Lindsey Feldman

Lindsey Feldman asked T. Coraghessan Boyle:

Hi! The first book of yours I read was Drop City, which I found in a sale bin in NYC. Serendipity. Since then I've read pretty much all your other works. I'm an anthropologist and I love your ability to show me something truly human in all you write. My question is, how do you balance cynicism with hope when you write and think of characters? Or do you think those are even opposing categories? Thank you!

T. Coraghessan Boyle I try to work things out for myself vis a vis the larger questions of human existence. While I am personally depressed and pessimistic, I hope that readers will find joy in the work itself. Even the most grueling scenario reminds us that we are alive together and facing the same existential problems.

More Answered Questions

Luke Tesh

Luke Tesh asked T. Coraghessan Boyle:

As someone who fluctuates between novels and short stories, when do you make the decision to do one versus the other? If it's spontaneous, at what point do you start to feel a story has transformed into a novel?

Marcia Chocinsky

Marcia Chocinsky asked T. Coraghessan Boyle:

Why did you choose to leave Fallingwater out of "The Women"?

Ken Garcia

Ken Garcia asked T. Coraghessan Boyle:

Will you be at the New Yorker Festival in September to promote your latest books and for group selfies? (The selfie phenomena seems ripe for exploration, no?)

All answers from T. Coraghessan Boyle…

T. Coraghessan Boyle

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