Ask the Author: B.A. Shapiro

“ I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about The Muralist, The Art Forger, any of my other books or anything else you'd like to know. Thanks for asking. ” B.A. Shapiro

Answered Questions (23)

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Do you do any painting, yourself? - and if so, do you exhibit? Asking because you seem to know about technique (as well as history). I enjoyed the Muralist last year, and am mid-way through 'The Art Forger' - enjoying it (and learning much from it) it immensely.

B.A. Shapiro Hi Peter. So glad you enjoyed and are enjoying my books. And no, I'm not a painter, very little artistic talent, but I do love art and I'm a good researcher. Goes for history too. They say you should write what you know, but I like to write what I want to learn about.

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I love your art-themed books. They are so engaging and well-written, with fun characters. Is there a new one in the works?

B.A. Shapiro My next book, Metropolis, will be out in May 22. This one is about street photography.

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What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

B.A. Shapiro My grandfather died in a car accident in which he drowned in a few feet of water while he was on a mysterious errand. Who knows?

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Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?

B.A. Shapiro It's February 2021. Donald Trump is still president

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Love that many of your books have an art theme. I have been doing a podcast (The Maria Liberati Show) that combines food with art, culture and travel) My next segment is about the city of Mantova Italy which was famous for, among other things, being the location of many art dealers and artists representatives. Wanted to find out if you would be available for a short audio interview for the segment? Maria Liberati

B.A. Shapiro sure. you can contact me at barbara@bashapirobooks.com

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In the Art Forger, you gave Ben as family in the acknowledgments. Is that Ben that will be on Fox News starting this evening?

B.A. Shapiro Nope. No one in my family is on Fox News.

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I'm a little late to the game as far as finding The Art Forger and Goodreads. I absolutely loved The Art Forger. Just a wonderful story. Thank you for writing it. My question: Have you thought about revisiting the Claire Roth character? With all that she went through and learned, you could do some interesting things with her character.

B.A. Shapiro Hi Brian: So glad you liked the book. People have asked about another Claire book, but -- as you said -- I put her through so much that I can't bear to do that to her again.

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Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?

B.A. Shapiro Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. No one does it better

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I saw you speak at Newburyport Literary Festival and was beyond inspired by your words. I've recommended The Art Forger to many and look forward to The Muralist -- and "younger siblings," too! Question: If you could interview any one person (living or dead), who would it be?

B.A. Shapiro Thanks J.D. This is an easy one: Eleanor Roosevelt

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I have no question, just wanted you to know how I truly loved the Muralist. So beautifully written. I look forward to The Art Forger now that I have found you. Okay, I see I need a question mark. How long have you been writing?

B.A. Shapiro Thanks, Jude. I really appreciate this. It means a lot. I've been writing for almost 30 years -- but it took 25 before I had my breakout book. An overnight success. Ha. Hope you like The Art Forger as well.

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I am enjoying the Muralist, and given the current brouhaha over refugees your book is amazingly timely. I was disturbed when you had FDR tell Eleanor that allowing Jews into the country was an indulgence of a Protestant nation (read Washington's letter to Touro synagogue for a counterargument). Do you have a source that attributes this opinion to FDR?

B.A. Shapiro Hi Mark: I'm not at home and don't have access to my notes but FDR's statement was -- unfortunately -- a direct quote. It might have come from No Ordinary Time, as I used that book extensively, but I'm not sure. I won't have access to my notes until April but will try to find out the answer for you before that. Thanks for reading.

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A lot of books lately, have used jumping of time and character in alternating chapters and I have found it annoying and hard to follow the plot. How did you manage to do it so seamlessly in The Muralist? Did you write each story separately and put them together?

B.A. Shapiro Thanks so much Shannon. I worked really hard to try to get it that way. I use a lot of multicolored file cards to plan out the intersections of my various plots. Then I write and rewrite and rewrite -- I'd guess every page of The Muralist has been rewritten about 20 times and that I did at least eight full revision drafts. I didn't write the stories separately, but I did plot them out individually. Thanks for asking.

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Who's your favorite artist?

B.A. Shapiro This is so hard to answer, Terry. When I was writing The Art Forger, it was Degas. When I was writing The Muralist it was Mark Rothko and now I"m working on a new book book about the post-Impressionists and early moderns and it's Henri Matisse. Who know who's next? Thanks for writing in.

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The Art Forger is one of my favorite books. Have just gotten my hands on The Muralist and I know that I will devour this one like delicious dark chocolate. Please tell me that you are working on another stellar offering within the art theme. Can we expect another in the world of art? We fans just can't get enough.

B.A. Shapiro Linda: I'm happy to tell you that I am working on another novel about art -- as well as history a mystery and some romance thrown in, similar to both The Art Forger and The Muralist. This one is set in the 1920's and takes place in Philadelphia and Paris -- where all the post-Impressionist and early modern artists are hanging out at Gertrude Stein's salon with Hemingway and Fitzgerald. A possible murder and lots of cons and con men. Having a lot of fun. Hope you like The Muralist. Thanks for writing.

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I loved The Art Forger (my first of your books). What attracted you to the art world?

B.A. Shapiro I've always loved art -- wanted to be an artist but have no talent. When my protagonists are artists I get to pretend that I'm one too. It's also a great excuse to go to art museums and read books on art and artists. Hope you'll check out my latest, The Muralist. Thanks for contacting.

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Who's your favorite artist?

B.A. Shapiro There are so many I could never pick a favorite one, but right now I'm totally into Henri Matisse because I've been studying him for my new book. The Muralist is about the Abstract Expressionists and I fell in love with Mark Rothko's work while writing that. While writing The Art Forger I was in love with Edgar Degas.

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

B.A. Shapiro The idea for The Art Forger came from my interest in Isabella Stewart Gardner, the heist at her museum, the current art scene in Boston and the fascinating world of art forgery and art forgers. It took a long time to get them to work together, but when they finally did, it was great.

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How do you get inspired to write?

B.A. Shapiro I don't get inspired to write, I write and sometimes -- a lot less often than I'd like -- I get inspired

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What are you currently working on?

B.A. Shapiro I'm working on a historical novel about art and politics in NYC right before WWII. It's another literary thriller about a young artist who disappears while trying to get her Jewish family out of France, jumps back and forth in time and has six viewpoint characters, three of whom are historical figures: Eleanor Roosevelt, Mark Rothko and Lee Krasner. It's been a lot of fun and also incredibly difficult. Working title: Montage. Publication date: Fall 2015.

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

B.A. Shapiro Get your butt in your chair and stay there.

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