BTW Interviews

Nickolas Butler, author of Shotgun Lovesongs, the #1 Indie Next List pick for March, recently spoke to BTW about the emotions that inspired his book, the notion of friendship, and being able to live out his dream.

The talk of the independent bookselling community, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry follows the life of a bookstore owner as he deals with the trials and tribulations of life, love, and the book business. Here, author Gabrielle Zevin discusses the inspiration for her story and how she learned so much about the inner workings of the book business without stepping behind a checkout counter.

Jessica Hendry Nelson’s If Only You People Could Follow Directions is a collection of autobiographical essays about family relationships, addiction, and the chaos they bring. Reviewers have praised Nelson’s debut memoir as hypnotic and wryly funny.

Many of the stories in The UnAmericans were inspired by Molly Antopol’s family history, notably their involvement in the Communist Party. “I come from a big family of storytellers,” said Antopol, “and I grew up surrounded by tales of surveillance, tapped lines, and dinnertime visits from the FBI.”