Literary Figures: Novelists

Writer D. Keith Mano. He often combines the spiritual and the profane in his writing.

Screenwriter and novelist Bruce Wagner. He wrote the screenplays for "Nightmare on Elm Street 3," and "Scenes from The Class Struggle in Beverly Hills." He's just come out with his first novel, a black comedy, "Force Majeure." It's a collection of his "Bud Wiggins" stories. Wiggins is a struggling screenwriter, actor, and some time chauffeur who is "circling the drain." (published by Random House). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Writer Robert Bausch. Bausch's new novel, "Almighty Me," is the story of an average guy who, for one year, is given the powers of God. (It's published by Houghton Mifflin). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Mystery writer Sue Grafton. She's known for her "alphabet series" with female detective Kinsey Milhone, "A is for Alibi" through "G is for Gumshoe." Grafton's latest mystery is "H is for Homicide." (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Writer Gus Lee. Lee's novel, "China Boy" is the story of a young immigrant boy growing up in a rough neighborhood of San Francisco. (The book's published by E.P. Dutton). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Tan's debut novel, "The Joy Luck Club," was a huge critical and commercial success, earning Tan a nomination for the National Book Award. She has a new novel, called "The Kitchen God's Wife," which draws explicitly from her mother's experiences as a Chinese immigrant and survivor of an abusive relationship.

Alvarez was born into a prosperous family in the Dominican Republic. When she was ten, her family moved to New York City. Alvarez's new novel, "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents," is a semi-autobiographical work about the clash of cultures in her early life.

Sayles' films include Return of the Secaucus Seven, Brother From Another Planet, Matewan, and Eight Men Out. He has just written a novel, called Los Gusanos, about Cuban Americans living in Miami. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the difference between moviemaking and creative writing.

Historian Simon Schama. His new historical novel, "Dead Certainties," examines the deaths of two revolutionary figures from various perspectives.

Writer Nicholson Baker. His new book, "U and I," is a quirky look at how writer John Updike has shaped Baker's life