Articles Index

Interview with Manil Suri, Author of The Age of Shiva
Manil Suri has written two remarkable novels. The Death of Vishnu (2001) debuted to universal and well-deserved critical acclaim. The Age of Shiva (2008) is also receiving comparable praise. While the first was a microscopic view of one day in the life and death of one man in India, the second spreads across three decades of Indian independence and one woman's rebellion against tradition. This interview with Manil Suri took place in Raleigh, NC in February, 2008.

A Genius In Flip-Flops: An Interview With Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore is in rare company in the funny business. How many novelists make a big splash with books that are not just witty but laugh-out-loud, tears-rolling-down-your-creeks funny? There's Kurt Vonnegut, John Steinbeck, Tim Sandlin and Carl Hiaasen on the American side, a short list indeed. On the other side of the Atlantic, there's Douglas Adams, who inspired Moore's first book, and a host of other funnymen like Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, and Terry Pratchett, among others.

Charles Frazier, author of Thirteen Moons
Quail Ridge Books kicked off Charles Frazier’s national tour on October 3 at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nearly 600 fans and media representatives turned out to hear Frazier. The following account is not a verbatim rendering although it captures the essence of Frazier’s message.

Neil Gaiman Interview
Neil Gaiman is the author of the novels Neverwhere (1996), Stardust (1999), Coraline (2002), a childrens' novel, American Gods (2001), and Good Omens (1990), a comic novel co-written with Terry Pratchett; the Sandman (1988-1996) series of comics as well as other comics; Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Companion (1988); many short stories, several childrens' books, and a number of screenplays. His latest novel is Anansi Boys, published September 20, 2005.

Tony and Me: An Interview with Jack Klugman
Jack Klugman is best known for the television series, "The Odd Couple," in which he co-starred with Tony Randall. But, his career has spanned the stage ("Gypsy") and movies ("12 Angry Men") with success and critical acclaim for over half a century. Time, age, and a bout with throat cancer have not diminished Jack Klugman's love and enthusiasm for the theatre. All that, and some strong opinions, came across clearly in a recent telephone interview.

Big Questions, An Interview with Anders Nilsen
Anders Nilsen is a comic artist who's work has been quietly gaining momentum over the past few years in collections and quarterlies such as MOME, Kramer's Ergot, and the Drawn and Quarterly Showcase. His self-published series Big Questions was recently picked up for distribution by Drawn and Quarterly who also published his first full length work, Dogs and Water.

Bait and Switch: An Interview with Barbara Ehrenreich
Writer Barbara Ehrenreich is a critically and politically acclaimed feminist author nominated for the Book Critics Circle Award. Her articles can often be found in publications including Harpers, The Nation, and Time Magazine. She has explored the social construction of war, sexuality and most recently in her books Nickel and Dimed (2001) and Bait and Switch (2005), issues of class and work. Ehrenreich continues the exploration of work in her newest non-fiction critique, Bait and Switch.

Elizabeth Kostova Interview
Elizabeth Kostova is the author of The Historian, a chilling historical mystery that reaches from the present day into the medieval past of Vlad the Impaler, Wallachia’s hideously barbarous 15th century ruler whose gruesome deeds gave rise to the legend of Dracula. Kostova’s intricately researched novel traces the paths of a modern-day father and daughter plunging obsessively from ancient village to dank crypt in a quest to destroy the vampire.

Mark Helprin Interview
Mark Helprin has authored numerous essays and short stories, three children's books, and several novels, the most celebrated of which are Winter's Tale (1983) and A Soldier of the Great War (1991). In 2005, he published Freddy and Fredericka, his fifth novel. I was fortunate enough to speak with Mr. Helprin during the book tour for Freddy and Fredericka.

Kevin Smokler Interview
Kevin Smokler is the editor of "Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times," a collection of original essays on the state of literature in the 21st century. He is also the creator of The Virtual Book Tour, a unique synthesis of book tour, blog, and buzz. As a book critic and commentator, Kevin’s writing has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Baltimore Sun, and on NPR. He lives in San Francisco.

Jennifer Traig Interview
In "Devil in the Details: Stories from an Obsessive Girlhood," Jennifer Traig shares with us a childhood in which her undiagnosed Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) flummoxes, frustrates, and renders topsy-turvy her otherwise average everyday middle class family. Traig's memoir is simultaneously hilarious and painful, all the while being rather eye-opening to the struggles of an OCD-afflicted childhood. Ms. Traig is also the author and creator of "The Crafty Girl Series" and "Judaikitsch."

National Novel Writing Month 2004
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was the brainchild of Chris Baty, a twenty-something caffeine-addled writer. The idea? Write a novel of 50,000 words in one month. In 1999, at National Novel Writing Month's inception, there were 21 participants all in the San Francisco Bay area. Now, in its sixth year, National Novel Writing Month is an international undertaking with its own web site and 40,000 participants.

Too Many Books? Yes. And no.
Author, M.J. Rose, in a follow-up to her essay exploring the glut of books being published today, examines reader responses to her article and the solutions they propose to the overabundance of books. M.J. Rose is the author of five novels including "The Halo Effect," and two non-fiction books including "Buzz your Book" with Doug Clegg. She also teaches an online marketing class.

Too many books? Too few readers? What can we do?
M.J. Rose, author of four novels, Lip Service, In Fidelity, Flesh Tones, Sheet Music and The Halo Effect, examines publishing's bureoning book production, a steady decline of readership, and a impact these factors have on an increasingly literarily uninformed public.