Upstairs at the Strand: Writers in Conversation at the Legendary Bookstore

This collection edited by Strand, former events coordinator at the Strand bookstore in New York City, and journalist Aguilar covers a wide range of author visits to the venerable institution. The book evokes a feeling of eavesdropping on a private conversation between old friends but more often shifts to a lovely piece of advice about writing and writers. Readers will find cherry-picking through the selections as rewarding as it straight through. With a panoply of award-winning contributors, including Renata Adler, Alison Bechdel, Junot Díaz, and George Saunders, among others, sharing conversation with those they know well, or not at all, delving into poetry, biography, fiction, and memoir, it's a who's who of the Strand's illustrious history. Occasional questions from the audience give structure to the authors' answers and contain passages in which the best tidbits can be found.