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Interview: Brian Strause, author of Maybe a Miracle

Oct 14, 2005

October 14, 2005

Bookreporter.com's Carol Fitzgerald, Shannon McKenna and Jennifer Krieger interviewed screenwriter and novelist Brian Strause about his debut work of fiction, MAYBE A MIRACLE. Strause discusses the shaping of his characters and the act of self-discovery that emerges from writing. He also shares his thoughts on constructing a script versus penning a novel, as well as comparisons made between his protagonist, Monroe Anderson, and J.D. Salinger's quintessential troubled teen, Holden Caulfield.

October 14, 2004

Tuesday night this week, books got glamorous with the Quill Awards, which was the most fun book award ceremony that I've attended. It was star-studded with Jon Stewart doing opening remarks and Brian Williams as Master of Ceremonies. There was a red carpet, camera crews and authors, publishers and agents in black tie. Here's what I really loved --- I had heard of or read MOST of the books that were nominated. In fact, I kept picking the winners. Since they were reader-voted awards, I just sat there and thought about what I thought would win, based on what I know from our readers!

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If you wrote a memoir, what would it be about?

October 7, 2005

October 7, 2005

In the office we talk about food --- a lot. There's a healthy respect for the time and care that goes into creating a memorable meal. A couple of weeks ago Sunil Kumar, our producer, and I celebrated a particularly dizzying month of work with lunch at Le Bernardin. Sunil is a trained cook so as we were enjoying the flavors of each dish, we also were studying the presentation. It was great fun seeing the meal through his eyes.

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The Colorado Kid by Stephen King

October 2005

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues, and it's more than a year before the victim is identified. And that's just the beginning of the mystery. 

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October 2005

Ten years after the publication of WICKED, Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. Following the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West, a young man whom some say is her son begins a journey to the Emerald City with Dorothy and the Scarecrow, encountering many hurdles --- good and bad --- along the way. 

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The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer

October 2005

Take one part CHARMING BILLY, a dash of Frank McCourt, add a shot of "Cheers," serve straight up, and you'll have the charming concoction that is THE TENDER BAR. J.R. Moehringer fondly reflects on his youth, however misspent, within the cooling shadows of the town's local bar.

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Women's Letters: America From the Revolutionary War to the Present by Lisa Grunwald

October 2005

With more than 400 letters and over 100 stunning photographs, Lisa Grunwald and Stephen J. Adler's "anti-textbook" is a work of astonishing breadth and scope, and a remarkable testament to the women who lived --- and made --- history.

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Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill

October 2005

Tiny Ursula Wong vanishes down an abandoned mineshaft in front of her horrified parents. The little girl is the culmination of generations of her ancestors, whose fascinating stories over a 2,000-year span form the bulk of this exquisite novel.

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October 2005

A few months ago I finished reading an advance reading copy of The Divide by Nicholas Evans. Many of you may know Evans from his first book, The Horse Whisperer. I finished this book and immediately wanted to talk about it. I gave a copy to a friend for his birthday and soon we were trading e-mails about the story --- and what it says about the relationships between men and women, as well as those between parents and their children. I have had the opportunity to hear Evans speak about The Divide twice now, as well as reading and watching interviews with him. This is a book that has stayed with me. There is a passion and sincerity in the writing. I know it would make a great book club discussion, which is why we are making it our contest book this month.

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