Elizabeth Strout: ‘All ordinary people are extraordinary’

The Pulitzer prize winner on uniting Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton in her new novel, her unfathomable dreams, and how she went from ‘blabbermouth’ to writerPulitzer prize winner Elizabeth Strout, 68, has wooed readers and critics alike with a string of bestselling novels set in Maine, where she grew up and now mostly lives. Her latest, Tell Me Everything, unites two recurring protagonists from recent books – self-effacing author Lucy Barton and abrasive nonagenarian Olive Kitteridge – with sometime lawyer Bob Burgess, who first appeared in her 2013 novel The Burgess Boys, and is now set to be hauled out of semi-retirement by a murder case. As a New England winter finally yields to spring, pathos and dry humour gild tender reflections on loneliness and connection, and the redemptive power of storytelling.What made you want to bring all three characters together?I never ever intend to keep writing about the same people, but it gradually came to me that they are all living nearby. I wanted to get Olive and Lucy together – that was a propelling force. I just thought it would be so much fun, and of course Olive can’t stand her at first. The working title was The Book of Bob because Bob has always intrigued me. He’s such a decent person and doesn’t know that about himself, and I wanted him to come out of semi-retirement and do something big and meaningful. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-09-07 17:00:22 UTC ]

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Meet the Authors and Illustrators Behind These Books: Children's Institute 2015

A list of the most recent books by writers attending the author reception, the Scholastic Meet & Treat party, and/or the opening reception with members of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, cosponsored by PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Emperor of All Maladies' comes to TV

The book 'The Emperor of All Maladies' won the Pulitzer Prize for literature in the nonfiction category. The TV adaptation of the award-winning book debuts on PBS on March 31. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why We Still Need to Investigate the Rolling Stone Rape Story

This week, Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner asked the Columbia Journalism School to review Sabrina Rubin Erdely’s story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia. As it became clear that the story’s central incident—a gang rape of a freshman at a fraternity—did not happen as Rolling Stone... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: Feiffer’s Noir Classic Tribute

“Now in my 80s, in my second or third childhood, I’ve come back to the noir influence,” says Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist, author, and award-winning screenwriter and playwright, about Kill My Mother, an original graphic novel (Norton/Liveright, Aug.). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2014: Godoff Goes ‘French’ In Major Buy

With day one of the London Book Fair not yet closed, another book is emerging as a hot title: a memoir by "New Yorker" contributor Lauren Collins which has the working title, "French Lessons." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philadelphia Inquirer Sued Over Top Editor Marimow’s Ouster

Two members of Philadelphia Inquirer owner Interstate General Media LLC sued the company and the newspaper’s publisher over the ouster of editor-in-chief Bill Marimow. Marimow, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, was fired Oct. 7 w ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Changing Seasons

“Always be closing,” the oft-quoted line from David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play Glengarry Glen Ross, could serve as the mantra at today’s big houses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pulitzer Prize: huge sales neither required nor guaranteed

After winning the highest honor in the literary world, the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winners have seen sales increases – but so far the numbers are pretty tiny. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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North Korea book wins Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize for fiction has been won by author Adam Johnson for his novel based in North Korea, The Orphan Master's Son. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2013-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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French author survey: digital still not a factor

Just 4% of French authors have signed digital contracts for their most recent books and a third... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Huffington Post Loses Executive Editor Tim O'Brien

Arianna's right hand is out at The Huffington Post. Huffington announced today via company memo that Tim O'Brien, executive editor of the online publisher, will be leaving the site to work on the second of his five-part book deal. Per the memo, Huffington noted, "In the next few days, Tim's... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Books taps editor as CEO

One of the country's top publishers has turned to a man from the editorial side to run its business. Michael Pietsch, the editor of Keith Richards' Life, David Foster Wallace's The Pale King and the many novels of James Patterson, has been named CEO of Hachette Book Group. Mr. Pietsch has headed... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder Blog: Pearl Buck Novels to Be Published as E-Books

Thirteen novels, including "The Good Earth,'' which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932, will be published in ebook format by Open Road Integrated Media. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pulitzer Prize for history, but not for fiction

The late Manning Marable won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for history, honored for a Malcolm X book. But no Pulitzer Prize was awarded for fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pulitzer Prize for Malcolm X book

The late Manning Marable has won the Pulitzer Prize for history, honoured for a Malcolm X book he worked on for decades, but did not live to see published. For the first time in 35 years, no fiction prize was given. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Creed C. Black, Newspaper Executive, Dies at 86

As publisher of The Lexington Herald-Leader, Creed Black supported an investigation of the University of Kentucky basketball team that led to the first Pulitzer Prize for the paper. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virgin acquires Tatty Devine

Publication Date: Wed, 09/03/2011 - 14:45 Virgin Books has acquired a title by the founders of cult jewellery brand Tatty Devine. Virgin Books editor Hannah Knowles bought world rights to the book, which has a working title of How to Make Jewellery with Tatty Devine, direct from Harriet Vine... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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