Inside the Writer's Studio Bookmarks

Charlie visits with Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven and the recently published The Glass Hotel about looking back on a book about a global flu pandemic, how novels get started, the art of coincidence, international shipping, Ponzi schemes, and much more.

Charlie talks with NYT bestselling nonfiction author Tom Clavin about his new book Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell. They discuss the enduring mythos (and reality) of the American western frontier as well as how to create nonfiction characters, the influence of Hollywood, and even a little bit about another pillar of American mythology—baseball.

Charlie and Chris discuss The Red Lotus, a thriller that has taken on unexpected relevance because it deals with a potential pandemic in New York City. They discuss Chris's research (from emergency rooms to Vietnam), how to choose a great title, what sort of books make good films, the role of the publicist in the life of a writer, and much more.

Charlie talks with science writer Neil Shubin about the history of genetic science as revealed in Neil's new book Some Assembly Required. From Darwin to DNA with lots of fascinating stories in between Neil helps us not understand not only where we came from as a species but the stories of the men and women who discovered, and continue to discover, the secrets of our evolutionary journey.

Charlie talks with the author of The Devil and the White City and Dead Wake about his brilliant new non-fiction book The Splendid and the Vile, which details the first year of Winston Churchill's prime ministry. They discuss not just Churchill, leadership, and the blitz but the similarities between fiction and non-fiction, how Erik picks a topic, how he found new materials on such a frequently researched topic, and how to bring history alive through the eyes of the real people who experienced it.

Charlie talks with novelist and screenwriter Timothy Reinhardt, author of the novel Jesus's Brother James, about writing for the page and for the screen. They discuss putting yourself in a character's shoes, writing humor, the influence of Tim's growing up near a monastery, and Tim's unique way of drafting a novel.