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What inspired this story? I grew up in a church not quite as demented as the one in the novel, but pretty rough. So much of the American evangelical movement [...]

You discuss restoring the garden at your Suffolk home. How did that experience inform your research? I worked on the garden for two years and kept a garden diary. I [...]

[Q&A] PW TALKS WITH KELLIE CARTER JACKSON We Have to Say No In We Refuse (Seal, June; reviewed on p. 50), Carter Jackson explores political strategies Black people have used [...]

In Say Anarcha (Holt, June; reviewed on p. 53), Hallman resurrects the story of Anarcha, an enslaved woman who was subjected to dozens of experimental surgeries by 'the father of [...]

Two very different women navigate a world where food is taboo in Porter's The Thick and the Lean (Saga, Apr.; reviewed on p. 35). How did you approach braiding the [...]

Your drawings bring some lightheadedness to discussions of the intense experiences of first-time motherhood. Can you tell me about striking that balance? When I started drawing these, it was mostly [...]

Foreign policy advisers Stone and Vogelstein take a world tour of the #MeToo movement in Awakening (PublicAffairs, July; reviewed on p. 65). How has the internet driven the growth of [...]

In Radicalizing Her (Beacon, Apr.; reviewed on p. 62), journalist Gowrinathan examines the motivations of female resistance fighters. Why do programs aimed at rehabilitating female resistance fighters keep getting it [...]

Transplanted Romantics Herrera launches a new series with Here to Stay (Carina, Sept.; reviewed on p. 58), an inte rracial, enemies-eo-lovers romance between the head of a charitable foundat ion [...]

In Livewired (Pantheon, Aug.; reviewed on p. 140), neuroscientist Eagleman explores the human brain's adaptability. The book uses a modified Socratic method of asking curiosity-inducing questions and then answering them. [...]

In Entitled (Crown, Aug.; reviewed on p. 50), Manne, a philosopher at Cornell, scrutinizes recent case studies of male privilege and misogyny. You mention in the book that you wrote [...]

In Hood Feminism (Viking, Mar.; reviewed on this page), blogger and activist Kendall charts a new direction for the women's movement. Who's the audience for this book? Hopefully feminists who [...]

Once a woman starts writing romance novels, she doesn't tend to stop. Numerous authors have careers spanning decades, serving as mentors and inspiration to younger writers, and defining the romance [...]

In White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation (Beacon, Nov.; reviewed on p. 95), literature professor Jackson explores how appropriation manifests in music, art, [...]

How do you approach the process of exploring people's lives and sharing their stories? It really just requires devoting a lot of time. I don't go in with a list [...]

In Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (Harper, Aug.; reviewed on p. 86), neuroscientist Wolf examines the effects of digital media on how we read and [...]

In Spinning Silver (Del Rey, July), the story of 'Rumpelstiltskin' is retold and transformed through a myriad of character voices. Spinning Silver started out as a short story you wrote [...]

Since the beginning of her writing career, M.C.A. Hogarth has been an innovator, not only because of the many worlds her aliens, spacefarers, and lawkeepers cover but in the way [...]

The article discusses John Fram's thriller novel, "No Road Home," which follows a father's attempt to protect his queer son from his evangelical in-laws. Fram draws inspiration from his own experiences growing up in a church and explores the motivations behind the bigotry within the American evangelical movement. The author also discusses the importance of effective reveals in storytelling and the concept of "memory palaces" in the novel. Fram addresses the label of "queer literature" and aims for his book to resonate with a wide range of readers, highlighting how prejudices like homophobia, racism, and classism affect both the persecuted and the perpetrators. [Extracted from the article]

In ADHD Nation (Scribner; pub. month, Sept.; Reviews, Aug. 1), investigative journalist Schwarz criticizes the way the disorder is treated and managed in America today. What do you hope people [...]

Olivia Laing's book, "The Garden Against Time," explores the significance of gardens in reflecting a society's values. Laing discusses her own experience of restoring a garden during the pandemic and how it influenced her research. She draws parallels between gardening as an activity and the garden as a physical space, comparing it to the relationship between writing and a book. Laing also explores the concept of garden time, where everything unfolds in a constant "now," offering a different understanding of time. She also examines the boundary between wilderness and garden, highlighting the potential positive effects of tending gardens in a loose way that aligns with nature. [Extracted from the article]

Countering the stereotype of the romance writer as a middle-aged housewife with time on her hands, a formidable cohort of authors are hitting the romance bestseller lists while still in [...]

What makes a great sex scene? I tend to think what makes a sex scene effective is the same as what makes any other scene effective, which is a sense [...]

In Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son (Reviews, June 17; pub date, Sept. 3), blogger Lori Duron shares her experience parenting a young son who [...]

Epic fantasist Carey launches a contemporary series with Dark Currents (Reviews, July 9; pub date, Oct.), in which half-demon Daisy Johanssen must resist her yearning for the 'Seven Deadlies' while [...]

An interview with novelist Victoria Lee is presented. She describes her inspiration behind writing abut a teacher-student relationship in her book "A Shot in the Dark." She explains writing about queer sex in the book. She discusses obtaining consent for sex from someone and ensuring their consent is passionate enough.

An interview with novelist J.C. Hallman is presented. He tells about his interest in the story of Anarcha, an enslaved woman who underwent a number of experimental surgeries. He explains the characterization of the book "Say Anarcha" as speculative nonfiction. He describes the controversy associated with ethical standards in medicine.

An interview with an author Chana Porter about her "The Thick and the Lean" book based on a world where food is taboo is presented. Topics discussed include exploring a world in which food is taboo and sex is not, and the idea of a religion weaponizing hunger in the same way sexuality has been weaponized in different kinds of purity culture.

An interview with author Kate Mangino is presented including talks about discussing research showing the birth of a couple's first child often results in an uneven distribution of responsibilities, even when the couple had achieved parity before.

The article presents an interview with Cartoonist and doctor, Grace Farris, who talks about her book Mom Milestones: The True Story of the First Seven Yea. It mentions her views on first-time motherhood and parenting, in which she refers reading nonstop children's books for parenting tips. It also mentions objectives of the book.

An interview with Rachel Vogelstein and Meighan Stone, policy advisers and authors of the book "Awakening: #MeToo and the Global Fight for Women's Rights," is presented. Topics include the role of the Internet in the growth of women's rights movement worldwide, gaining their subjects' trust and the inspiration behind the women's power agenda outlined in their book.

An interview with Nimmi Gowrinathan, author of the book "Radicalizing Her," about the motivations of female resistance fighters, is presented. Gowrinathan talks about why programs aimed at rehabilitating female resistance fighters keep getting it wrong, how Western feminism misjudge female fighters, and the lessons that minority activist groups in the U.S. can take from liberation movements.

An interview with author Adriana Herrera is presented. Topics include she explores an interracial, enemies-to-lovers romance between the head of a charitable foundation and the consultant who may eliminate her job, her book "Here to Stay" is based on racism and abuse, and how she approached the sex scene in her book.

An interview with neuroscientist David Eagleman is presented. Topics discussed include he discusses about his "Livewired" which explores the human brain's adaptability, how the book uses a modified Socratic method of asking curiosity-inducing questions and then answering them, and his excitement about humans accessing new sensory experiences.

An interview with philosopher, Kate Manne is presented. It mentions her views on nature of Entitled as kind of grim commitment of a political nature to keep fighting for gender justice; her representation of Down Girl from a place of despair; and define about misogyny, the policing and punishing of women who violate gendered norms and expectations.

An interview is presented with author Mikki Kendall on her book "Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women That a Movement Forgot" about the role of feminism. Topics discussed include women of color in leadership roles, people talk about intersectional feminism and people showing up for Black Lives Matter protests.

An interview with book author Lauren Michele Jackson is presented. Jackson talks about her book "White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue ... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation." She discusses how appropriation manifests in music, art and memes and provides advice to white creators who feel inspired by the work of artists of color.

An interview with Jen Gunter, an obstetrician-gynecologist and author of the book "The Vagina Bible," is presented. Gunter discusses why she feels a need to write the book, what a doctor's visit with an informed patient looks like and how it helps them access better care, and whether people should be talking to their friends about their vaginas.

An interview with J. Malcolm Garcia, journalist and author of the book "The Fruit of All My Grief: Lives in the Shadows of the American Dream," is presented. He explains his approach in exploring people's lives and sharing their stories of being harmed by governments, the court system and companies. Garcia describes his experience of working with his subjects. He also discusses his expectations regarding the effects of his work.

An interview with neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf about her book "Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World," on the effects of digital media on how people read and think, is presented. Topics covered include reasoning behind the epistolary format of the book, reason for her call for more contemplation and reflection through reading and her views if people read the book in an electronic book format.

An interview with investigative journalist Alan Schwarz, author of the book "ADHD Nation," is presented. Topics discussed include the message of the book with regard to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whether ADHD medications should be marketed directly to patients, and his thoughts on the use of stimulant drugs for enhancement of focus and motivation.

An interview is presented with author Lori Duron. Duron says it was both exciting and frightening to become a published author after having been a blogger. She discusses the reaction of her son Chase to his younger brother C. J. being gender nonconforming. She says her book "Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son" is a memoir on parenting.

An interview with author Jacqueline Carey is presented. She discusses her 2012 novel "Dark Currents" and the difference between its contemporary setting and the historical and science-fiction settings of her earlier fantasy works. She describes what she thinks makes for a strong female protagonist. She also comments on the place of humor in her writing.