‘All Immigrants Are Artists’
Edwidge Danticat, author of Claire of the Sea Light, believes that "re-creating your entire life is a form of reinvention on par with the greatest works of literature."
By Heart
Authors share and discuss their all-time favorite passages in literature.
'This Did Something Powerful to Me': Authors' Favorite First Lines of Books
Jonathan Franzen, Margaret Atwood, David Gilbert, Roxane Gay, and other writers share their thoughts on what makes an inviting and memorable opening sentence.
Why Stephen King Spends 'Months and Even Years' Writing Opening Sentences
The author of horror classics like The Shining and its 2013 sequel Doctor Sleep says the best writers hook their readers with voice, not just action.
Ira Glass's Favorite Part of David Rakoff's Last Writings
The radio host accompanied his friend and collaborator to a dance-company show five months before his death in 2012—and inspired a passage in Rakoff's newly published book.
The Humanist Message Hidden Amid the Violence of One Thousand and One Nights
Hanan al-Shaykh, author of The Story of Zahra and Beirut Blues, puts new emphasis on the lessons about compassion in Shahrazad's—or Scheherazade's—famous stories.
'You're a Parasite': The Stark Morals of James Agee's Great Depression Essay
Cotton Tenants, the long-lost magazine story that led to And Now Let Us Praise Famous Men, finally sees publication—at a time when its message seems more urgent than ever.
There's No Such Thing as Good Writing: Craig Nova's Radical Revising Process
The author of All the Dead Yale Men doesn't just tweak when he rewrites—he tries on entirely new points of view and genre styles to learn more about the story he's telling.
The Way Vivid, Way Underappreciated Short Stories of Mavis Gallant
Author Peter Orner pays tribute to of one of the past century's great character builders.
Marcus Aurelius's One Question to Beat Procrastination, Whining, and Struggle
Author Jessica Francis Kane explains how the Roman emperor's words about perseverance have helped her career.
Even Khaled Hosseini Can't Tell Stories as Effectively as He Wants To
The author of The Kite Runner and And the Mountains Echoed touts the introduction of Stephen King's "The Body" as a poignant encapsulation of an author's limitations.