"Blob" and a coming of age
An LAS alumna has published her first novel that explores the idea of being able to literally shape your ideal partner from scratch.
Maggie Su (BA, ’13, creative writing/English) is the assistant director for the University Writing Center at the University of Notre Dame. Her book was recently released in January after seven years of brainstorming, writing, and revising as her dissertation for her PhD (which she received from the University of Cincinnati).
Her novel “Blob,” published by HarperCollins Publishers, follows the experience of Vi, a college student whose experience is based upon Su’s own experience as a biracial woman living in and attending college in the Midwest. “Definitely my experience being biracial in the Midwest (helped me write about) racial otherness,” said Su, who is Taiwanese American.
Growing up in Champaign, Su’s mother worked as a librarian who eventually retired from the Champaign Public Library. Su’s family still lives in Champaign, and she comes back to visit them often.
“I just grew up surrounded by books, loving to read, and really always wanting to publish my own book,” said Su.
When Su attended the U of I, however, she wasn’t originally focused on writing. She started out studying biochemistry. Su was about one class away from earning a chemistry minor when she decided to shift her studies.
After taking a poetry class with Julie Price, a well-liked and long-term lecturer in the Department of English who recently won a college teaching award, Su knew that she wanted to pursue writing. “I just took it on a whim,” said Su. “I was like let me try out this creative writing class I've heard really good things about and then I just got completely sucked in.”
She went on to pursue more education after leaving Illinois. In addition to her PhD in fiction from the University of Cincinnati, she earned a master’s in fine arts (MFA) from Indiana University.
In “Blob,” Su explores the concept of what it means to shape a person. The main character Vi finds a sentient slime-looking blob outside of a drag bar one night and decides to take it home to shape it into her ideal partner.
“I just was interested in exploring how we find connection with each other, and I was using this kind of speculative conceit to think about,” said Su.
“Blob” is a “profoundly interesting” story, wrote one reviewer, and a tale of love that Su describes as a coming-of-age narrative. When Vi’s plan to shape the blob starts to spiral out of control, she must confront her ex-boyfriend and her own struggles with loneliness and marginalization.
Although “Blob” is her first novel, Su has written many short stories. As for her writing process, Su said she is very excited when she starts a new story. “I think the blank page is scary, but also really freeing. I like writing by hand because I feel like I can make mistakes,” said Su.
Su said she plans to write another book. As a horror movie fan, she wants to explore the concept of racial otherness in the horror genre, much like director Jordan Peele, who is well known for his films that comment on society such as “Get Out” and “Us.” The thrillers focus on Black characters navigating psychological horrors.
Su said her book being published feels like a dream come true. “It started back at U of I when I started taking my writing really seriously,” she said, “and I'm incredibly indebted to the professors and writers and community that I built there.”
