When American novelist Ann Patchett watched news of a four-month siege of the Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru, by young rebels in 1996, she saw its potential as a compelling story and used it as the template for her multiple award-winning 2001 novel, “Bel Canto.” The siege had begun during a large party and to […]
The definition of daunting: the chance to sit down with one of your favorite living authors. I was lucky enough to have that opportunity recently when award-winning author Ann Patchett was in town for the Dec. 7 world premiere of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s “Bel Canto,” an original opera based on her luminous 2001 book. It […]
Forget those five pounds—you promised your friend you were going to read that book, the one she recommended to you every time you see her. I recommend books to friends all the time, and now it’s my turn to listen to them. Here are some of the “must read” books I haven’t read yet. What […]
Ann Patchett’s newest book is “State of Wonder,” about a pharmaceutical researcher, Marina Singh, who must travel to the Amazon jungle after a colleague’s mysterious death. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? I knew when I was 5 years old. It’s the one true thing about me that I’ve always known […]
