Simon Winchester talks about his sweeping history of the Atlantic Ocean, ATLANTIC and on the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire we talk with Katharine Weber about her novel TRIANGLE.
Translator Peter Filkins talks about H.G. Adler’s PANORAMA. Set in the vanished world of pre-war Bohemia, it follows the young Joseph from childhood in Prague to adulthood in the concentration camps. Filkins also talks about Adler’s THE JOURNEY. And we preview next week’s show.
We hear clips from seven of the top ten shows of 2010, including journalists David Grann, Hampton Sides, and Eric Pooley; novelists Isabel Allende and Sadie Jones; poet Philip Schultz and short story writer Marisa Silver. Also, links to the full interviews with the remaining three picks.
Two new works of fiction explore the chiaroscuro of the human heart and the dappled shadow it casts on those we love. We talk with best-selling author Scott Spencer about MAN IN THE WOODS and with Dori Ostermiller about her quasi-autobiographical debut novel, OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY WORLD.
Alan Furst talks about writing and about his historical thrillers, SPIES OF THE BALKANS (2010) and THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (2006). Continue reading →
Sadie Jones talks about her new novel, SMALL WARS. Set in war torn Cyprus in 1956, it tells the story of a young British solider, and the effects of that war on him, his wife and their family. And we hear from Fernanda Eberstadt about her acclaimed new novel RAT. It’s about a girl of extraordinary courage who travels from a hardscrabble region of France to London in search of her father. Continue reading →
Patient advocate and author Patrick Malone talks about his book, The Life You Save: Nine Steps to Finding the Best Medical Care-and Avoiding the Worst. It’s about how to keep from being a victim of medical errors. We’ll also talk with novelist Lionel Shriver about her new novel, SO MUCH FOR THAT. It’s about health insurance gone very wrong. And Martin Espada, Richard Wilbur and other poets read at a benefit for the children of Gaza. Continue reading →
Mystery novelist Robert Parker died January 20, 2010 at his desk at home, writing. It was a fitting end for this most prolific of writers — more than sixty books emerged from his pen. Although he wrote in several genres, including westerns and young-adult novels, Parker was best known for his mystery novels, especially those featuring Spenser, the hardboiled detective with a sensitive heart.
Writers Voice guest host Jodi Schneider talked to Robert Parker in 2005 about his Spenser novel, [amazon-product text=”SCHOOL DAYS” type=”text”]0425211347[/amazon-product], his life and his writing. She found out he wrote ten pages a day with no revisions, working for about six hours. He made it up as he went, with little or no planning in advance. And he never read any of his books after publication. Listen to this free-wheeling, funny interview.
Peter Phillips of Project Censored talks about the Project’s latest yearbook of the top censored news stories of 2009, CENSORED 2010. And novelist Dan Chaon talks about his thriller, AWAIT YOUR REPLY. It examines the truth and lies about identity. Continue reading →
We hear excerpts from a dramatic reading of Ernest J. Gaines’ novel, A LESSON BEFORE DYING by Enchanted Circle Theater actors. It’s about a young black man in Jim Crow Louisiana who is condemned to death. And we interview Thad Carhart about his new historical novel, ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER. It’s about Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the son of Sacagawea who was a guide on the Lewis and Clark expedition and who lived both in the United States and Europe. Continue reading →
Nicholson Baker talks about his new novel, THE ANTHOLOGIST. His hero Paul Chowder is looking back over his whole life and wondering what it’s amounted to. He’s also facing the dreaded disease: writer’s block. And Susan Stinson is just finishing her new novel, SPIDER IN THE TREE. She tells us about her protagonist, the 18th century preacher Jonathan Edwards who preached fire and brimstone — and love. Continue reading →
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about her stunning collection of stories [amazon-product text=”THE THING AROUND YOUR NECK” type=”text”]0307271072[/amazon-product]. And poet Honor Moore reads from and tells us about [amazon-product text=”POEMS FROM THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT” type=”text”]1598530429[/amazon-product]. Our guests use fiction (Adichie) and poetry (Moore) to evoke the lives of women with power, honesty and grace. Continue reading →