Stacy Wakefield‘s debut novel, The Sunshine Crust Baking Factory (Akashic Books), tells the tale of a young woman’s quest to join the anarchist squatting scene in New York in 1995. Upon arrival, Sid discovers that the East Village is crowded and ends up in the uncharted territory of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The lively novel brings to life the misfits and eccentrics that inhabited the neighborhood decades before The Wyeth Hotel and Blue Bottle opened up.
GalleyCat caught up with Wakefield to discuss the new book. Wakefield talks about how she used documentary research to inspire a work of fiction; landing a publishing deal even though she couldn’t nab an agent; and the process of designing her own book cover.