Episode 5 --- Jim Shepard
ReadMore is breaking new ground this week. Jim Shepard is the first man to sit down for an interview with us. Our show generally focuses on writers who are women of color. But as a reader it's always good to branch out and listen to diverse voices.
Jim has written several critically acclaimed novels and short story collections. His short story collection, Like You'd Understand, Anyway, won the Story Prize in 2007 and was nominated for a National Book Award. He holds a BA from Trinity College and an MFA from Brown University. And, he teaches creative writing and film at Williams College.
Jim's latest novel, The Book of Aron, is devastatingly beautiful. It tells the story of a young boy living in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. It was the "stickiest" book I read in 2015. The character of Aron has stayed with me long after the last page, and that's because of Jim's ability to create someone who is so alive.
I caught up with Jim during the Key West Literary Seminar -- my first of what I am sure will be many trips to such a wonderful event. In this week's ReadMore podcast, we talk about The Book of Aron, the challenges of having a child narrator and the years of research that he puts into his writing.
Interview Hightlights:
Jim reveals...
- the added pressure he felt in writing about an historical figure like Dr. Janusz Korczak
- that he never "chose" to write about the Holocaust
- why he's reading a more than 600-page book on America's near misses with nuclear weapons for fun
To win a free, signed copy of The Book of Aron, listen to the podcast and leave a comment on our Facebook page or send us a tweet telling us one of Jim's favorite novels to teach.
Contest Rules:
If you've already won a ReadMore giveaway, please wait 90 days to enter another contest. And, ReadMore doesn't have a friends and family plan. So, if we've ever shared a meal together, I can't do nothing for you, man.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
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