May 2009

Interview with Tod Goldberg

It’s like what Bruce Springsteen says in ‘No Surrender’: “We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school.” – Tod Goldberg Well known for his novels Fake Liar Cheat (Pocket Books/MTV), Living Dead Girl (Soho Press) and the short story collection Simplify (OV Books), Tod Goldberg’s works have received notable [...]

May 30, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Interview with Shel Israel: Author of Twitterville

When I asked Shel Israel about his own writing practice, he said “My blog is sort of my writing gymnasium.” I love that. Evident in his work, experience and even his insightful analogy, there’s no doubt that Israel was – and continues to be – ahead of the game. A noted writer and expert speaker [...]

May 29, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Chatting With Alinea’s Grant Achatz

In my experience dining out every night – and in the past few years, eating in restaurants around the globe – I believe Alinea is the best restaurant in Chicago and one of my top ten favorites in the world. I’m not the only one who thinks so. In 2006, it was named the best [...]

May 28, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Faces of The Gone: A Carter Ross Mystery: Interview with Author Brad Parks

No one ever said that publishing your first book is easy. But, with a little determination and a bit of patience, it can be done. Brad Parks, author of soon-to-be-released novel, Faces of the Gone: A Carter Ross Mystery (Minotaur Books), is a dear, long-time friend of mine. We went to school together in our [...]

May 26, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

The Time Traveler’s Wife: Audrey Niffenegger Interview

As some of you know, I also blog about writing at Examiner.com. I get to cover a bit about the Chicago writing scene, but also include interviews with Chicago-based authors. Last week, I posted two new interviews at Examiner.com – one with Thomas Pavel, an award-winning author and writing professor at the University of Chicago [...]

May 15, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

On The Beach House, Dune Road and Jemima J: Jane Green Interview

I have a Jane Green book shelf in my house. I’ve read all of her books, except for one, which reminds me that I need to buy it today. I’m thrilled to feature my recent interview with bestselling author Jane Green. Jane Green’s last novel, The Beach House, was an instant New York Times bestseller [...]

May 14, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Elisa Reviews: San Sebastian, Spain

Another guest contributor! I’m thrilled to feature my good friend and fellow world-traveler Elisa Phillips and her review of San Sebastian, Spain. As with all travel commentary featured here, we make sure to include books and articles (the written word) that can be useful resources. Package it all up and you have a fantastic personal [...]

May 12, 2009 CONTINUE READING →