This week, best-selling author Russell Shorto never thought to write about his own past. He grew up knowing his grandfather and namesake was a small-town mob boss but maintained an unspoken family vow of silence. Then an elderly relative prodded: “You’re a writer―what are you gonna do about the story?” The result is Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob. (more…)
This week, George Saunders discusses his new work, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. He pairs iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev,...
James McBride is the author of the National Book Award winning “The Good Lord Bird” and the modern classic “The Color of Water.” His...
Brilliant, heartbreaking, tender, and highly original – poet Ocean Vuong’s debut novel, “On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” is a sweeping and shattering portrait of...