This WRITING MATTERS post features an interview with Stephanie Saunders, author of MUP book Covered Buttons. An Arkansas native, Stephanie is associate professor of Spanish and director of the Honors Fellows Program at Lyon College. She wrote Fashion, Gender, and Agency in Latin American and Spanish Literature (Tamesis Books, 2021) and is coeditor of The New Latin American Fashion Reader (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2026).
Kelley @ MUP: As we read in your bio, Stephanie, your previous work has been nonfiction studies, particularly regarding Latin American and Spanish fashion. What can you share with us about this work?
Stephanie Saunders: My work over the past two decades has focused on fashion in Latin American and Spanish literature. I am particularly interested in how, despite society’s distancing from textile arts as a way of clothing ourselves, there has been a notable resurgence of representations of sewing and embroidery in literature.
K: How long have you had the idea for Covered Buttons, and what was your process in writing the story?
SS: I began writing Covered Buttons in 2013, and it ultimately became a very different novel from the one I set out to write. Although I knew I wanted to give special attention to the textile arts, sense of place, and regional traditions, research and countless revisions and rewrites led the story to new narrative spaces. And I cherish those surprises! They kept me going.
My writing process evolved over time, but I consistently found inspiration in research. I employed many of the same methods that I use in nonfiction research such as spending hours with microfilm and artifacts. Newspapers, magazines, music, and literature became rich sources for building the novel’s world and ensuring historical accuracy.
One major difference between academic and creative writing, for me, lies in the role of outlines. In writing the novel, I learned to trust my intuition to let the characters speak and take me where they needed to go. That was challenging at first. Although my early drafts were on the computer, I read how many writers (such as Lauren Groff, Tracy Chevalier, and Michael Ondaatje) emphasize the importance of writing by hand in the early stages. That resonated with me. When I returned to longhand, Thea’s voice emerged more clearly, and I felt less tethered to those initial drafts. Also, for me, showing up to write as consistently as possible was key. Writing is a skill, and like all skills it requires time and practice. George Saunders’s A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is such a great read for anyone interested in diving deeper into the importance of revision, showing up over time, and tuning in to one’s gut.
K: In the novel, Thea’s relationships with her grandmother and her stepmother reflect the push and pull of women in community and eventually lead to the revelation of a secretive care network. This was a time when women had few choices, so other women came together to help them. What modern-day themes did you discover as you wrote?
SS: This is such a great question. Community is everything. I often tell my students that everyone is one great mentor away from success, and I have been fortunate to have female mentors at every stage of my life.
In terms of modern-day themes, much like in the novel, I think women’s work often remains silent and overlooked. This labor can take place in the private sphere of the home, in the vulnerability of pregnancy, or in the challenges and loneliness of motherhood. Across these spaces, women continue to support and carry one another, often without recognition or acknowledgment.
I also found myself thinking about the question of access to information and care. In the world of the novel, knowledge circulates through informal networks of women, often out of necessity. That dynamic still resonates today around maternity and reproductive health, where disparities in access and information continue to shape women’s experiences. These informal systems of care and knowledge-sharing remain vital, even as they are too often undervalued.
K: Do you think there is still a “quiet revolution of women who dare to dream differently” (MUP cover copy)? What are they achieving today?
SS: Also, such a beautiful question. I do believe there is a quiet revolution of women. How wonderful it is to witness! I have taught for over two decades. The young people with whom I have the privilege to work care deeply. Younger generations often get the proverbial black eye, but so many are eager to see the world differently, more fully, more justly, and more their own.
I see this in students who are rethinking what success looks like: pursuing meaningful work, advocating for their communities, and building networks of support that prioritize care as much as achievement. I also see it in women—some my peers, some my elders—who continue to reinvent themselves, learn new skills, and remain deeply engaged in their communities.
What they are achieving may not always be loud or immediately visible, but it is lasting: expanding access, reshaping conversations around motherhood and work, and creating spaces where other women can thrive. It is, in many ways, a continuation of the same quiet, collective labor that has always sustained women, has always stitched us together.
K: Finally, what do you enjoy doing for fun?
SS: Reading and writing, of course, but I also love the slow arts of cooking, baking, sewing, embroidery, gardening, and swimming. My husband, daughter, our energetic Aussie Doodle (our lap llama), and I enjoy taking walks in the beautiful Ozarks and having dinners with friends and family. We live in a small, active community. There is never a dull moment as we attend local plays, concerts, and sporting events and are privileged to witness young people make great waves. Also, at any given free moment, you can find my daughter and me perusing antique shops and binging I Love Lucy and Little Women adaptations.
© Mercer University Press 2026
Click here to purchase Covered Buttons. Use coupon code MUPNEWS to receive 20% off your order at checkout. Shipping charges apply.
Kelley graduated from Mercer University in 2000 with a BA in English/Creative Writing. After twenty years as a freelance copy editor, including work for MUP, she is enjoying full-time work outside the home with the good people at Mercer University Press. She loves to read and also enjoys watching great TV series, playing board games with best friends, and taking long walks with dachshunds Luke and Leia. Kelley is married to John, a “Double Bear” (BSE 2001 and MSE 2010), and they have two daughters: a first-year student at Kennesaw State University and a third-year student at Mercer University.
Mercer University Press News 