Moshfegh’s Boring Automata

On the surface, Ottessa Moshfegh is not, however, an anxious writer, or, by the standards of her output, a hesitant one. In her own words, “the kind of writer” Moshfegh has “always wanted to be” is “a troublemaker”—a real rebel. Her writing is uniformly efficient and clear—with the assurance of someone who has practiced in order to shock and sting, to provoke disgust and debate.