Fresh from the San Miguel Writers’ Conference

‘Queen Esther’

I am just back as a guest of the San Miguel Writers’ Conference, where I taught a workshop and gave a reading from one of my books. I was also privileged to interview the literary legend John Irving who has a new book coming out in November, which I will review. He read a couple chapters of it and it’s going to be another masterpiece, with some familiar characters from Cider House Rules. Keep your eyes out for Queen Esther.

In addition to new books this month I wanted to highlight some of the authors I met at the conference and introduce you to some of their books.

‘Gatecrasher’

Ben Widdicombe writes a bitingly funny memoir about his time as a gossip columnist for numerous New York rags in the late ‘90s. He dishes on A – D level celebrities and their antics stumbling through iconic clubs and parties during a time when celebrity gossip was all the rage. Gatecrasher: How I Helped the Rich Become Famous and Ruin the World is a disco beat back in time and worth a read.

‘Widow Basquiat’

The Widow Basquiat by Jennifer Clement introduces us to the painter’s great love, Suzanne Mallouk. Clement’s prose is sparse and eloquent, and I both cringed and fell in love with the doomed couple. Alternating between Clement’s narrative and Mallouk’s own voice, the chapters are short, yet Clement manages to cut a precise tableau of artistry, racism, poetry, and the New York art scene. 

‘The Paris Novel’

Former editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine, Ruth Reichl is another I interviewed, and she is back with The Paris Novel which is every bit as tasty as her previous food-related memoirs. From her first taste of an oyster, Stella – an uptight, sheltered, schedule-regulated American in Paris – is awakened to designer gowns, Shakespeare & Company, and legendary chefs as she searches for her father, love, and the underrated artist Victorine-Louise Meurent, a mysterious muse and artist in her own right. The book is for all foodies and Francophiles. Reichl is a vibrant author capturing the tastes not only of food, but of a woman’s passions and desires.

‘The Fortress’

Another memoir, this of finding love, losing love, and finding love again is by Danielle Trussoni. The Fortress is a moving depiction of a young author, young mother, and young wife, finding herself in the South of France with a marriage near the brink of ruin and living in a haunted and crumbling old fortress. The writing is gorgeous and will transport you to every fantasy you ever entertained about moving to France.

‘Counting Backwards’

Jacqueline Friedland’s Counting Backwards tackles reproductive rights and incarcerated immigrant’s battles (mostly female) over several decades. It is timely and informative. Friedland’s two main characters eventually intersect, from 1927 and 2022. I was instantly drawn into the struggles of women trying to conceive while having it all.

‘Kills Well with Others’

Lastly, new out this month is Deanna Raybourn’s vastly entertaining Kills Well with Others about four women assassins – of a “certain age” – brought together for another globe-trotting assignment. Humorous and action-packed, make sure you pick this one up.