Book Talk: Susan Coll — The Literati - with Louis Bayard

Watch author Susan Coll's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. Aspirant, bookish, and close to broke, 26-year-old Clemi steps into her dream job at a prestigious literary nonprofit and finds herself in the bull's eye of a financial, legal, and existential calamity. The executive director has disappeared, leaving behind an inscrutable cat to which she is highly allergic. Meanwhile, the bank accounts have been overdrawn, the FBI is asking questions, and she has three days to pull off the annual fundraising gala, a glamorous affair filled with famous writers and local literati. On the upside, she will get to meet her all-time favorite writer, who has won the award. Clemi has read and reread her novels, pouring over her every word. But her interactions with the author and her eight-year-old son, as well as with the nonprofit's Board Members, leave her wondering whether certain writers are better on the page than in person. All the while, Clemi is trying to sort out her own life: her current boyfriend is, like every boyfriend before him, a pompous poseur, and the clock is running on her apartment-sitting gig. She finds herself wondering what all the goings-on in this dysfunctional, scandal-plagued nonprofit have to do with literature. And if it's time to let go of her literary aspirations and apply to law school. Susan Coll is the author of seven novels, including Bookish People and Real Life and Other Fictions, a USA TODAY bestseller. Her third novel, Acceptance, was made into a television movie starring the hilarious Joan Cusack. Susan's work has appeared in publications including the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, Moment Magazine, NPR.org, and Atlantic.com. She is the events advisor at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC, and was the president of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation for five years. Visit Susan online at susancoll.com; Instagram: @susan_keselenko_coll; X: @Susan_Coll; Pinterest: @susancollauthor. Coll is in conversation with Louis Bayard, the critically acclaimed bestselling author of nine historical novels, including Jackie & Me and The Pale Blue Eye, which was adapted into the global #1 Netflix release starring Christian Bale. His articles, reviews, and recaps have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Salon, and the Paris Review. His work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Be Sure To Click SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT83IOUtKdPUL9hOzYjxbcQ?sub_confirmation=1 PURCHASE BOOK HERE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9781400346653?ic_referral=erurSiFZ2hrQlHP8qkCCevKgX7BlV1GcPLPiAQZhTggwM0pqDXLLJT1DGqfEWwk8zAaLLDORFbp3wf3fbIpHtiTcysq_Y-xsVqhRwB3BccpWK3Ftfek-yXNov-MSasvplWieu3M @politicsprose Visit us online at: http://www.politics-prose.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PoliticsProse Follow us on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicsprose Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/politicsandprose/ Follow us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@politicsprose Follow Us On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicsprose?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter: https://politics-prose.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=804c700632a508a8e792e69cf&id=6a0dbf1855&SIGNUP=HomepageFooter Become a store member and save: https://www.politics-prose.com/membership Audio Archive: https://archive.org/details/@politics_prose_bookstore Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. #books #booktube