“The big reveal isn’t ‘who done it’, the big reveal is why and what effects does it have?” Set in an insular small town in the Irish countryside, Tana French’s The Hunter follows a set of vibrant characters as they uncover secrets, plots and mystery among their friends and neighbors. French joins us to talk […]
The True Grit author’s short work reveals the range of an inimitable and hilarious American voice.
Historical fiction fanatics are in for a Valentine’s treat this month, with seven historical novels to choose from. Pick a locale, and there’s something for everyone, from the wild west of Civil War-era Texas, to 1880s and 1950s Australia, to 1970s Alaska, to 1980s Harlem and the rise of ball culture at the House of […]
Carl Sagan, that stargazing optimist, recorded a compilation of sounds from Earth on golden records and launched them into space on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in 1977. These spacecrafts are still traveling the universe, seeking some being to listen to the greatest hits albums they’re carrying. Meanwhile, Steven Hawking, more of a curmudgeon where […]
One Author, Nine Planets, and Half a Library There used to be a poster hanging in one of my long-ago English classrooms that read: “In order to write a single book, one must turn over half a library.” I’ve long forgetten the attribution, so forgive me, but I’ve thought of that phrase over and over […]