"The idea of a barista was not foremost; I wanted a character wrongly accused of a crime, inspired by Kafka's 'The Trial.'"
"The stakes for my narrator are much lower, and the bureaucracy he's caught up in actually works out in his favor."
"As ubiquitous as baristas are, I haven't seen them written about much, which made this character unexpected."
"The tip jar at the N.Y.U. Starbucks was removed by the managers, which influenced my writing of the story."
The story 'Process of Elimination' features a twenty-six-year-old barista who faces wrongful accusations. The narrative is inspired by Kafka's 'The Trial,' particularly its opening line. The author sought to create drama from the mundane setting of a coffee shop. The protagonist's situation reflects a blend of humor and unease, with the bureaucracy ultimately working in his favor. The inclusion of a stolen tip jar adds depth, drawing from real-life experiences that influenced the story's development.
Read at The New Yorker
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