Fiction--Authorship
Author Richard Ford Says 'Let Me Be Frank' About Aging And Dying
The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's new book centers on Frank Bascombe, a 68-year-old man dealing with his aging body, a dying friend and his ex-wife, who has Parkinson's.
Christopher Beha, On Faith And Its Discontents
The author's What Happened to Sophie Wilder features a convert to Catholicism and another character who struggles to understand her faith. Beta talks about his Catholic upbringing, iron's place in fiction and literature's therapeutic aspects.
Examining 'The Leftovers,' After The Rapture
What if the rapture actually occurred? That's the plot of Tom Perrotta's new novel Te Leftovers, which examines the aftermath of an unexplained rapture like even in which millions of people around the globe inexplicably disappear into thin air.
Harry Crews On Writing And Feeling Like A 'Freak'
Writer Harry Crews had a hard life and didn't make it any easier for the characters in his novels. He died Wednesday at age 76. Fresh Air remembers the Southern novelist with excerpts from a 1988 interview.
Revisiting John Updike's 'Fresh Air' Interviews
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist John Updike would have turned 80 on March 18, 2012. Fresh Air honors the late writer with excerpts from several interviews.
Writing About The Midwestern Muslim Experience
Ayad Akhtar's debut novel, American Dervish, tells the story of a Pakistani-American boy in Milwaukee coming to terms with his religion and identity. Akbar drew on his own experiences exploring the Muslim faith as a teenager growing up in Wisconsin.
After The Rapture, Who Are 'The Leftovers'?
What if the rapture actually occurred? That's the plot of Tom Perrotta's new novel Te Leftovers, which examines the aftermath of an unexplained rapture like even in which millions of people around the globe inexplicably disappear into thin air.
Gary Shteyngart: A 'Love Story' In A Sad Future
His third novel, Super Sad True Love Story, is a black comedy set in a futuristic America -- where books don't exist and where the economy has collapsed. Shteyngart explains why he decided to write a love story in this despotic vision of the future -- and why he thinks technology is changing the way we think.
What It's Like To Be An Elderly Widow, All 'Alone'
Stewart O'Nan's moodily comic novel, Emily, Alone, follows an 80-year-old woman as she navigates the minutia of everyday life. O'Nan explains how he got inside Emily's head -- and why he wanted to write about the daily indignities of getting older.
Set In The Ozarks, Adapted For The Screen
Filmmaker Debra Granik knew right away that she wanted to adapt Daniel Woodrell's 2006 novel Winter's Bone for the big screen. Grain and Woodrell discuss the process of turning the meth-fueled family drama into an award-winning film.