Boston Book Festival 2019

Have you ever wondered how an author chose details to bring a place to life, why she chose her narrative’s point(s) of view, or how and why he pushes the boundaries of genre and form? In these three sessions, writers will open up about the nuts and bolts of their craft. Our host for each session will lead an audience discussion of a very short excerpt from each author’s work before bringing the author into the conversation to contextualize the excerpt, discuss her or his choices, and answer questions from the audience. A unique alternative to traditional readings, these sessions will appeal not only to aspiring fiction writers but also to readers looking to enrich their reading experience. This session will consist of three twenty-minute guided explorations of the work of authors whose recent fiction is experimental in nature, offering both challenges and rewards for readers: Christopher Boucher (Big Giant Floating Head), Sarah Rose Etter (The Book of X), and Ron MacLean (We Might As Well Light Something on Fire). Our host is novelist Michelle Hoover, author most recently of Bottomland.