Picture an American storyteller who spun raw, intimate conversations into a literary sensation—meet Miranda Popkey! Born in 1987 in Santa Cruz, California, Popkey burst onto the scene with her daring debut novel, Topics of Conversation, in 2020. With a voice that’s sharp, unapologetic, and deeply human, she’s carving out a space in contemporary fiction that’s all her own, tackling themes like desire, power, and the messy truths of womanhood.
Popkey’s work isn’t your typical page-turner. Instead, she invites readers into a world of fragmented narratives and unflinching honesty, drawing comparisons to literary trailblazers like Rachel Cusk and Renata Adler. Her stories feel like eavesdropping on a late-night chat with a friend—except this friend doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff. Ready to dive into her world? Let’s explore what makes Miranda Popkey a name to watch.
The Making of Miranda Popkey
Growing up in sunny Santa Cruz, Popkey was a bookworm with a knack for stories, scribbling tales before she could even write properly. She earned a BA in Humanities from Yale in 2009, soaking up literature and honing her critical eye. After stints in publishing and freelance writing for outlets like The New Republic and The New Yorker’s Page-Turner blog, she pursued an MFA in Creative Writing at Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 2018. This blend of literary journalism and formal training shaped her bold, introspective style.
Popkey’s path wasn’t all smooth sailing. She’s candid about struggling with traditional plot structures, finding them at odds with the way real life unfolds. Instead, she leaned into her strength: capturing the rhythm of human connection through conversation. Her time in publishing, translating Italian works, and living in places like Florence, New York, and Texas gave her a rich tapestry of experiences to draw from.
Miranda Popkey’s Unforgettable Stories
Popkey’s debut, Topics of Conversation, is a masterclass in unconventional storytelling. Published by Knopf in 2020, the novel follows an unnamed narrator through two decades of intimate, often raw exchanges with women—friends, strangers, mothers. Each chapter, set in places like Italy (2000) or Los Angeles (2017), explores themes like motherhood, power dynamics, and desire with searing intelligence. Critics praised its edgy prose and fearless dive into the complexities of female experience, though some found its lack of traditional plot challenging.
Her style, often compared to autofiction, blends memoir-like honesty with fictional freedom. Popkey’s narrator is both a vessel for others’ stories and a mirror for her own vulnerabilities, grappling with shame, envy, and the cultural forces shaping desire. In one standout chapter, “San Francisco, 2012,” a hotel bar encounter spirals into a tense exploration of control and attraction, showcasing Popkey’s knack for taut, provocative scenes. While Topics of Conversation remains her sole novel to date, her essays and reviews in Harper’s Magazine and The New York Review of Books reveal a versatile voice that’s equally at home in nonfiction.
Popkey’s work is deliberately in dialogue with other art forms, from Toni Morrison’s Sula to Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient. She’s upfront about her influences, even including a “Works (Not) Cited” list in her novel to nod to the books, films, and music that shaped her. This transparency adds depth, inviting readers to see her stories as part of a broader cultural conversation.
Why Miranda Popkey Matters
In a literary landscape often dominated by predictable narratives, Popkey’s willingness to embrace the messy, nonlinear nature of life feels revolutionary. Her focus on women’s inner lives—unfiltered and unapologetic—resonates with readers craving authenticity. By challenging conventional storytelling, she’s paving the way for new voices in contemporary fiction, especially those exploring gender and power. Her work sparks discussions about how we narrate our lives and the stories we tell ourselves, making her a vital voice in today’s feminist literary wave.
Though still early in her career, Popkey’s impact lies in her audacity to write without pretense. She’s not afraid to expose the uncomfortable or to question how desire is shaped by culture, making her a beacon for readers and writers seeking bold, introspective fiction. As she continues to write, her influence is sure to grow.
- Born: 1987, Santa Cruz, California
- Key Work: Topics of Conversation (2020)
- Education: BA, Yale (2009); MFA, Washington University in St. Louis (2018)
- Notable Outlets: The New Republic, Harper’s Magazine, The New York Review of Books
Snag Topics of Conversation and dive into Miranda Popkey’s fearless world of desire and dialogue—you won’t look at storytelling the same way again!