Story Archives of 'Fiction'

Writer Pagan Kennedy made a living writing for newspapers and magazines while toiling away at fiction. But her fervor for eccentric, real world characters took over. Her forthcoming book, The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex and Other True Stories, proves that the truth can often be more interesting than fiction. Her book profiles a bevy of characters, including a chemist who’s transforming the coast of an African nation, a psychologist who’s spent 27 years training an African Grey Parrot to make decisions, and a British biologist who imagined a utopia free from sexual mores or power struggles. She joins us on Word of Mouth to talk about her relationship with creative non-fiction, or, as she simply calls it, “not-fiction.”

Author Chris Bohjalian is perhaps best known for his novel "Midwives." His latest book, "The Double Bind", is based on the life of a homeless man in Vermont who left behind a legacy of museum-quality photographs of American musicians and artists. Bohjalian's book combines that man's life with the fictitious characters in the F. Scott Fiztgerald novel The Great Gatsby. We'll talk with Chris about the reality of homelessness, and the imaginary reality of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan's legacy.

This interview orginally aired Tuesday, April 17, 2007***

Richard Russo won the Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for his novel Empire Falls, which the Christian Science Monitor described as "[possibly] the last great novel of the 20th Century." Russo was on hand at The Music Hall in Portsmouth to talk about his new novel, Bridge of Sighs, for the latest installment of Writers on a New England Stage. The series brings award-winning, nationally-recognized authors to the Music Hall stage to talk about their works with NHPR's Laura Knoy, and also features music by award-winning rock trio Dreadnaught.

There's a house in New Hampshire that's been a central fixture in many books. It's been home to such women as Olympia Biddeford, Honora Beecher, and Kathryn Lyons. Of course, those women never really existed – and neither did the house. They're all the creation of author Anita Shreve. Tonight on the Front Porch, the celebrated New England author joins us to talk about her work and the role the Granite State plays in it. Her new book is called Body Surfing.

Author Chris Bohjalian is perhaps best known for his novel "Midwives." His new book "The Double Bind" is based on the life of a homeless man in Vermont who left behind a legacy of museum-quality photographs of American musicians and artists. Bohjalian's book combines that man's life with the fictitious characters in the F. Scott Fiztgerald novel The Great Gatsby. We'll talk with Chris about the reality of homelessness, and the imaginary reality of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan's legacy.