Alice Hoffman is the author of more than 40 books, including novels, YA fiction, middle grade and children’s books, short stories and nonfiction. Perhaps best known for her 1995 novel Practical Magic, which was adapted for a 1998 film of the same name, many of her works fall into the genre of magic realism and contain elements of magic, irony, and non-standard romances and relationships. Toni Morrison called The Dovekeepers  “... a major contribution to twenty-first century literature.”

Her latest, When We Flew Away, tells Anne Frank’s story before she went into hiding. Alice joins Marrie Stone to talk about the book’s unusual origin story and how the pandemic may have influenced its writing. She discusses her research process, how she organizes her material, how to navigate fictionalizing a historical icon, and what she hopes this book will leave young readers. They also talk about Alice’s essay in Modern Love, and how she approaches different writing projects.

For more information on Writers on Writing and extra writing perks, visit our Patreon page. To listen to past interviews, visit our website. Support the show by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. We’ve stocked it with titles from our guests (including all of Liz Strout’s titles), as well as some of our personal favorites. You’ll support independent bookstores and our show by purchasing through the store. Finally, on Spotify listen to an album’s worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at [email protected]. We love to hear from our listeners.

(Recorded on September 13, 2024) 

Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Host: Marrie Stone
Music and sound editing: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)