Podcast
David Perell's book list: the books mentioned on How I Write
Before book sales and PR buzz, your favorite writers began with two things: the blank page and an idea.Each week on How I Write, we go behind-the-scenes with today’s top writers to uncover the meta-mechanics of writing and the lifestyle behind it. You’ll be the first to hear writers deconstruct their creative process: from banging their head on the keyboard to marking the last period of their fina…
Recently mentioned books
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The Peregrine
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Ghost Town Living
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Desert Solitaire
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Project Hail Mary
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The Martian
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Artemis
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The Caves of Steel
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Anna Karenina
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Finnegans Wake
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Great Expectations
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Jane Eyre
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Lady with the Dog
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Loitering with Intent
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The diary of a young girl
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A Moveable Feast
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The Autumn of the Patriarch
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Bird by Bird
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The Great Gatsby
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The Bonfire of the Vanities
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Portnoy's Complaint
Most recommended on How I Write
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The Great Gatsby
On How I Write, host David Perell and various guests like John Yaged and Fareed Zakaria frequently discussed F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Conversations ranged from exploring character development across book and film adaptations to examining public domain status and AI-generated audiobooks. Guests also noted Hunter S. Thompson's famous transcription practice of rewriting the entire novel by hand to understand the mechanics of great writing.
Discussed“So, I read the book, I watched the DiCaprio Gatsby movie, I then watched the Robert Redford Gatsby movie, and then I went to the play.”
Where to get it
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Atomic Habits
On How I Write, James Clear's Atomic Habits was frequently cited by host David Perell and guests like Ali Abdaal and Morgan Housel. Perell used the ubiquitous bestseller as an example of minimalist title design and grassroots marketing strategies, while Abdaal referenced specific frameworks and parables from the text to discuss non-fiction book structure and the importance of repetition in skill development.
Discussed“For example, when James Clear when he did Atomic Habits, I think he had like 80 podcasts that launched that week. There's probably things around BookTok and Twitter and like clipping up different things that you've made about your book, that's more kind of guerrilla marketing tactics that are going to end up being more solo.”
Where to get it
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East of Eden
John Steinbeck's novel 'East of Eden' was frequently discussed on 'How I Write' by host David Perell and guest Nat Eliason. Perell repeatedly brought up the masterpiece to analyze Steinbeck's simple and effective language, illustrate deep reading habits, and examine how Steinbeck documented his own writing struggles in 'The Journal of a Novel'. Eliason mentioned reading the book to prime himself for writing slower-paced environmental and emotional descriptions.
Discussed“and for an example i want to look at john steinbeck and his book his masterpiece east of eden”
Where to get it
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MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville came up across multiple episodes of How I Write as guests referenced the classic novel to illustrate various literary concepts. Steven Pressfield discussed the book to explain how nature and the sea can embody the female element carrying mystery. Paul Harding cited Melville's work to highlight linguistic supersaturation, while Richard Powers and Ted Gioia referenced it when discussing man versus nature themes and maximalist writing styles.
Discussed“For instance, we were talking about this earlier, David, in Moby Dick, which has no female characters at all. The sea is the female. And if you think about the sea carrying the mystery, the sea is into the depths which Moby Dick dives.”
Where to get it
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On Writing
On Writing by Stephen King was highlighted on How I Write by various guests. Alex Hormozi recommended the book as a top resource on writing, while Jack Carr and Michael Mauboussin mentioned reading it when reflecting on their own writing processes and King's work ethic. David Perell also referenced the book to discuss the necessity of clear thinking for great writing.
Discussed“And so I did read um on writing by Stephen King.”
Where to get it
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The 4-Hour Workweek
Timothy Ferriss's 'The 4-Hour Workweek' was discussed on How I Write by host David Perell, Tim Ferriss, and guest Ali Abdaal. Abdaal credited the book as a life-changing influence that inspired him to build a business while in medical school. Perell and Ferriss examined the book's title-testing strategies, early drafting struggles, and structural principles for delegating tasks to virtual assistants.
Discussed“I think the first time I heard about this was I think Tim Ferris tested 4our a 4our work week yeah for his book and he hated the title but it it crushed all the other titles”
Where to get it
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The Elements of Eloquence
Mark Forsyth's The Elements of Eloquence was discussed across multiple episodes of How I Write. David Perell frequently recommended the book, praised it as a masterpiece, and used it to guide discussions on rhetorical devices and writing patterns. Sam Parr also mentioned the book, noting how a colleague used it to learn how to craft memorable phrases and improve copywriting.
Discussed“And now what I want to do is go through like 10 or 11 this from your book Elements of Eloquence.”
Where to get it
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Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitch Albom's memoir Tuesdays with Morrie was discussed on How I Write by host David Perell and guest Mitch Albom. Perell brought up the famously successful memoir during conversations about storytelling and writing. Albom reflected on his original motivations for writing the book, which was intended simply to pay medical bills for his former college professor rather than become a global success. He also detailed his rigorous editing process, the emotional tone of researching death, and how the compact physical format of the original book influenced his later publications.
Discussed“Do you know that is? He wrote a book called Tuesdays with Morrie. yeah, yeah.”
Where to get it
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Bird by Bird
Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird was discussed on How I Write. Harlan Coben and David Perell praised the book as one of the best works on the craft of writing, specifically highlighting its chapter on shitty first drafts. Anne Lamott appeared as a guest to discuss her perspective on writer's block, her writing workshops, observational habits, and the three-draft structure detailed in her book.
Discussed“we were talking off thing about Ann Lamont's bird by bird. She has the great chapter called the shitty first draft that many people are familiar with.”
Where to get it
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Finnegans Wake
On How I Write, James Joyce's Finnegans Wake was mentioned by three different guests. Francine Prose brought up the book to illustrate her limited patience for obscure or overly difficult writing. Tom Junod mentioned it as the chronological end point of the books on his shelf in his shed. Robert Macfarlane referenced the text while discussing rhythm in writing, comparing its rhythmically alert nature to James Joyce's Ulysses.
Discussed“I if someone put a gun to my head and said, "You have to read Finnegan's Wake now." It, you know, I go, "Shoot me.”
Where to get it
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Gates of Fire
On How I Write, Steven Pressfield's novel "Gates of Fire" came up multiple times during discussions about writing and creativity. Lulu Cheng Meservey recommended the book as an evergreen selection on the Marine Commandant's reading list, while David Perell praised its quality. Jack Carr and Steven Pressfield himself also referenced the novel when discussing early creative works and the authors who influenced their writing processes.
Discussed“So, I took that and then I heard Steven Pressfield and I I Gates of Fire, Hero of Gates of Fire, Legend of Bagger Vance, has a series of books on creativity that starts with The War of Art.”
Where to get it
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K. Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was mentioned on the How I Write podcast by several guests. John Yaged cited it as a prime example of an outlier book that faced widespread rejection from publishers before succeeding. Shaan Puri referenced the story to illustrate the storytelling mechanics of character intention versus obstacles, while Kevin Kelly mentioned the series during a discussion on simultaneous cultural ideas.
Discussed“I mean, the Harry Potter's the the best example. Almost all the New York publisher I think all New York publishers but one rejected that book.”
Where to get it
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Richard II
On the podcast How I Write, Tyler Cowen mentioned rereading William Shakespeare's Richard II as part of his pleasure reading and research process, noting in another episode how he now uses AI as secondary literature for it. Additionally, the host brought up the play to illustrate a rhetorical formula called a diacap.
Discussed“So I reread Shakespeare's Richard II which is a [clears throat] wonderful play.”
Where to get it
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Save the cat!
Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! was discussed on How I Write by guests who praised its structural utility for storytelling. On April 15, 2026, David Gelb recommended the book, highlighting its clear frameworks, specific page-number breakdowns for plot beats, and usefulness as a foundational skeleton for screenwriters, despite some criticisms of its simplicity. Additionally, on November 22, 2023, Steven Pressfield referenced Snyder's concepts while discussing how to make storytelling primal.
Recommended“I I love the book um Save the Cat by Blake Snider, which just lays it out in the most clear way and where literally he has I mean he even has page numbers of when these things should happen.”
Where to get it
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The Everything Store
Brad Stone's book The Everything Store was discussed on the How I Write podcast by guests Mark Manson and Jimmy Soni. Manson mentioned reading the biography about Jeff Bezos in connection with early online shopping memories. Soni discussed the book extensively across multiple appearances, noting that he read it between sixteen and twenty times to use it as a structural and qualitative model for his own writing.
Discussed“for the founders, it was The Everything Store by Brad Stone, which I think I've talked to you about before. I read that book over 20 times.”
Where to get it
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The Hobbit
On How I Write, guests and hosts referenced J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in various episodes between late 2025 and mid-2026. Yann Martel brought up the book to contrast his personal boredom with it against a generation's love for it, David Perell quoted a passage to highlight solitary moments of fear and courage, and Adrian Tchaikovsky discussed Smaug to illustrate how fantasy monsters embody human traits like greed.
Discussed“I found them so boring where an entire generation loved The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.”
Where to get it
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The Lord of the Rings
On How I Write, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic novel "The Lord of the Rings" was referenced in discussions about literature and writing processes. David Perell mentioned the book to illustrate subjective mental imagery among readers, and later highlighted the book's introduction to discuss the importance of writing communities. Additionally, Dana Gioia praised the novel, describing it as the greatest English work written about the First World War.
Discussed“So, if we both read The Lord of the Rings and you say, "Hey, I'm going to describe the the Shire and then I do the same thing," our descriptions will be very different.”
Where to get it
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was mentioned on How I Write across different contexts. On April 22, 2026, Tish Rabe reminisced about her mother reading classic children's literature to her. On March 4, 2026, Steven Pressfield discussed the book and its film adaptation to illustrate the hero's journey model, specifically the transition from the ordinary world in Kansas to the extraordinary world. Finally, on January 10, 2025, the host referenced the work to provide an example of a false memory.
Discussed“my mother used to read us The Wizard of Oz, the original re well, Wizard of Oz.”
Where to get it
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War and Peace
The novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy was referenced on the podcast How I Write by multiple literary guests and the host. Henry Shukman used character development in the novel to illustrate fiction writing lessons regarding primary protagonists. David Perell and Paul Harding both discussed the book as a notable example of an ambitious, large-scale literary blockbuster, while Dana Gioia compared its epic scope and thematic focus to other major works of fiction.
Discussed“Well, I mean Pierre Bazookov in War and Peace, you know, opens with him in that drinking party where they're all doing crazy drinking games and he doesn't want to be doing it.”
Where to get it
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White Noise
Don DeLillo's White Noise was discussed on How I Write by host David Perell and guests including Noah Hawley, Richard Powers, and Amor Towles. The authors praised White Noise as a masterpiece, highlighting its brilliant dialogue and examining how its pioneering exploration of consumerism and pop culture expanded their understanding of what a novel could achieve.
Discussed“How did Don DeLillo do that with White Noise for you? It seems like that's a lot of what that novel did.”
Where to get it
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Zero to One
Zero to One by Peter A. Thiel and Blake Masters was discussed on How I Write. In August 2023, David Perell and Jimmy Soni talked about the book, with Perell noting its foundation in René Girard's memetic theory and Soni mentioning it as research for a project on PayPal. Later, Marc Andreessen brought it up in October 2023 as an example of an enduring business book, and Perell discussed its underlying religious themes in November 2023.
Discussed“Peter Thiel wrote Zero to One. But if you actually follow the thread, Zero to One is... A Christian book”
Where to get it
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“The” History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
On How I Write, David Perell brought up Edward Gibbon's classic history to illustrate how a book can possess high objective quality yet still fail to engage a reader whose current interests lie elsewhere. In a separate episode, Ted Gioia discussed reading the same work purely for its exquisite prose style, even though he disagreed with the author's historical arguments.
Discussed“So we'll take a book like Gibbons, the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Okay, people tell me amazing book. They'll say the writing is is is really strong. It's been super influential.”
Where to get it
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A short history of nearly everything
Bill Bryson's book A short history of nearly everything came up on How I Write in conversations hosted by David Perell. In February 2024 and November 2023, Perell referenced Bryson to illustrate how skilled authors can successfully make broad science and history topics engaging and worthwhile for readers.
Discussed“You talk to people who like Bill Bryson, Bill Bryson wrote A Short History of Nearly Everything, 1927, The Body.”
Where to get it
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A Tale of Two Cities
On How I Write, Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities was discussed by guests Dean Koontz and R.F. Kuang. In May 2025, Koontz recalled reading the novel later in life as his introduction to Dickens, describing himself as completely captivated by its emotional depth. In September 2026, Kuang mentioned that she had only recently read the book, bringing it up to discuss her appreciation for its campy, soap-opera-like elements alongside Dickens's other works.
Discussed“A Tale of Two Cities was one of the Dickens books that I like embarrassingly hadn't read until like two years ago.”
Where to get it
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Absalom, Absalom!
On How I Write, Wright Thompson cited William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! as the greatest piece of American art ever made while discussing the importance of place in writing and how to learn storytelling. In another episode, Paul Harding discussed the same novel to illustrate the richness of complex literary meaning, noting that readers cannot grasp the whole thing the first time they read it.
Recommended“I think one of the tricks of like if you're trying to learn how to be a writer is to figure out the things that you're interested in. And so one of the for me like like I'm like I mean, for me the the greatest piece of American art ever made is Absalom, Absalom, and it is a deep,”
Where to get it
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Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand's book Atlas Shrugged was discussed on the podcast How I Write by two different guests. Nat Eliason brought up the novel in July 2024 while critiquing the quality of its dialogue, noting moments where characters simply feel like author inserts. Later, in October 2023, Riva Tez mentioned to David Perell that she had repeatedly read the book every couple of years over a fifteen-year period, expressing a wish that she had better understood it as a teenager.
Discussed“It feels there's so many times when reading Atlas Shrugged where it's really clear that that it's no longer this character talking. It's just her insert.”
Where to get it
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Book of Laughter and Forgetting
On How I Write, Alain de Botton cited Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting as a major personal influence that demonstrated structural freedom in writing. Later on the same podcast, David Perell brought up the book to discuss graphomania and the desire to write for a public of unknown readers.
Discussed“So um the Czech writer Milan Kundara was extremely important for me um the book of laughter and forgetting uh and the unbearable lightness of being and also his book the art of the novel immensely significant texts that seemed to have an incredible freedom.”
Where to get it
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Excellent Advice for Living
David Perell introduced Kevin Kelly's book Excellent Advice for Living on How I Write to share one of his favorite maxims, noting that it features a collection of maxims. Perell also discussed the origins of the book, highlighting how it evolved from a blog post that Kelly wrote on his sixty-eighth birthday containing advice for his children.
Recommended“The next is number two, Kevin Kelly, who wrote Excellent Advice for Living, which is a book of maxims and my favorite one is don't aim to be the best, be the only.”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
On How I Write, Nat Eliason cited Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson as the primary visual inspiration for the cover design of his own book. Later in the same podcast series, David Perell brought up Thompson's novel to illustrate a writer whose work centers heavily on the author themselves.
Discussed“So if you have Hunter S. Thompson, right? He writes Fear and Loathing. This is like Hunter S. Thompson's take on what's going on.”
Where to get it
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Great Expectations
On How I Write, Francine Prose mentioned Charles Dickens's Great Expectations alongside Jane Eyre while discussing the experience of teaching enduring works of literature. In a later episode, Dean Koontz listed Great Expectations among other Dickens novels to illustrate the author's mastery in handling deep human emotion.
Discussed“Well, I you know, one year I taught Jane Air and uh and Great Expectations in the same year. And Janeire is the greatest representation of of female rage ever.”
Where to get it
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Hackers and Painters
On How I Write, host David Perell referenced Paul Graham's book 'Hackers and Painters' in conversations about writing and programming. Perell used the book's title to illustrate the synthesis of left-brain skepticism, rigor, logic, and right-brain creativity. He also noted that the framework of the book mirrors Graham's own essay style and highlighted the collaborative network of thinkers acknowledged within its pages.
Discussed“I mean, actually, that's why his book is called Hackers and Painters. Hackers and Painters, sort of that left side of the brain, skepticism, rigor, logic.”
Where to get it
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How to Write a Thesis
Michael Dean and Marc Andreessen both referenced Umberto Eco's book How to Write a Thesis on How I Write. Dean mentioned the book to explain the pick one volcano principle for narrowing writing scopes, while Andreessen discussed Eco's card catalog system for tracking research notes.
Discussed“So Alberto Ekko, he wrote a book called How to Write a Thesis. Uh and he has something called the pick one volcano principle.”
Where to get it
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Hunger
On the How I Write podcast, Knut Hamsun's novel Hunger came up in discussions regarding literary influences and writing styles. On May 6, 2026, Yann Martel referenced the book to illustrate his preference for deeply subjective, single-character narratives. Earlier, on March 27, 2024, Neil Strauss also mentioned the work while talking about literary inspirations.
Discussed“Thompson who was a Norwegian writer. He wrote a book called Hunger and it's about a homeless man in Christiania which was the old name for Oslo.”
Where to get it
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No Country for Old Men
On How I Write, David Perell brought up Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men while asking guest Noah Hawley about his approach to watching films. In another episode, Dean Koontz discussed the book as an example of McCarthy's later, stripped-down writing style.
Discussed“So, as you're watching No Country for Old for Old Men, as you're watching Fargo, what is it that you're looking for to try to understand what's going on?”
Where to get it
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On Writing Well
On How I Write, Fareed Zakaria recommended William Zinsser's book on writing, noting that he prefers it over others. Jimmy Soni also mentioned On Writing Well during his appearance, bringing it up to discuss the importance of warmth, word choice, and how reading happens in the ear.
Recommended“Some of them are useful like if you look at white and I actually prefer there's guy William Zim Zim called on writing which I think is is better.”
Where to get it
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey's novel 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' came up on How I Write through references by different guests. On June 10, 2026, David Perell brought up the novel during a conversation with Andrew Hunter Murray, noting that Murray had read it and that it influenced his writing. Earlier, on March 4, 2026, Steven Pressfield referenced the novel and its film adaptation to exemplify a powerful 'all is lost' moment and subsequent character transformation.
Discussed“So, this is from uh One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and I know that you read that and it influenced you and so I was, you know, looking through it and this really stood out.”
Where to get it
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Rocket men
On How I Write, David Perell recommended Robert Kurson's book Rocket Men. Perell read passages from the work to demonstrate effective storytelling techniques, specifically how authors can bring numbers to life through concrete visual analogies.
Recommended“And to do that, I'm going to read you a quote from a book that I love called Rocket Men by Robert Kurson.”
Where to get it
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Shantaram
On How I Write, Sam Parr recommended Gregory David Roberts's novel Shantaram despite usually not reading fiction. David Perell later mentioned the book when discussing massive thousand-page works recommended to him by colleagues.
Discussed“go Sean trom and I go okay tell me about it he goes like it's a thousand pages”
Where to get it
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Show Your Work!
On the How I Write podcast, Austin Kleon's Show Your Work! was discussed in relation to Ali Abdaal. In Do This to Beat Imposter Syndrome, Abdaal credited the book as a major influence for helping him overcome impostor syndrome, and David Perell brought up the book in A Productivity Master’s Guide to Writing to ask about its impact.
Recommended“but then what show your work taught me is that basically that you don't have to be a genius you don't have to be the guru”
Where to get it
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Storyworthy
On How I Write, Matthew Dicks's book Storyworthy came up when the host recommended it during the episode titled 171 Years of Writing Knowledge in 90 Minutes, praising it as an amazing guide by a storytelling champion. Later, during the episode Master Storytelling in 108 Minutes with Shaan Puri, Shaan Puri also recommended the book, explaining how it highlights the necessity of stakes and moments of change in great storytelling.
Recommended“the story Worthy is amazing book by this like teacher guy who's like the 20time storytelling champion of the moth storytelling”
Where to get it
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The 48 Laws of Power
Robert Greene and Joost Elffers's The Evolution of Cooperation was not the focus, but rather The 48 Laws of Power, which was discussed on the How I Write podcast. David Perell brought up the book in September 2024 to ask Greene about his writing evolution. Steven Pressfield also mentioned the book in late 2023 while discussing Greene's career breakthrough and contrasting its comprehensive nature with advertising brevity.
Discussed“Like if you look at 48 laws, where do you feel like you've had the largest margin of improvement?”
Where to get it
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The big short
On How I Write, Harry Dry mentioned Michael Lewis's book The Big Short to illustrate how a writer's long-term personal experience feeds into their book, noting that Lewis spent a long time working on Wall Street before writing it. Later on the same podcast, Ryan Holiday brought up the book to illustrate the concept of an author meeting their ultimate moment, stating that everything in Lewis's life, including his background in finance and previous characters, led up to it.
Discussed“Michael Lewis spent forever working on Wall Street, waited and waited and then was able to write The Big Short.”
Where to get it
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The Body
On the How I Write podcast, Tim Urban recommended Bill Bryson's book The Body in January 2024, praising the extensive research behind it as an example of exceptional writing. Later in February 2024, David Perell also mentioned Bryson's books while discussing authors who successfully explore diverse subjects.
Discussed“You talk to people who like Bill Bryson, Bill Bryson wrote A Short History of Nearly Everything, 1927, The Body.”
Where to get it
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The Body Keeps the Score
On How I Write, Wright Thompson referenced Bessel van der Kolk's book The Body Keeps the Score while discussing how physical locations hold history and memory. David Perell also brought up the book on the podcast to praise Tiago Forte's summary of it.
Discussed“And you know, the the idea that you know, there's that book The Body Remembers the Score. The ground remembers the score, too.”
Where to get it
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The Consolation of Philosophy
On the How I Write podcast, David Perell in January 2024 and the Cultural Tutor in August 2023 recommended The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. The speakers suggested reading Boethius instead of modern bestsellers like Atomic Habits as an example of foundational literature that helps writers cultivate a unique voice and stand out.
Recommended“if rather than reading Atomic Habits, you go and read I don't know Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy.”
Where to get it
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The Daily Pressfield
Steven Pressfield's book The Daily Pressfield was discussed on How I Write by host David Perell. Perell explored specific lessons from the book regarding time management, discipline, and creative practice after receiving a copy directly from the author.
Discussed“What had happened was before the episode, Pressfield was like, yo, you got to read my new book, The Daily Pressfield.”
Where to get it
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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon. Vol. 2. [-3-4].
On the How I Write podcast, David Perell brought up Edward Gibbon's classic history to illustrate how a book can have high objective quality yet fail to engage a reader if it does not match their current interests. In a separate episode, Ted Gioia discussed reading the same work purely for its exquisite prose style even though he disagreed with the author's arguments.
Discussed“So we'll take a book like Gibbons, the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Okay, people tell me amazing book. They'll say the writing is is is really strong. It's been super influential.”
Where to get it
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The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh was discussed on How I Write in two different episodes. Elif Shafak brought up the ancient epic on the episode Elif Shafak & Robert Macfarlane: Two Novelists Have an Epic Conversation to illustrate themes of failure, defeat, and heroism. Later, on the episode Tom Junod: How to Write Unapologetically Well, David Perell suggested the work as a potential pre-Bible starting point for Tom Junod's chronological bookshelf.
Discussed“And I know we both, all of us love the epic of Gilgamesh. But this is one of the many reasons why I love the epic because it really talks makes us think about failure, defeat.”
Where to get it
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The Godfather
The Godfather by Mario Puzo was discussed on How I Write in 2024 and 2026 episodes. Andrew Stanton brought up the novel to explain an acting coach's concept of character spines using Michael Corleone. Additionally, David Perell and Tiago Forte discussed Francis Ford Coppola's intensive research process of cutting up and annotating pages of the novel into a working notebook for the film adaptation.
Discussed“Judith Weston, who is a acting coach, taught me this term. And she gave a good example that like Michael Corleone in The Godfather, his spine is to please his father, and that never goes away even after his father dies all the way through the second Godfather movie.”
Where to get it
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The Grapes of Wrath
On How I Write, John Steinbeck's novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' was discussed by guest Dana Gioia across two episodes. On February 26, 2025, Gioia cited the book as one of the greatest American novels, praising its ability to portray the dignity of the poor despite its imperfections. He revisited this sentiment on December 3, 2025, during a recap of writing lessons, once again highlighting Steinbeck's masterwork among top American literature.
Discussed“John Steinbeck, if you read The Grapes of Wrath, for all of Grapes of Wrath's imperfections, he has written one of the greatest American novels”
Where to get it
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The Overstory
During the How I Write podcast, David Perell and guest Jason Fried discussed Richard Powers' novel The Overstory. Perell interviewed Powers in an episode where he noted that the book won the Pulitzer Prize in 2019, praised its articulation of trees, and read an excerpt aloud. Perell also referenced the novel while asking Powers about his research process and the development of empathy for nature. Separately, in an episode with Jason Fried, the guest brought up the book to express how deeply inspired he was by Powers' writing style.
Recommended“Richard Powers won the Pulitzer Prize for the over story in 2019 and and I had some friends who recommended it to me”
Where to get it
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The Power Broker
David Perell and Jimmy Soni discussed Robert A. Caro's book The Power Broker on How I Write. Perell praised Caro's writing and explained how the massive biography resonated with him while living in New York, while Soni cited the book as a masterpiece with long-term cultural endurance.
Discussed“Or they'll talk about The Power Broker. That's one of my favorites. The Power Broker by Robert Carrow. It is 1,344 pages. But David, I know it's long, but I'll tell you, Robert Caro is such a good writer.”
Where to get it
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The Protestant ethic and the "spirit" of capitalism and other writings
Max Weber's 'The Protestant Ethic and the "Spirit" of Capitalism' came up on How I Write during conversations between host David Perell and guest Paul Millerd. Perell brought up the text to describe an intensive college course he took that focused entirely on Weber's work, while both speakers referenced Weber while discussing historical deep dives into the history of work included in Millerd's own writing.
Discussed“What? The Protestant ethic? No, like it the book is this combo. Like chapter three, I didn't really know where to position chapter three. Chapter three is a the it's called work work work. It's basically a deep dive into the history of work. And so when I started the book, that was the book. I was going to write”
Where to get it
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The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel's book The Psychology of Money was discussed on How I Write by two guests. Ali Abdaal cited the book as a recent favorite, praising its structure of twenty distinct chapters and expressing a desire to emulate its style in his own writing. In a later episode, Morgan Housel himself reflected on the manuscript, noting that when he first turned it in, he did not fully realize the extent of his own arguments until after completion.
Discussed“One of the things that I didn't really understand at the time when I wrote Psychology of Money. I I I think I probably could have expressed this when I wrote it but I didn't believe it as much as I do now is when I turned in the manuscript for Psychology of Money I had a deep sense of”
Where to get it
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The Sense of Style
On How I Write, guests Johnny Harris, David Perell, and Michael Mauboussin discussed Steven Pinker's The Sense of Style. Johnny Harris cited the book as his entire writing bible for active language, while David Perell and Michael Mauboussin referenced chapters three and two respectively to explore the concepts of the curse of knowledge and classic style in writing.
Recommended“Stephen pinker's got this great book sense of style that where he unpacks this and it it is my entire Bible of writing”
Where to get it
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The Sound and the Fury
On How I Write, William Faulkner's novel The Sound and the Fury came up in June and August 2025. Guest Jayne Anne Phillips discussed the novel as a deeply influential work she carried everywhere while writing Lark and Termite. Host David Perell also referenced the book while discussing Paul Harding's ambitious reading habits and emphasized the importance of having high artistic ambitions.
Discussed“for me the sound on the fury is one of those books um it was a book that I carried with me everywhere all the time when I was writing Lark and Termite.”
Where to get it
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The Talented Mr. Ripley
On the How I Write podcast, David Perell discussed Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley during multiple episodes. In July 2026, he mentioned the book while exploring moral themes and narrative justice, praising the story and noting that he had watched the film adaptation. Earlier, in March 2026, Perell brought up the work with Steven Pressfield to examine narrative escalation and the midpoint shift in storytelling.
Discussed“Like So, I I think there's something immensely appealing for readers it of like that that that is what happens. Justice is served. That story is phenomenal. The Talented Mr. Ripley. Holy cow. I haven't read the book, but I've watched the movie and it is so good.”
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The War of Art
On How I Write, Jack Carr referenced Steven Pressfield's The War of Art when discussing creative inspiration, and David Perell brought up the book during an interview with the author. Pressfield himself discussed the supportive community and reader responses that emerged after the publication of his book on creativity.
Discussed“So, I took that and then I heard Steven Pressfield and I I Gates of Fire, Hero of Gates of Fire, Legend of Bagger Vance, has a series of books on creativity that starts with The War of Art.”
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Thinking, Fast and Slow
On How I Write, guests David Perell and Ali Abdaal both referenced Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow. Perell brought up reading the full book to illustrate the contrast between reading comprehensive texts and consuming short-form summaries. Ali Abdaal mentioned the same book as an example of popular literature frequently summarized in viral social media threads.
Discussed“I just read Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel kman”
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Titan
On How I Write, David Perell brought up the biography Titan to criticize chronological beginnings in biographies, noting he did not want to read about John D. Rockefeller's childhood ties. Later, Sam Parr and David Perell discussed Ron Chernow's book, praising its intense research and attention to detail.
Discussed“Like, I don't want to pick up Titan, read about John D. Rockefeller's tie when he's 11 years old.”
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird was discussed by guests on the How I Write podcast. In separate episodes, David Baldacci and Dana Gioia reflected on the cultural impact of the novel. Baldacci shared that he read the book as a child, viewing it simply as an adventure story before his perspective evolved over time, while Gioia noted that Lee achieved lasting literary success publishing just a single book during her lifetime.
Discussed“I read I read Mockingbird like most people read Mockingbird when I was a kid. And back then it was just an adventure story with kids roughly my age and I thought it was so cool.”
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Tom Jones
On How I Write, Ward Farnsworth brought up Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones in multiple episodes. Farnsworth used the book to provide a literary example of a chiasmus-like structure.
Discussed“It's as possible for a man to know something without having been at school as it is to have been at school and to know nothing from this beautiful novel called Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.”
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Trust Me, I'm Lying
On How I Write, Ryan Holiday's book 'Trust Me, I'm Lying' was discussed in multiple episodes. Sam Corcos mentioned reading it to describe how he began his journey of news sobriety. David Perell brought up the book to explore Holiday's reflections on the satisfaction derived from a book's success versus the effort invested. Holiday himself discussed the unique writing and rereading process he undertook for the paperback and anniversary editions of the book.
Discussed“One of the things that you said that I really resonated with was you were talking about your first book, trust me, I'm lying. And you were saying something to the effect of if there were 100 units, you got 90% of the units of satisfaction from how well the book did”
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Ulysses
James Joyce's novel Ulysses came up on the How I Write podcast across two different episodes. Robert Macfarlane mentioned the work to discuss rhythm and sound patterns in texts, describing it as a rhythmically alert text. Later, David Perell referenced Ulysses as an example of a book that readers feel scholarly and erudite for having read, rather than necessarily enjoying the reading experience itself.
Discussed“like James Joyce's Ulyses uh or Finnegan's wake deeply rhythmically alert text but in non-fiction I think partly because it has this weird name non-fiction”
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
On How I Write, guests David Baldacci and Ocean Vuong both mentioned Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. They discussed the historical impact and immense power of written words, specifically noting Abraham Lincoln's remark that the book helped spark the Civil War.
Discussed“Look, words of, you know, I don't think Abraham Lincoln u ever said that, you know, Uncle Tom's Cabin um to the author that you're the little lady that started this great war.”
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Understanding Media
On the How I Write podcast, David Perell twice brought up Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media as a foundational text. Perell discussed reading the book fresh out of college and explained how McLuhan's perspective provided an entirely new and influential way for him to think about the world early in his life.
Discussed“And I had this with Marsh McLennan. I read Understanding Media when I was fresh out of college, and there was something about the way that McLennan explained the similarities”
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Where the wild things are
On How I Write, host David Perell and guest John Yaged discussed Maurice Sendak's classic picture book Where the Wild Things Are. The speakers highlighted the enduring legacy of the book, examining its use of animal characters and noting its continued popularity as a generational staple that parents share with children.
Discussed“I think about Where the Wild Things Are, obviously that's animals. 100%.”
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Wuthering Heights
On the podcast How I Write, Tyler Cowen discussed rereading Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights across multiple episodes, specifically in July 2026 and March 2025. He mentioned that part of his reading and analytical process involved repeatedly asking an AI to share its thoughts on specific chapters, such as chapter 2.
Discussed“I'm also rereading Weathering Heights.”
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$100M Leads
During an episode of How I Write, David Perell brought up Alex Hormozi's book, $100M Leads. He discussed the book marketing strategy, cover design, and the number of drafts written for the publication.
Discussed“take a 100 million doll leads”
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1688
On How I Write, Fareed Zakaria discussed Steven Pincus's historical book 1688 during the episode titled Fareed Zakaria: Learn to Write Persuasively in 70 Minutes, released on January 21, 2026. Zakaria noted that, even for his own recent book on revolutions, Pincus's work on the Glorious Revolution in England was the most interesting historical reading he encountered. He mentioned reading the dense, 700-page academic book twice for research purposes.
Discussed“even for this last book age of revolutions the to me the most interesting book that I was reading historically was a book by Steven Pinkis on the glorious revolution in England called 1688 which is the year of the glorious revolution I I read it twice it is a 700page as I recall dense academic book”
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1927
On the How I Write podcast episode featuring Packy McCormick, released on February 28, 2024, David Perell referenced Bill Bryson's book 1927 while discussing the wide range of topics a trusted writer can successfully cover.
Discussed“You talk to people who like Bill Bryson, Bill Bryson wrote A Short History of Nearly Everything, 1927, The Body.”
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A Burglar's Guide to the City
David Perell brought up Geoff Manaugh's A Burglar's Guide to the City on an episode of How I Write released on March 11, 2026. While discussing the distinct and unusual nature of crime in Los Angeles, Perell referenced the book to highlight how burglaries relate to the city's unique urban environment.
Discussed“So Jeff Mana, he wrote uh I think it was a book called The Burglars Crime A Burglar's Guide to the City and he talks about crime in LA and how it's distinct, how it's different.”
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A Christmas Carol
On the How I Write episode Learn Storytelling in 72 Minutes, Will Storr brought up Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Storr cited the novel as a literary example of a character possessing a specific theory of control centered around isolation and wealth.
Discussed“So, if you think about um Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, I'm only safe if I have keep all the money and love to myself. That's that's his theory of control.”
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A Confederacy of Dunces
On the April 29, 2026 episode of How I Write titled Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing, guest Anne Lamott referenced John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces. She mentioned the character Ignatius J. Riley while discussing how she recognizes deeply flawed, relatable human beings in literature who share nothing in common with her personally.
Discussed“Maybe it's um Ignatius J. Riley in a confederacy of Dun Dunes who has nothing nothing in common with me, but I recognize him as a really dear messed up human like the rest of us.”
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A Conspiracy of Tall Men
Noah Hawley discussed his debut novel, A Conspiracy of Tall Men, on an episode of How I Write in June 2026. Hawley brought up the book to reflect on the creative process, praising the strength of the original premise that inspired the story.
Discussed“And you know, and you know, my first novel, A Conspiracy of Tall Men, Such a good premise.”
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A Death in the Family
During an episode of How I Write titled Pulitzer Winning Professor Teaches Me Writing, guest Jayne Anne Phillips spoke about James Agee's novel A Death in the Family. Phillips cited the book as a major personal influence and named it as one of the most important works in her life, reflecting on its impact as an early idol.
Recommended“Well, I think because one of my early mentors idols was James Ag and his book, A Death in the Family is still one of the most important books for me.”
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A good man is hard to find
On the How I Write episode featuring Amor Towles on February 14, 2024, the guest discussed Flannery OConnors collection of short stories A Good Man Is Hard to Find. Towles mentioned reading the book as part of the research and preparation he undertook prior to writing his novel The Lincoln Highway.
Discussed“planning o Connor's uh first collection of short stories uh A Good Man is Hard to Find I I read um James Baldwin's first novel uh Go Tell It on the Mountain I read the man with a gray flannel suit and I read uh Raymond Chandler's uh long goodbye”
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A Moveable Feast
On the September 16, 2026 episode of How I Write, David Perell brought up A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway while talking with Francine Prose. Perell referenced the Hemingway memoir to highlight the famous writing advice regarding the challenge and importance of sitting down to write just one true sentence.
Discussed“Well, I was thinking of that part of a movable feast by Hemingway where he just says, "Write one true sentence. Write one true sentence."”
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A night to remember
During the How I Write episode titled How to Write Like An Athlete, released on August 23, 2023, Jimmy Soni recommended the book A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. Soni mentioned that he recently read the book about the sinking of the Titanic and considered it one of the best books he had read in a while. He noted that despite knowing how the historical story ends, he remained completely riveted from the first page to the end, using it to exemplify powerful historical storytelling.
Recommended“I recently read this wonderful book called A Night to Remember, which is about the sinking of the Titanic. It's like one of the better books I've I've read in the last little while. And I know how that story is going to end. We all do. But I was riveted from page one to the end.”
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A Pattern Language
On the April 9, 2025 episode of How I Write titled You’ve Never Seen Writing Visualized Like This — Michael Dean, guest Michael Dean discussed A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein. Dean referenced the 1978 publication as the inspiration for his essay architecture framework, describing how Alexander attempted to map universal patterns across architecture by outlining 253 distinct patterns.
Discussed“So, that's a book by Christopher Alexander in uh 1978. And basically it's him trying to map the universal patterns across all of architecture.”
Where to get it
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A People's History of the United States
On How I Write, David Perell brought up Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States in an episode from February 2026. He mentioned reading the book in high school and recalled its introduction to explore the concept of taking a biased or alternative perspective when recounting American history.
Discussed“And then I was thinking of I remember in high school I read um the book on America by Howard Zinn, right? And at the very I still remember the intro. He basically says, the American story a people's history of the United States, I think it is.”
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A preface to morals
Walter Lippmann's book "A Preface to Morals" was discussed on How I Write on January 21, 2026. Guest Fareed Zakaria recommended the work while reflecting on his journalistic influences, describing it as an amazing book written during the Jazz Age that examines the modern dilemma of losing the certainty of faith, tradition, and community.
Recommended“that book a preface to morals. Preface tomorrow is a amazing book written in the 20s during the jazz age and it's about what do you the central dilemma he said in the modern world is that we have lost the certainty of faith of tradition of community”
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A Series of Unfortunate Events: Lemony Snicket
During an episode of How I Write titled How to Get Your Book Published, released on July 8, 2026, host David Perell interviewed Hachette CEO David Shelley. Perell brought up the book A Series of Unfortunate Events: Lemony Snicket by Lemony Snicket, reminiscing about reading the series as a child and noting its distinct physical features, such as deckled paper edges, during a conversation about book production.
Discussed“Well, yeah, I remember when I was a kid there was a series You definitely know it. The Series of Unfortunate Events. of course. Lemony Snicket. You guys published that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I published him.”
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A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again
On the How I Write podcast episode released on November 1, 2023, guest Mark Manson discussed David Foster Wallaces essay collection A Supposedly Fun Thing Ill Never Do Again. Manson recalled buying and reading the book, sharing that the story behind the title piece was quite funny and ultimately served as an inspiration for him to pursue writing seriously.
Recommended“and I bought a supposedly fun thing I'll never do again the title piece of that book is the story behind it is actually pretty funny”
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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
On How I Write, Chris Dixon brought up George Saunders' book A Swim in the Pond in the Rain to discuss the interactive process of reading and writing. Dixon stated that he read the book on a reading binge after finishing his own writing project, noting it was a great book that he read for months following his publication process.
Recommended“So this is we're talking before the video about George Saunders of this book, A swim in the pond in the rain that was a great book I read that after I wrote after I wrote the book I've read I've I've on a reading binge more than I've ever been after since I finished the book about 4 months”
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A Treatise on Painting
On the How I Write podcast released on August 23, 2023, The Cultural Tutor recommended A Treatise on Painting by Leonardo da Vinci and John William Brown. The guest explained that Leonardo's heir collected the artist's private notebooks and advice for young painters into this published treaty, concluding that it is a wonderful book that everyone should read.
Recommended“Well, in his private notebooks, he wrote a load of advice for young painters. And then his heir, Franchesca Meltzy, who collected Da Vinci's notes, takes it and publishes this scattered advice in a treaties called on painting. Wonderful. Everyone should read it.”
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A Whole Life
During an appearance on How I Write, author R.F. Kuang shared her thoughts on Robert Seethaler's novel A Whole Life. As part of the podcast's concluding segment, Kuang offered the Austrian writer's work as her final book recommendation to listeners. She spoke positively about having just finished reading the novel, praising its quiet, poignant storytelling and its compelling exploration of a humble, ordinary existence set against the backdrop of the changing European landscape.
Recommended“One book is a book I just finished called A Whole Life by Robert Setheller and he's an Austrian writer.”
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A Writer's Time, a Guide to the Creative Process, from Vision Through Revision, 1st, First Edition
On How I Write, Kevin Kelly recommended A Writer's Time by Kenneth Atchity. Kelly recalled that Stuart Brand originally turned him on to the guide while Brand was writing his first book, and Kelly used it to discuss the infinite nature of creative work and effective time management.
Recommended“And, um, there's a great book called The Writer's Time. Stuart Brand turned me on to it when he was writing his first book.”
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Adult Children of Alcoholics
During an episode of How I Write released on November 29, 2023, host David Perell brought up Janet G. Woititz's book Adult Children of Alcoholics. Perell discussed how deeply the book speaks to the power of writing to move people, serve as a light bulb for readers, and help unlock personal questions.
Discussed“tell me about adult children of Alcoholics I think that this book speaks deeply to how writing can move people how it can just be a light bulb in the reader eyes”
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Adventures in the screen trade
During an episode of How I Write on October 8, 2025, Mitch Albom discussed storytelling mechanics with the host. Albom referenced William Goldman's book Adventures in the Screen Trade, noting how Goldman explained that action sequences are often heavily concentrated in the final minutes of a movie compared to the earlier runtime, illustrating important lessons about pacing and structure.
Discussed“Bill Goldman's book about adventures in the screen trade, he explains that the more action happens in the last seven minutes of a movie than than often happens in the first hour and a half of it.”
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
During the March 4, 2026, episode of How I Write titled How to Write Remarkably Well — Steven Pressfield, Steven Pressfield referenced Mark Twain's classic novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He used the book to illustrate how working backward from a powerful turning point, such as Huck's decision not to turn in Jim, helps an author successfully structure a story's setup and character arcs.
Discussed“You look I at least I do. Yeah. Or I'll say, "Where's the story going to?" You know, like if it's um if it's Huckleberry Finn, it's got to be the moment where he's supposed to write the letter that turns Jim the slave in and he says, "Fuck this. I'm not going to do it." Right?”
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Against Method
On the How I Write episode titled I Spent 50 Hours With 20 Master Writers released on 2024-01-24, David Perell brought up Against Method by Paul K. Feyerabend. Perell mentioned a book recommended by Riva Tez that influences her distinct writing style and philosophy, noting that she recommended the book by Feyerabend.
Recommended“She recommends this book called Against Method by I think it's got a name Feyerabend.”
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Against the gods
On the How I Write episode titled How He Raised Billions with Simple Ideas, guest Howard Marks brought up Against the Gods by Peter L. Bernstein. Marks praised the book as a really great work on the history of probability and highlighted Bernstein as an investment philosopher who significantly influenced his thinking.
Recommended“Against the Gods. Against the Gods was a really great book on the history of probability.”
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Alice in Wonderland
On How I Write, David Gelb mentioned Lewis Carroll's classic book Alice in Wonderland. Gelb brought up the novel to draw a comparison to the outsider dynamic present in the animated film Spirited Away, viewing the story as a thematic parallel to classic literature.
Discussed“and I think that that's true for like Alice and Alice in Wonderland, you know, which is sort of like I feel like this is kind of a new version of that in a lot of ways.”
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American Kingpin
On How I Write, Sam Parr brought up Nick Bilton's American Kingpin during a conversation with David Perell. Parr and Perell discussed the book, noting its detailed and evocative description of scenery and feelings utilizing simple language, with Parr remarking on how much he loved the publication.
Discussed“take a book like American Kingpin I know you love that I love americ Kingpin”
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American Pastoral
On the How I Write podcast, Amor Towles mentioned Philip Roth's novel American Pastoral during an interview released on February 14, 2024. Towles cited the book as an example of how certain authors produce increasingly long and complex works later in their lives.
Discussed“suddenly late in life he's writing this series of of longer increasingly long and complex Works um you know like American pastoral and things like that”
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American Psycho
On the How I Write podcast episode titled Riva Tez: Becoming A Free Thinker, released on October 18, 2023, Riva Tez brought up Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho. Tez compared the novel's unapologetic edginess and freedom from modern social constraints to the work of Mike Ma.
Discussed“Like Bret Easton Ellis, like when they wrote American Psycho, it was also like an edgy book, right, like it glorifies violence, all this kind of stuff, but it's fiction.”
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American Work Values
On How I Write, David Perell brought up Paul Graham's essay Great Work during the episode Master Storytelling in 108 Minutes with Shaan Puri in 2024 to discuss the central role of curiosity in doing great work.
Discussed“You've read, Paul Graham wrote this essay, Great Work. I'm assuming you've read that one.”
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an actor Prepares
Richard Powers mentioned Constantin Stanislavski's work An Actor Prepares on How I Write. He referenced the book while explaining methods of character creation and the process of inhabiting a stage role that belongs to someone else.
Discussed“and how how to uh an actor prepares is one of one of his works and you know how how to inhabit a role of someone on stage who isn't you”
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An Elegant Puzzle
On the How I Write podcast, Brie Wolfson mentioned Will Larson's An Elegant Puzzle in a 2024 episode. Wolfson brought up the book while recalling the early lineup of titles published by Stripe Press.
Discussed“Then I want to say it was some combination of Elegant Puzzle, Dream Machine and Get Together.”
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Guests who recommended books
- Jack Carr (26)
- Steven Pressfield (20)
- Anne Lamott (17)
- Jimmy Soni (17)
- Tish Rabe (16)
- Adrian Tchaikovsky (15)
- Tim Ferriss (14)
- David Grann (13)
- Dana Gioia (12)
- Alain de Botton (12)
- Michael Dean (12)
- Dean Koontz (11)
- Ryan Holiday (11)
- Yann Martel (10)
- Ali Abdaal (10)
- Fareed Zakaria (9)
- Riva Tez (9)
- Sam Parr (9)
- Francine Prose (8)
- R.F. Kuang (8)
- Matt Haig (8)
- Suleika Jaouad (8)
- Bill Browder (8)
- Mitch Albom (8)
- Nat Eliason (8)
- Michael Mauboussin (8)
- Amor Towles (8)
- Steven Johnson (8)
- Robert Greene (7)
- Andy Weir (7)
- Noah Hawley (7)
- Paul Harding (7)
- Ted Gioia (7)
- Brie Wolfson (7)
- Ward Farnsworth (6)
- Jayne Anne Phillips (6)
- The Cultural Tutor (6)
- Neil Strauss (6)
- Andrew Sean Greer (5)
- Tyler Cowen (5)
Latest mentions
“And I have a story in there about a man who is obsessed with a hawk, a parag. Yeah. He's looking at the maps and stuff. It's it's one of the greatest I highly recommend reading this book. Like it was FER Herzog's favorite book, the the paragine by J. Baker.”
“He's amazing person and he wrote a book and I kind of helped him a little bit with the book called Ghost Town Living. I highly recommend this book. It's it's great.”
“I I told him to read this book called Desert Solitaire by the writer Edward Abby. It's a beautiful beautiful book and it's very sublime.”
“I want to hear about how you think about the premise of a science fiction book. Let's start with Project Hail Mary, but I want to see if there's any patterns that we can draw between your different books.”
“Before I I tend to like personal stakes like in um The Martian, it was one guy's life.”
“And um in Artemis, uh the stakes are just Jazz Bashara's like well-being.”
“And Azimoth made a science fiction noir detective series, Caves of Steel, and the grizzled detective Elijah Bailey has his robot partner that he doesn't like very much, and they solve murders.”
“I mean there there are certain things that are hard like party scenes that party scenes are really I mean there are a lot of people and they're all talking at once and there's all this interaction and how do you follow it so that you look at I mean I guess James Joyce is the dead is the all-time”
“I if someone put a gun to my head and said, "You have to read Finnegan's Wake now." It, you know, I go, "Shoot me.”
“Well, I you know, one year I taught Jane Air and uh and Great Expectations in the same year. And Janeire is the greatest representation of of female rage ever.”
“Well, I you know, one year I taught Jane Air and uh and Great Expectations in the same year. And Janeire is the greatest representation of of female rage ever. And that that hasn't gone away.”
“I mean, one thing is I really like indeterminate endings, you know. I mean, there's the ending of uh uh Czechov's lady with the pet dog, which is and they realize that the hardest part was still before them.”
“Have you read um Mural Sparks Lording with intent? I have not. It's really great, but it's the only thing I know about the phenomenon that I most of my close friends who are writers have had”
“I was struck by how much Anne Frank edited her her diaries. That seems to be something you were talking about over and over again. She wanted them to be published.”
“Well, I was thinking of that part of a movable feast by Hemingway where he just says, "Write one true sentence. Write one true sentence."”
“The Garcia Marquez's Ottoma the Patriarch is one paragraph without paragraph breaks. And a friend of ours, a Polish artist, was saying, "Oh, I hate this book."”
“we were talking off thing about Ann Lamont's bird by bird. She has the great chapter called the shitty first draft that many people are familiar with.”
“So, I read the book, I watched the DiCaprio Gatsby movie, I then watched the Robert Redford Gatsby movie, and then I went to the play.”
“two of my favorite books of the you know when I was sort of coming of age poor noise complaint by Philip Roth and Bonfire the Vanities by Tom Wolf both are horrendous films unwatchable”
“two of my favorite books of the you know when I was sort of coming of age poor noise complaint by Philip Roth and Bonfire the Vanities by Tom Wolf both are horrendous films unwatchable”