I’m often asked about how I write Montana so well, and I’m tempted to paraphrase Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good as It Gets when asked how he writes women so well: “I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability.” It’s fairly obvious to anyone observing publishing these days that American novels need to be about Brooklyn, or at least give it a hefty cameo, so to write Montana in a relatable way, I think of Brooklyn.