We had a chance to sit down and talk to Maurice about his new book, his research approach and what he would do if he was mayor.

Maurice Carlos Ruffin is a New Orleans native and is the author of the historical novel, The American Daughters, as well as The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, which was longlisted for the Story Prize, and We Cast a Shadow, which was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the PEN America Open Book Prize. All three books were New York Times Editor’s Choice selections.