"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" & "Brownies" by ZZ Packer

Yes, ladies and gentleman, today we are showing a double feature!  Today's stories belong to ZZ Packer, a darling of the literary scene who was published by The New Yorker at the age of 27.  I will try not to let my insane jealousy impact my post.

In thinking about my reaction to these two stories, "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" and "Brownies", I found an interview Ms. Packer gave where she discussed how her identify impacts her writing.

They asked, "Would you consider yourself a black writer?" And I said, "Of course, because I’m black. And I am a writer." (laughs) There is no other way to say that. But what he meant to say was, did I consider myself a writer who writes solely for black people? Or, who is my audience? To that I would just say, "No, I am writing for black people, but I am also writing for whites, for Chinese, for Americans." So, it’s one of those things that, yeah, the stories are definitely going to be influenced by the fact that I am black.

Both stories deftly investigate how the personal lives of Packer's characters are influenced by race and class, and I'm sure there are a myriad of analyses you can seek out  that will more aptly discuss reading Packer thought that lens.  I'm most interested in the writing: characters, plot, exposition.

I read "Brownies" first, though Packer wrote it after "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere".  It tells the story of a little girl called Snot (an unfortunate childhood nickname) who is away at camp with her Brownie troop, brazenly led by the cruel and cutting Arnetta.  Arnetta is a young Regina George from the movie Mean Girls.  I loved every second of hating her.  I want an Arnetta movie, an Arnetta book, and an Arnetta t-shirt.  She's perfectly wicked.  Her plot for revenge against rival troop #909 fails in the most unexpectedly sad and funny way that will brand itself in your mind for days to come.  

"Brownies" looks at what happens to those who've been cast aside.  In some souls, kindness and compassion bloom.  In others, malignant forces take hold.  Snot realizes that, "When you've been made to feel bad for so long, you jump at the chance to do it to others." 

Dina, the main character in Packer's "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere," feels like Snot all grown up.  She's a self-described misanthrope who may or may not be struggling with her sexual identity as a freshman at Yale, and who is most definitely struggling to fit into the privileged world of the Ivy League.  I liked being inside Dina's head, but this, Packer's earlier story of the two, is certainly more raw and less controlled than the more self-assured "Brownies".  In "Brownies", Packer is so good that you don't see the writing.  You aren't sitting on your couch listening to your kid talk about his Legos in the background.  You are at Camp Crescendo as seen through the eyes of Snot.

I love Packer's style.  It flows effortlessly.  Both of these stories felt like I was reading someone's autobiography: true and alive.

You can access "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" on The New Yorker site for free.