Literary Memoir

This is the story of John McGahern's childhood - of his mother's death, his father's anger and bafflement, and of his own discovery of literature and his ambition to become a writer. At the heart of the book is an unembarrassed homage by a loving son to a woman who protected him and his sisters from his father's unpredictable moods. His joy in her presence is recovered with great lyrical tact.

Born into one of the wealthiest families in America—he was the youngest son of Standard Oil scion John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the celebrated patron of modern art Abby Aldrich Rockefeller—David Rockefeller has carried his birthright into a distinguished life of his own. His dealings with...

Former bookseller, longtime publisher, and author Jon M. Sweeney shows—with history and anecdotes centering around books such as Thoreau's Journal, Tagore's Gitanjali, Martin Buber's Hasidic Tales, and Tolstoy's Twenty-three Tales—what it means to be carried by a book. He explores the discovery that once accompanied finding books, and books finding us. He ponders the smell of an old volume, its heft, and why bibliophiles carry them around even without reading them. He demonstrates how and why there is magic and enchantment that takes place between people and books.

BELONGING is not merely a modern-day Book of Genesis listing “so-and-so begat so-and-so.” Instead, it delves deeply into what it means, from a profoundly human perspective, to belong. The author reflects on the famous words: “No man is an island, entire unto himself.” He likens his emotions to those of visitors to the great monuments of Washington, D.C., who caress the names of individuals who gave their lives as the ultimate price for freedom. Through genealogical tracing, the author finds the greatest testimony to his humble background.

This program is read by the author. A psychologically acute memoir about an unusual Hollywood family by Michael Frank, who "brings Proustian acuity and razor-sharp prose to family dramas as primal, and eccentrically insular, as they come" (The Atlantic) “My feeling for Mike is something out of...

Nanako Hanada's life is in crisis. Recently separated from her husband, living in youth hostels and internet cafes, her work is going no better. Book sales at the eccentric Village Vanguard bookstore in Tokyo, which Nanako manages, are dwindling. Fallen out of love in all aspects of her life, Nanako realises how narrow her life has become, with no friends outside of her colleagues, and no hobbies apart from reading and arranging books. That's when Nanako joins a meet-up site where people meet for 30-minute bursts to find romance, build a network, or just share ideas.

The inner workings of a writer’s life, the interplay between experience and writing, are brilliantly recounted by a master of the art. Gay Talese now focuses on his own life—the zeal for the truth, the narrative edge, the sometimes startling precision, that won accolades for his journalism...

Imaginary friend Budo narrates this heartwarming story of love, loyalty, and the power of the imagination—the perfect read for anyone who has ever had a friend . . . real or otherwise. Budo is lucky as imaginary friends go. He's been alive for more than five years, which is positively ancient...

A blend of fact and fiction, Growing Up Dead in Texas takes us back to new master of horror Stephen Graham Jones’s hometown and explores a decade-old crime that tore the community apart. Prolific, award-winning author Stephen Graham Jones deftly blends fiction and reality in this captivating...

A provocative fiction debut from the beloved writer, artist, and Hairpin founding editor Edith Zimmerman, this second-chance romance explores the stories we tell ourselves—and whether we can ever change our narratives. Emily Millar just signed her divorce papers—and her new book deal: The...

THIS ISN'T JUST MY STORY. IT'S OUR STORY." DIVE INTO A MODERN FEMINIST BATTLE CRY FOR EMPATHY AT HOME, AT WORK, & IN OUR COMMUNITIES. We are told that life is a series of destinations. We chase the career, the family, the status, and the perfect balance, only to find that the finish line keeps moving. For anyone who has ever reached the top only to ask, "Is this it?" or struggled through the wreckage of a life plan gone sideways, this book is your field report from the front lines.

A practical guide to great writing by some of the finest writers of our age, from Alan Hollinghurst to Mary Beard Good writing is timeless. For anyone who wants to be a better writer, a more thoughtful reader, or a sharper thinker, the team at the Times Literary Supplement, one of Britain’s...

When Emilie Pine’s debut essay collection, the fiercely candid Notes to Self, was first published she didn’t imagine herself as someone breaking a silence. She only knew that she was breaking a fiction – the fiction that she had never been a victim. Revealing and reflecting on sexual...

I am now growing in years, and — since I understand that Shakespeare and Mr. Emmons are deceased — it is not impossible that I may even die. It has occurred to me, therefore, that I may as well retire from the field of Letters and repose upon my laurels. But I am ambitious of signalizing my abdication of the literary sceptre by some important bequest to posterity; and, perhaps, I cannot do a better thing than just pen for it an account of my earlier career.

The Swinging Christies, a new HarperCollins book, full description to follow when available...

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might...

The son of renowned author Joe McGinniss—celebrated for works like The Selling of the President and true crime blockbusters Fatal Vision and Cruel Doubt—delivers a raw and deeply moving memoir that explores the complicated bonds between fathers and sons, set against a backdrop of fame...

From the mind behind The House of the Spirits, The Wind Knows My Name and My Name is Emilia del Valle comes a guide on writing like no other. In Story Telling, renowned literary talent Isabel Allende delivers a craft-defining treatise on the art of ‘magical storytelling’. You are a writer...

"The iconic stage director, writer, actor, and founder of The Manhattan Project, a 1960s-70s avant-garde theater company, delivers smart, clever observations with an actor's perfect timing. From harsh beginnings—never sentimentalized—to a series of adventures—sometimes funny, sometimes...

Vir Sanghvi's has been an interesting life - one that took him to Oxford, movie and political journalism, television and magazines - and he depicts it with the silky polish his readers expect of him. In A Rude Life, he turns his dispassionate observer's gaze on himself, and in taut prose tells...