Author Q&A: Houstonian Jennifer Mathieu

Houstonian author Jennifer Mathieu’s first adult novel, The Faculty Lounge, publishes next week. This funny, bighearted novel is at once an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school issues, and a tender character study, following a sprawling cast of teachers, administrators, and staff at a Texas high school. I absolutely loved it – it is on my Summer Reading Guide and is an August Buzz Reads pick as well.

Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle, raves, “‘This is a hell of a way to start the school year,’ announces a teacher in the opening pages of Jennifer Mathieu’s delightful novel, a celebration of teachers who remain heroically human in nearly impossible times. Likewise, The Faculty Lounge is a hell of a way to announce a major new voice in adult fiction. I loved it.”

Jennifer Mathieu is the critically acclaimed author of seven novels for young adults including Moxie, which is now a major motion picture directed by Amy Poehler (Netflix). (Read more about Moxie in From Novel to Netflix: Teacher’s Moxie heads to screen, June 2019, and On Set With Amy Poehler: Bellaire High School teacher’s novel hits Netflix, March 2021, by Deborah Lynn Blumberg.) Her first novel for adults, The Faculty Lounge, is published by Dutton/Penguin Random House. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages. A former journalist, Mathieu is a graduate of Northwestern and has been a teacher for nearly 20 years. She lives with her family in Houston. 

Houstonian author Jennifer Mathieu is the critically acclaimed author of seven novels for young adults including Moxie, which is now a major motion picture directed by Amy Poehler (Netflix). Her first adult novel, The Faculty Lounge, publishes next week. (Photo: Natasha Gorel)

Jennifer answers some questions that I posed to her about The Faculty Lounge:

What do you hope your readers take away from your book?

It’s my sincere hope that readers will take away the idea that educators and other adults who work in schools are full and flawed human beings. Our culture often paints teachers as saints and martyrs. (Think about all the movies that portray teachers in this way!) Lately, in these polarized times, our culture sometimes portrays teachers as groomers or indoctrinators. In my experience, the adults who choose to work in schools are not found on the extremes of a spectrum. Rather, they are human beings with gifts and flaws. I hope people who read The Faculty Lounge are reminded of this.

What surprised you the most when writing this book?

Something that surprised me was how natural it felt to write for adults. The Faculty Lounge is my first book for grownups, but the writing process did not feel that different. Certainly it was a change to write in third person past tense as opposed to first person present, which is the voice I used for all my Young Adult novels, and I explored different topics and concerns than I might in a YA novel. That said, the actual process of writing and revising was not that different. 

Do you have any say in what your book cover looks like?

My publisher, Dutton, asked for my thoughts on a cover. I mentioned a coffee mug, and they went in that direction! They gave me two separate covers and while I liked them both, my eyes were really drawn to the cover that was chosen. Dutton listened to my feedback and tweaked the cover a bit. For example, the woman in the blue blazer on the cover was initially holding what looked more like a purse rather than a teacher tote bag. I sent some image of the totes that many teachers carry, and they made that change. I am thrilled with the finished product!

What is the most difficult part about writing for you?

I struggle the most with plot. I am a character-driven novelist. I love coming up with characters and doing so comes quite easily to me. I fall in such love with my characters that I think a reader would enjoy reading an entire novel about my characters brushing their teeth and driving to work. Coming up with a plot that raises the stakes enough to make readers want to keep turning the pages is always the hardest part for me although it’s become easier with each book I write.

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

Many readers don’t know my first language was Spanish. I am the daughter of a Cuban mother and a Chilean father. They came to this country as young people and worked hard to make their dreams come true. I am the proud daughter of immigrants. My background probably played a part in me choosing to explore the character of Luz the custodian in The Faculty Lounge. My own grandmother worked as a cleaner when she first came to this country, and I know how often people tend to look past people working in those roles.

What are you reading now and what have you read recently that you loved?

I am currently reading Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. I’m really enjoying it! I recently read two memoirs that I adored. One was Cait West’s Rift. It’s about her journey out of the Christian Patriarchy movement, and it’s very compelling. Another memoir I read this summer was I’m Wearing Tunics Now by Wendi Aarons. It’s about being a woman in midlife and it made me literally laugh out loud.

Editor's note: Read more about Jennifer Mathieu in From Novel to Netflix: Teacher’s Moxie heads to screen, June 2019, and On Set With Amy Poehler: Bellaire High School teacher’s novel hits Netflix, March 2021, by Deborah Lynn Blumberg.

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram. Find upcoming Conversations from a Page events here.