Novelist E.L. Doctorow eschewed the label "historical fiction," though his novels undeniably used America's past to set the stage for the present. While the settings of his book were American history (pre-World War 1 era, the Civil War, the Red Scare) and the characters that populated his books often touted familiar names, his writing style steered well-wide of you high school history text book. His numerous awards stand testament to the relevance of his work.
With his death earlier this week, we wanted to share again his appearance in the state as our guest at Writers on a New England Stage. Doctorow reads an excerpt from "Homer and Langley" - which had just been published - before speaking with NHPR's Laura Knoy in 2009.