cops apologized for pulling me out of bed but I was grateful for the experience, anyway. I shook hands with them and walked home and went back to sleep. 

What do you love most about the Philly area?

I love a good underdog story, and Philly always roots for the underdog. 

Jason Rekulak on Reading

What sparked your love of reading?

My mother really encouraged it. She always took me to the library. She and my father made sure there were always books and magazines around the house.

What are some of your favorite reads?

Favorite thrillers include Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and Defending Jacob by William Landay. But I try to read widely and I definitely don’t limit myself to any one genre. I’ve read the great western novel Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry three times (and it’s a long book). My favorite book of all time might be The Only Plane in the Sky, Garrett Graff’s stunning oral history of September 11th. You are probably thinking “Gosh, that sounds like a really depressing book” but it’s not, it’s just the opposite, it’s incredibly inspiring, it’s filled with powerful stories of courage and heroism and sacrifice, and it just might restore your faith in humanity.

What is the last book you read and love?

I liked Margo’s Got Money Problems by Rufi Thorpe. Made me laugh out loud. An original and gutsy and very funny book.

Where is your favorite place to read?

On a balcony of a beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey.  

What’s on your nightstand?

Clutter!

Jason Rekulak on His Job

What inspired you to become an author?

Lack of alternatives. I was not a very impressive high school student. My grades were so-so. I was hopeless in math. I was terrible at sports — I was clumsy and uncoordinated.  But I knew I was good at making up stories and making my friends laugh. So I leaned into my strengths, I guess. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

I’ve always loved books and “book people” — all the readers and writers and editors and printers and graphic designers and booksellers and librarians and sales reps who make the business happen.  It’s a wonderful community filled with interesting people, and I’m grateful to be part of it.

Can you tell me about your new book.

THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING is narrated by 52-year-old Frank Szatowski, a UPS delivery driver from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. At the start of the book, he’s estranged from his daughter Maggie (but we don’t know why).  And on page one she calls her father to explain that she’s getting married; she says she wants her father to attend the wedding and walk her down the aisle.

Frank is elated and desperate for a chance at reconciliation — but in the weeks leading up to the wedding, he discovers a number of red flags about his future son-in-law, Aidan.  His chief concern is that Aidan’s previous girlfriend vanished under mysterious circumstances, and no one really knows what happened to her.  This discovery puts Frank in a kind of impossible situation.  He’s desperate to rebuild his relationship with his daughter and support all of her decisions.  But he’s also frightened that she’s making a terrible mistake. 

Most of the book takes place at the wedding event — a three-day wedding weekend at a lakefront home in New Hampshire — with Frank investigating the many strange secrets of his new in-laws. I wanted you (the reader) to feel like you’re along for the ride — like you’re a guest at this wedding, too, and like you’re joining Frank in his investigation. It’s a very linear novel, with a single point-of-view, and most of the action takes place in a very compressed timeline.

What is the biggest challenge you face as an author?

Challenges vary from book to book, I guess.  I’m always trying to do something different in my novels, so each book presents its own set of puzzles and problems.  

What is the most surprising thing about being a writer?

I’ve received a number of angry emails from people with all different kinds of political beliefs, claiming to be upset with something I’ve written in one of my books.  In the past year alone, I’ve been accused of being a socialist and a liberal snowflake and a racist bigot filling my books with “conservative dog whistles.”  Once I even received an email suggesting that I should kill myself. This kind of vitriol always surprises me, because I think all of my political beliefs are fairly middle-of-the-road, and I generally try to keep them to myself. But I guess we live in an era where some readers are sensitive and easily triggered and feel compelled to vent their frustrations. It’s a strange time to be alive.

Jason Rekulak on the Great Coffee/Tea Debate

And most importantly, coffee or tea? Tell me your go-to order!

Iced green tea — specifically, Ito En Oi Ocha Unsweeted Green Tea. I buy it by the half-gallon at my neighborhood deli.  Delicious and they tell me it’s good for me.

Epilogue

Let’s start with the fact that Jason has excellent taste in restaurants! If you ever come to the area, please visit every spot he mentioned. I’d also like to thank his wife for bringing him to Philadelphia and its thriving literary scene.

If you haven’t yet read a novel by Jason Rekulak, what are you waiting for?? If you have, let me know which of his books is your favorite! Please, let me know if you enjoyed this interview with Jason Rekulak and which local author or literary personality you would like me to interview next!