Lydia Kiesling tricked herself into writing a novel by starting with small vignettes about her feelings as a new parent and setting them in a northern California that’s rarely explored in literature. The result of tying those scenes together is her excellent debut, THE GOLDEN STATE. She and James talk about her work as editor of THE MILLIONS, spreadsheets, local newspapers, present tense, and barfing toddlers. Plus, Shuchi Saraswat from Brookline Booksmith talks about the Transnational Literature Series and book sales.
Lydia Kiesling:
Lydia and James Discuss:
CAL SUNDAY MAGAZINE
Sarah Smarsh
Hamilton College
OFF COURSE by Michelle Huneven
MODOC COUNTY RECORD
David Lodge
Sarah Blackwood
LUCKY JIM by Kingsley Amis
Tobias Wolff
Brandon Taylor
THE MILLIONS
Laura van den Berg
Emily Bell
Charles Dickens
THE GRADUATE dir by Mike Nichols
C. Max Magee
THE LAST SAMURAI by Helen DeWitt
–
Shuchi Saraswat
Shuchi and James discuss:
Brookline Booksmith
The Transnational Literature Series
KINGDOM OF OLIVE AND ASH ed by Chabon & Waldman
THIS IS NOT A BORDER ed by Soueif & Hamilton
Ru Freeman
Khury Petersen-Smith
BEACON PRESS
Tom Hallock
HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D. Vance
VISITATION by Jenny Erpenbeck
GO WENT GONE by Jenny Erpenbeck
Laura van den Berg
DISORIENTAL by Negar Djavadi
POSO WELLS by Gabriela Aleman
Coolidge Corner Theatre
PERSEPOLIS dir by Marjane Satrapi
Words Without Borders
The Forum Network
Bob Woodward
EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid
HOME FIRE by Kamila Shamsie
PACHINCO by Min Jin Lee
THE INCENDIARIES by R.O. Kwon
THE MARS ROOM by Rachel Kushner
CIRCE by Madeline Miller
SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller
BookScan