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, with one of the longest-running bestselling adult hardcovers in publishing history, “The Girl on the Train,” Paula Hawkins became an international publishing phenomenon. She now unfurls a gripping, twisting story of deceit, murder, and revenge in her latest novel, “A Slow Fire Burning.” Photo courtesy of Riverhead Books. ...
Lydia Davis is a writer whose originality, influence, and wit are beyond compare. Best known for her masterful short stories and translations, Davis’ gifts extend equally to her nonfiction. In “Essays One” Davis has, for the first time, gathered a selection of essays, commentaries, and lectures composed over the past five decades. ...
This week, George Saunders discusses his new work, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. He pairs iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, with essays intended for anyone interested in how fiction works. He also discusses why the Russian short story is more relevant than ever in these turbulent times. (more…) ...
