Some scholars toil away their lives, humbly adding their mote to the supply of human knowledge. Then there was Selma Barkham. “She was responsible for finding out something about Newfoundland that nobody had ever known,” says Annie Proulx. A fine writer––The Shipping News, Brokeback Mountain––tells the story of an extraordinary scholar. Presented with the American Academy of Arts and … Continue reading »

When  the admired writer — Election, Little Children, The Leftovers — was off at college, he got some unsettling news from his beloved cousin Mike: “He was a really talented indie rocker, but he ended up with a bunch of his friends playing in a wedding band.” This became the basis for The Wishbones, whose protagonist believes such bands emit … Continue reading »

Our conversation ranged over modern boxers, Victorian writers, one-room schools, and that nearly mythical creature, that unicorn of politics, the moderate Republican. (I hope to see one someday.) It was a treat to engage with someone interested in, well, everything. Continue reading »

Some novelists begin with a character, some with a plot; Jennifer Egan – A Visit From the Goon Squad, Manhattan Beach – often starts with a sense of place: “That seems to come before there are people.” A conversation at the Center for Fiction cosponsored by the Municipal Art Society. Music: Lily Henley and Duncan Wickel. Photo: … Continue reading »

Like many funny writers, this essayist and novelist grew up around someone with a highly cultivated sense of humor, in this case her grandmother Nettie. “She was extremely funny. She was sarcastic in a very loving way, which I think is a hard note to hit.” The challenge of being simultaneously funny and sweet. Plus … Continue reading »

When she was 13, her father let her skip school to stay home and read in bed. “It was a great paternal moment, too,” she tells the New York Society Library, “to say to your child: I get that this is more important than going to school today.” The making of a reader, the making … Continue reading »

Admired for fiction (The Russian Debutante’s Handbook) and non-fiction (Little Failure), he began at age five when his grandmother asked him to write a book about Lenin. “She paid me a piece of cheese for every page I wrote, and I wrote 100 pages. I love cheese.” A conversation at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan with music … Continue reading »

  He is a New York Times best-selling writer – 170 books, translated into 34 languages, with sales of over 6 million – but if you are a childless adult, you likely don’t know his name. If you are a 12-year-old YA reader, however, you cheer when you hear it. Plus, the sweet fried dough … Continue reading »

  The going price of a vote in the thirties? $5. How did they know you voted their way? By sandpapering the voting-both curtain so they could see through it. Forget it, Jake, it’s Albany. Tales of political corruption from the author of Ironweed and more.  PERSON: Dan O’Connell  PLACE: Times Union Building  THING: the … Continue reading »

  We all deceive ourselves, says the author of Call Me By Your Name, who provides a hierarchy of self-deception. “The most glaring one, the most painful one, is to imagine yourself being loved by some people who absolutely hate you.” How many really love you? Maybe 50%. “That’s a good number.” Hard truths and … Continue reading »

Best known as the creator of the Goosebumps books, a mighty empire of YA horror, R. L. Stine began as a humor writer, and sees interesting connections between laughter and fear. “It’s like writing punch lines; every chapter has some kind of surprising cliffhanger ending.” We spoke several years ago – he was one of … Continue reading »