Craft Talk Book Club

Nicole and Mary unpack the possibilities of what "solito" means as a title that encapsulates this harrowing story about love and yearning, risk and danger, fear and hope...

Can "world building" apply to memoir if a story revisits a world the author no longer inhabits? Mary + Nicole discuss how Zamora creates a full immersion experience in Solito.

Ever wondered how to re-capture the voice of childhood in your memoir? Nicole + Mary recount the ways Zamora invites us into the mind and heart of his 9-year-old self.

From waves to Magic Eye, this novel is full of recurring images and metaphors. In this final episode discussing Zevin's novel, Mary and Nicole identify these motifs and how she uses them to deepen our reading experience.

Writing a story within a story is tricky (Mary knows, she did it in her first novel When You Read This), but Gabrielle Zevin not only writes about gamers, she creates truly genius game concepts inside her story. In this episode, the hosts unpack how she does it so well.

When Nicole and Mary met up to record this episode, they were both wiping away tears from having just re-read this one chapter. The death scene of Marx is a masterpiece. Why? Why does it work so well? They discuss.

"Is this an omniscient point of view?" Nicole asks Mary at the top of this episode. What a journey in point of view this novel was! Mary and Nicole dissect Zevin's point of view choices and admire her bold moves.

Who doesn't love a book that entertains AND makes you feel smarter? One of the things Mary and Nicole enjoyed most about Lost & Found is its glimpse into the author's scholarly mind, from her interest in the ideas of William James to the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. Whose writings would you reference to add depth and texture to your memoir?

Think in order to write memoir you have to spill your secrets? Think again! Nicole and Mary identify the ways Schulz is in full control of her story, choosing what to reveal—and when—for maximum impact. Tune in to learn how to create delight for your reader while maintaining boundaries around your privacy.

One of the biggest challenges for memoir writers is figuring out what to cut and what to keep. In part 2 of our discussion of Lost & Found, Nicole and Mary highlight how Schulz uses structure to narrow her scope and shape the story she wants to tell.