Poets & Writers Theater

“It’s a novel of ideas, too—it’s concerned with the consequences of our societal obsession with celebrity, status, appearance, and wealth,” says Laura Sims about her debut novel, Looker (Scribner, 2019). In this video, Sims also talks about how libraries have played an important role throughout her life, and how she drew inspiration from the work of Elena Ferrante and Jenny Offill, and numerous science fiction, murder mystery, and horror novels.

“I kept notes about the interesting things I would find in people’s garbage. You can tell quite a bit about a person by what they throw away.” Jen Beagin, whose second novel, Vacuum in the Dark, will be published by Scribner in February, talks about how her experience cleaning homes in New Mexico inspired her to start writing fiction.

Kiese Laymon talks to Clemonce Heard about his debut memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir (Scribner, 2018), growing up in Mississippi, the influence of music on his writing, and reckoning with weight in all its different forms. Heavy is featured in Page One in the November/December issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.

The Wife (Scribner, 2003), Meg Wolitzer’s novel about a devoted wife looking back on life choices and sacrifices as her husband is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, has been adapted into a feature film. Directed by Björn Runge, the film stars Glenn Close, Max Irons, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Pryce, and Christian Slater.

“It’s going to be the first thing someone lays their eyes on before they read it.” Jaya Miceli, art director at Scribner, discusses her love of books covers and how the jacket designs were created for several popular novels, such as Rachel Lyon’s Self-Portrait With Boy and Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied Sing.

Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan Beach (Scribner, 2017), and Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties (Graywolf Press, 2017), speak backstage at the Free Library of Philadelphia about the greatest pleasures of writing fiction.

“When you see yourself reflected in literature, it enlarges your ideas of what is possible for you.” MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient Jesmyn Ward takes PBS NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown on a tour of her hometown in Mississippi and shares the parts of her life and community that inspire her writing. Ward is the winner of the 2017 National Book Award in fiction for Sing, Unbured, Sing (Scribner, 2017).

“I don’t think of myself as brilliant—I think of myself as a hard worker.” Jesmyn Ward reads from and talks about her third novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing (Scribner, 2017), on Yahdon Israel’s web interview series, LIT.

The Glass Castle (Scribner, 2005), the best-selling debut memoir by Jeannette Walls about her childhood in a nomadic family dealing with dysfunction and poverty, has been adapted into a feature film. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film stars Woody Harrelson, Brie Larson, and Naomi Watts.

"For me, there's something about habit that is elemental." Rachel Kushner, author of The Flamethrowers (Scribner, 2013), a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award, speaks with Louisiana Channel about the importance of persistence in her writing life.

After procrastinating and receiving wisdom from Obi Wan Cannoli, the Washington Post’s Ron Charles reveals his favorite novels of 2016 in less than two minutes, which include Annie Proulx’s Barkskins (Scribner, 2016), Imbolo Mbue’s Behold the Dreamers (Random House, 2016), and Michael Chabon’s Moonglow (HarperCollins, 2016). 

"Number 1: Don't write what you know. Start with what you don't know, what you don't understand." In her craft talk at the 2012 Colgate Writers' Conference, novelist Dana Spiotta explains how she wrote Stone Arabia (Scribner, 2011) in six (not-so-easy) steps. Her new novel, Innocents and Others (Scribner, 2016), explores a friendship between two female filmmakers.

Ann Beattie, who is featured in the current issue of Poets & Writers Magazine, reads from her new book, The State We're In: Maine Stories (Scribner, 2015), and talks about her experiences ​in writing and reading fiction, and working with editors.​ For more Beattie, listen to the latest episode of Ampersand: The Poets & Writers Podcast.

"I wanted to try to capture the magic of hearing the voice of a stranger on a little device in your home." Anthony Doerr discusses what inspired him to write his new novel, which took him ten years to complete. All the Light We Cannot See, published in May by Scribner, was a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award in Fiction.

Patrick and Sean Hemingway, the son and grandson of Ernest Hemingway, describe how the original manuscripts of A Moveable Feast provided insight on the man and his true intentions for the book. A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition was released by Scribner in 2010.

The author of the novels The Time Traveler’s Wife (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004) and Her Fearful Symmetry (Scribner, 2009) reads from her new graphic novel Raven Girl, featured in this issue's The Written Image, at the Royal Opera House in London.

New York Times illustrator, artist, chef, and author of Mumbai New York Scranton, published by Scribner in March, discusses her memoir about her adventures abroad with author and humorist John Hodgman at New York City's Strand Book Store.

The author (and, yes, son of Stephen King) talks about the process of writing his first novel, Double Feature (Scribner, 2013), about a young man coming to terms with his life in the process and aftermath of making his first film. King's first book, We’re All in This Together: A Novella and Stories, was published by Bloomsbury in 2005.

Former Marine Anthony Swofford, author of the memoirs Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles (Scribner, 2010) and Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails (Twelve 2012), is one of six writers featured in Rochelle Spencer's "Books and Babies," an article in the new issue of the magazine that takes a look at the challenges of being a parent and an author. In this video, Swofford talks about his experience serving in and writing about the military as well as some misconstrued facts about combat veterans returning home from war.

In this clip the actor, filmmaker, and author of No One Belongs Here More Than You (Scribner, 2007) and It Chooses You (McSweeney's, 2011), among other books, offers a helpful strategy for avoiding procrastination.