Benny & Bjorn by Lilia Anderson was Bacopa’s Fiction honorable mention for 2022. I was drawn to the story for the compelling characters, small town political intrigue, and most notably, the perfect balance between humorous and heartfelt moments. I spoke with Lilia Anderson about her creative process and the inspiration behind Benny & Bjorn.
What inspired the idea for your story, Benny & Bjorn?
I am absolutely fascinated by the literary use of twins. 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin are two of my favorite novels. Both of which utilize twins to thematically drive the plot. Furthermore, like many women my age, the film The Parent Trap was a major part of my childhood. All this media pushed me to write a story about twins switching places.
Much of my fiction is inspired by the Minnesotan lake town where I live. I didn't have to utilize much creativity in writing about adults obsessed with their high school selves, the social politics of schools and churches, and the raw disdain for anyone who chooses to leave lake country. There is a sense, in this neck of the woods, that we live in the greatest place on earth, and anyone who would dare leave it is a fool.
While Benny & Bjorn focused largely on the negative elements of this culture, there are endless things I adore about this part of the world. There is a lot of love among the cedars and the lakes, and a lot of joy between the rivers and the bonfires. I hope Bjorn's unconditional devotion to his family illustrates that, no matter how misplaced it may be.
As a reader, one of the things that drew me into the story was the tone, which was simultaneously heartfelt and funny. How did you balance these elements while writing the story?
That is so nice of you to say, and I'm so glad I was able to convey that!
While he didn't intend to, Bjorn broke Benny's adolescent heart, and the latter cannot move past it. I knew I wanted this to carry over throughout the story but I didn't want it to be a complete downer the entire time. By throwing an earnest character into an absurd and selfish world, I was hoping to create a tragically humorous story. Bjorn is the only kind character, and I used him to drive the sentimentality while relying on Minnesotan caricatures to create some humor.
During the writing process, did the story ever take an unexpected turn that surprised you?
The story is - and I say this out of love - absolutely ridiculous. While the reader is likely well aware as to what Benny and Bjorn are doing, the other characters are completely oblivious. Initially, I debated having the twins run their switching places operation as a longer con and have other people in on it. I surprised myself by having the small-town mayoral election be the entire crux of the story but am glad I did so. It keeps the story absurd - everyone did know Benny had a twin, after all - and allows Benny to cut Bjorn out immediately after getting what he wants.
Despite being identical twins, Benny & Bjorn have unique personalities. What was your process in determining which role each twin would play in the story?
After determining that the story would be a simple one and focus only on a mayoral election, I knew that the twins would need to be quite polarized. In the novels I mentioned above, the relationships, personalities, and faults of the twins are much more nuanced, and the line between who is right and who is wrong is often blurred. In this shorter form of fiction, I knew that it would be most powerful if Benny completely betrayed his brother and left no room for sympathy from the readers. Bjorn doesn't do anything wrong throughout the story, and while his family and hometown see him as weak for leaving, he really is quite strong (if not a bit irrational).
Are there any projects you are currently working on/forthcoming publications that you want to mention?
If you're itching for more immoral, small-town Minnesotans, check out my Pushcart Prize nominated short story, "Runerock," published by Feels Blind Literary. The link can be found on my website (liliaanderson.com/publications). It is chalk full of passive-aggression, Miller Lite, and falling snow.
Thank you so much for reading my story, all!
