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 Jewish boy who is a prisoner in a concentration camp. A film of the same name based on John's book appeared in 2008. John's novel, A LADDER TO THE SKY, was named one of the best books of 2019 by The Washington Post and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, among others. John's novel for young readers, MY BROTHER'S NAME IS JESSICA, raised the ire of the LGBTQ community and friends who accused him of misrepresenting the trans experience in the novel. When one of his subsequent novellas was nominated for the Polari Prize, which celebrates LGBTQ literature, more than eight hundred writers and publishing industry workers signed a petition calling on Polari to remove John's novella from its long list. It did. Following the controversy, the University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society rescinded its decision to present John the James Joyce Award. John, who is gay, pressed on. THE WEIGHT OF ANGELS was published this summer by Henry Holt. This isn't to minimize or dodge the issues raised by the LGBT community or by John, but our focus here is on writing. As stated, I found THE WEIGHT OF ANGELS to be audacious in concept and execution. In it, John imagines that Oscar Wilde, the greatest playwright of the Victorian age, who was then at the height of his fame, was not arrested and charged with gross indecency with other males as he was, and that he was not convicted and sentenced to two years hard labor and jailed from 1895 to 1897 again, as he was. In John's novel, Wilde lives a long and fruitful life into the 1950s, a half-century longer than he actually lived. I've been curious about how and why John Boyne decided to write THE WEIGHT OF ANGELS from the moment I learned of it, so let's proceed.

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 Jim is an accomplished writer, but you might not realize the full depth and breadth of his body of writing. From journalism in different forms to short stories to songs to eleven novels, including one for young readers, Jim’s writing runs the gamut of forms. And while he is well known for his crime fiction, he also crosses genres. He has written for and been published by large companies and smaller ones, and his career has followed a path that has been anything but linear. You can find lots more information about Jim at his website, JimFusilli.com, or on Wikipedia.

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 written more than 60 novels, including a dozen featuring his characters Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, also featured in his novellas and short stories. His latest Hap and Leonard crime novel is PETRIFIED DREAMS, available now. Joe said it will be his last Hap and Leonard novel. You may know Joe's work even if you haven't read him. He's written many films, including the cult classic BUBBA HO-TEP, based on his novella. He wrote some of the best episodes of DC's TV universe, including for BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. The modern noir film COLD IN JULY, starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson, was based on his novel of the same name. His 2014 novel, THE THICKET, was the source for the film of the same name, and it's available on Netflix now. Two years later, the Hap and Leonard TV series launched on the Sundance Channel and ran for three seasons.

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 featuring his hitman for hire, Quarry, who Max introduced in 1976 and has seen flourish on the page, in films, and on TV. Max is perhaps best known for writing the graphic novel ROAD TO PERDITION, which was the basis of the film of the same name. But he's long been associated with other well-known works of crime fiction. For example, he took over the Dick Tracy comic strip when Chester Gould retired in 1977. He became friends with Mickey Spillane and worked with him on his Mike Hammer and other novels up until his death in 2006. Last year, Max published BABY, IT'S MURDER, which he says will be Hammer's final adventure. Max's longest running series is entirely his own, featuring Nathan Heller, a Chicago-based private eye who's appeared in some nineteen novels and many short stories since his arrival in 1983. In that series, Max melds historical fact with fiction, exploring famous and infamous crimes, many involving celebrities and political figures. See his Wikipedia page for more on his various series novelizations, TV novels, short stories, films, and comics. For his body of work, Max was bestowed with the honor of Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. Other awards include multiple Shamus Awards from the Private Eye Writers of America, and if that's not enough, he's a two-time electee to the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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 of the best recordings I've heard this year, and it serves as a reminder that Kristin writes distinctive songs in a voice unlike any other contemporary composer. As I mentioned, Kristin is also an author. Her 2010 RAT GIRL is considered one of rock's finest memoirs. Her 2015 book, DON'T SUCK, DON'T DIE: GIVING UP VIC CHESNUTT, explores her friendship with the singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who died in 2011. On several occasions, Kristin has written prose pieces to accompany her recordings, and she wrote and illustrated TOBY SNAX, a book for young kids. Born in Atlanta, raised in Newport, Rhode Island, Kristin formed Throwing Muses in high school. When she was 16, she was struck by a car, suffering a brain injury that altered her relationship with sound and influenced her earliest compositions. She's been frank in discussing in song and prose her mental condition, having been diagnosed with a number of disorders over the years. Following a Throwing Muses tour this spring, Kristin just began a lengthy tour of the UK, Europe, and Australia in support of Sugar and Blackstone. I'm grateful she could find the time to speak with me.

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, Thomas Hardy, and Francis Bacon. Quite a lineup, isn't it? A native of London and a longtime New Yorker, Neil studied photography at the London College of Printing. In New York, he worked as an assistant in Richard Avedon's studio, and he studied with Diane Arbus in her master class. He remains the only person authorized to make prints of Diane Arbus's photographs. Known for his portraiture, Neil's photographs are in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, among other institutions. Books of his photographs include SEE NO EVIL and LOBBYISTS, and he directed the documentary film, WHO IS MARVIN ISRAEL?, about the influential artist, designer, art director, and teacher. I'd like to tell you about Neil's WHY PHOTOGRAPHS?, but I'm not sure what it is beyond an enjoyable collection of well-crafted, quietly provocative, and persuasive essays. I'll leave it to Neil to explain. And though it was not his intent, I found myself asking whether I could apply his principles for outstanding photography to outstanding writing, which is an added benefit to the readers of WHY PHOTOGRAPHS?.

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 gold ring of blurbs when Pat Conroy called it, “a whacked-out combination of Stephen King and Cormac McCarthy.” Blake moved on from that series to write several standalone novels and The Wayward Pines trilogy, which was the source of the Fox TV series of the same name. Blake wrote three episodes and served as consulting producer and executive producer. More novels followed, including GOOD BEHAVIOR, which in turn served as a springboard for the 2016 TNT series. In many ways, Blake has had the kind of career many writers of genre fiction dream about: well-published in print, books optioned by Hollywood, opportunities to write scripts, becoming an executive producer of a series based on his work, and now a showrunner. Sounds like an easy-peasy journey to the summit, doesn't it? Well, was it? Let's find out.

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 coming to America, and it's also a cookbook with many recipes of Punjabi and Punjabi-inspired food. Madhushree Ghosh holds a PhD in biochemistry and a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology from John Hopkins University. Based in San Diego, she mentors emerging women leaders in science and works in global oncology diagnostics. Her writings have been Pushcart Nominated and celebrated in the Best American Essays in Food Writing. Her debut food narrative memoir, KHABAAR: AN IMMIGRANT JOURNEY OF FOOD, MEMORY, AND FAMILY, wove together stories of her refugee Bengali parents, her own move from India to America, and tales of innovative South Asian chefs.

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 essays. It's those essays I'd like to discuss with David, who I've known for nearly 25 years. He's an avid blogger. See davidhewson.com for his thoughts and observations. In particular, see a feature David calls Craft Notes. Published every Thursday morning, it's his weekly column on the craft of fiction writing. These posts, he says, cover the practicalities of the writer's life, structure, voice, character, dialogue, point of view, and the daily realities of long-form storytelling in the hopes that some of them are useful. I think they are. You may too. And for those among us who aren't writers, they give a strong sense of what a writer's life is like. I haven't spoken to David in a while, so I'm eager to begin.

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 featuring police detective Cormac Reilly set in Galway. THE RUIN won in 2019 Australia's Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel by the Crime Writers Association of Australia. Her first standalone, THE MURDER RULE, was published in 2022, followed by WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA in 2024, and now THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE. Perhaps as befits an author who now resides about ten-thousand miles from her birthplace, Dervla shifts her settings. THE MURDER RULE is set in Virginia, NINA in Vermont, and THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE in Melbourne. If you've suffered my presence at a writer's conference or some such, you know that setting is my greatest interest in fiction. That Dervla leaps from there to here, here to there, fascinates me, and we'll delve into that, I'm sure.