Ashley Nelson Levy, author of the short story 'The Riff' in the latest McSweeney’s issue, reflected on themes of female friendship and nostalgia in an interview. She was recently named among the Washington Post’s 'Next 50' for reshaping culture. Levy also shared insights into running Transit Books with her partner Adam Levy.
Ashley Nelson Levy’s short story “The Riff,” featured in McSweeney’s 81, centers on a middle-aged woman visiting Florence with her husband. The narrator yearns for her old friend Deb, with whom she shared a vibrant youth in the city. Levy explained that the story evolved through multiple drafts, initially featuring both women together before focusing on Deb’s absence as a spectral presence. Editor Rita Bullwinkel’s question about the narrator’s desires helped clarify that “she just wants Deb.” Themes of alienation, longing, and the intensity of female friendship during carefree years underpin the narrative, Levy said, adding humor to offset the disappointment of aging and lost connections.
