Writers at Work

With me on this episode of Writers at Work is John Boyne, whose audacious new novel is THE WEIGHT OF ANGELS. I'll get to what makes it so in a few minutes. Raised in Dublin, John is the author of some twenty novels, including six for young readers. It's likely you've heard of his 2006, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, a fable of the Holocaust. It tells of a son of an SS officer who befriends a Jewi...

Welcome to this special 100th episode of Writers at Work, where my guest is our host, Jim Fusilli. This is Erin Mitchell, and as the producer of writers at work, and I’m normally comfortably ensconced behind the scenes, but on this occasion, Jim has agreed to step in front of the microphone and allow me to ask him about his own writing, which is both an honor and a pleasure You probably know that...

Here with me on this episode of Writers at Work is Joe R. Lansdale, an author who has found success in just about every genre and writing medium: mystery, sci-fi, westerns, horror, and suspense, and novels, also in film and comics. He's won a variety of awards, including an Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America and a remarkable 11 Bram Stoker Awards from the Horror Writers of America. Joe's wr...

Here with me on Writers at Work is Max Allen Collins, a writer who redefines the term prolific. If you tell me he's written a thousand novels, short stories, screenplays, plays, novelizations, comic books, and whatnot, I'd believe you, and it could be more for all I know. In January, his RETURN OF THE MALTESE FALCON was published by Hard Case Crime. In November arrives QUARRY'S REUNION, the latest...

With me on this episode of Writers at Work is Kristin Hersh, songwriter, musician, and author. You may know Kristin from her band Throwing Muses that released its debut EP in 1986 and its most recent album last year, or from 50 Foot Wave, her trio that's released albums and EPs periodically since 2005. She's also released about a dozen solo albums, including the new Sugar on Blackstone. It's one o...

My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Neil Selkirk, a photographer and author whose latest book is WHY PHOTOGRAPHS? It's a collection of essays, an occasional poem, and quotes by Neil and some three dozen other artists, including Berenice Abbott, Margaret Atwood, Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, Dorothea Lange, whose essay is 13 words in total, and W.G. Sebald, as well as Philip Larkin, Thoma...

With me on this episode of Writers at Work is Blake Crouch, whose series DARK MATTER is now in its second season on Apple TV. Blake is a writer, showrunner, and executive producer for the series, which had its origins in his 2016 novel of the same name. Well, prior to DARK MATTER in print and TV, Blake was well-established as an author. His debut novel, DESERT PLACES, published in 2004, earned a g...

I'm joined on this episode of Writers at Work by Madhushree Ghosh, author of SAFAR: FINDING HOME, HISTORY, AND CULTURE THROUGH PUNJABI FOOD IN THE AMERICAN WEST. Spelled S-A-F-A-R, SAFAR is a fascinating examination of the migration of Punjabi Sikhs to the California Central Valley, where they are dominant players in agriculture and transportation. But SAFAR also reveals Madhushree's story of comi...

With me on this episode of Writers at Work is David Hewson, author of several well-regarded mystery series and standalones largely set across Europe, most notably in Venice, 30 or so novels in all. As a journalist, David was a reporter for the Times of London and features editor for The Independent. His talent permits him to write thrillers, adaptations of Shakespeare, breaking news, and engaging...

Joining me on this episode of Writers at Work is Dervla McTiernan, the international bestselling mystery writer whose latest, THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE, is available now. A native of Ireland who now resides in Australia, Dervla has published a variety of mysteries and thrillers, including four audio novellas as part of the Audible Originals franchise. Her novels include the four-book series featur...

I was in a bookstore recently when I spotted the title, THE MAN WHO WROTE THE PERFECT NOVEL. And then I was delighted to read the subtitle, JOHN WILLIAMS, STONER & THE WRITING LIFE. Since STONER is one of my favorite novels, I bought the book and read it almost immediately.   Then I contacted the author through his agent, and Charles J. Shields joins me today on Writers at Work. Charles is the...

With me today on Writers at Work is Jennifer DeVere Brody, author of MOVING STONES: ABOUT THE ART OF EDMONIA LEWIS, the 19th century Black and Native American sculptor. Jennifer, who is professor of theater and performance studies and African and African American studies at Stanford University, is the author of several books, including PUNCTUATION: ART, POLITICS, AND PLAY and IMPOSSIBLE PURITIES:...

Joining me on this episode of Writers at Work is Wesley Brown, whose latest novel is LOOKING FOR FRANK WILLS. It's part of McSweeney's “Of the Diaspora” series that also included Wesley's debut novel, TRAGIC MAGIC, originally published in 1978 and celebrated by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and others. Wesley Brown is the author of three novels, a novella, a short story collection, and five plays....

Here today on this episode of Writers at Work is Erica Wright, whose latest novel is THE MUSEUM OF UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE: A PSYCHIC CITY MYSTERY. It's a bit of a departure for Erica, who may be best known for her genre fiction written with a literary flair. Her previous novel, HOLLOW BONES, was inspired by Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," for example. One reviewer called it an incredible, rich wo...

With me today on Writers at Work is Kevin Wade, best known for his work on the police drama Blue Bloods, where he served as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. The show ran for 14 seasons on CBS. Prior to that, Kevin wrote or co-wrote such feature films as Working Girl, Mr. Baseball, Meet Joe Black, and Maid in Manhattan, and polished the script for the James Bond film GoldenEye, among oth...

With me today on Writers at Work is Gayle Feldman, author of NOTHING RANDOM: BENNETT CERF AND THE PUBLISHING HOUSE HE BUILT. There was a time when Cerf, co-founder of Random House, was a household name in America. In a massive and meticulously researched biography, and thoroughly enjoyable, I should add, Gail tells us how he came to be that and more. In doing so, she also tells us how publishing p...

With me today on Writers at Work is Allegra Goodman, whose latest two books reveal the range of her abilities as a novelist and author of short fiction. Published in 2025, ISOLA, is a masterful work of historical fiction based on the true story of Marguerite de La Rocque, a sixteenth-century French woman who, abandoned on a remote island to end a forbidden romance, fights to reclaim her life. It w...

With me today on Writers at Work is Andy Kroll, a reporter for ProPublica, the nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Based in Washington, Andy covers justice and the rule of law. Earlier this year, he won the coveted George Polk Award for political reporting for "The Shadow President," a fascinating and comprehensive article about Russ Vought, a conservative, self-described Christi...

My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Graham Nash, singer, performer, band leader, photographer, activist, and for our purposes, songwriter. Graham is a two-time member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his role in The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he's composed pop songs that are known to...

My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Jane Smiley, whose latest novel is LIDIE: THE FURTHER TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES OF LIDIE NEWTON. If that title rings a bit of a bell, it's because in 1998, Jane published THE ALL-TRUE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES OF LIDIE NEWTON. That novel, set in the 1850s as our country crept toward a civil war, told of Lidie Harkness of Quincy, Illinois, a young, resolute...

My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is author Chris Grabenstein. If you don't know Chris, I can assure you that your kids--and their kids--do. With his many series for young readers--Mr. Lemoncello, The Smartest Kid in the Universe, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, some of which were written with James Patterson--Chris has influenced thousands and thousands of young people to become enthusiastic...

On this episode of Writers at Work, I'm joined by Alex Lin, playwright and screenwriter, whose métier per Forbes magazine is the lives of, "complex women in power while also working to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and pop culture." I quote Forbes because its editors recently placed Alex on its 30 Under 30 list, naming her one of America's brightest young talents. Alex's achievements...

With me on this episode of Writers at Work is Mark Braude, author of THE TYPEWRITER AND THE GUILLOTINE: AN AMERICAN JOURNALIST, A GERMAN SERIAL KILLER, AND PARIS ON THE EVE OF WWII. The American journalist is Janet Flanner, best known for her work for The New Yorker. The German serial killer is a wormy, self-deluded, lifelong criminal, and the setting is, as stated, Paris during the build-up to th...

I'm pleased to be joined today on Writers at Work by Ron Charles, the book critic best known for his reviews published in the Washington Post, his former employer. If you know Ron's work, it goes without saying that his unceremonious exit from the Post represents another blow to the relevance of books and literature in American mainstream media. On his Substack, Ron discussed his situation with ch...

My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Don Winslow. His latest, THE FINAL SCORE, marks his return following his announced retirement in 2022. It's a six-story crime collection Stephen King called, "The best crime fiction I've read in 20 years." Having read them as if I were starving for Don's style of storytelling, I will tell you that the collection will make you very glad he's back. Prio...