Literary Affairs presents Beyond the Book

This Beyond the Book interview with Carol Edgarian was recorded at an online Books & Bathrobes event in April 2021. The in-depth book club style discussion about her most recent novel Vera is an exploration of the aftermath of a catastrophe as we ourselves are emerging from the isolation of a global pandemic. Julie Robinson and Carol talk about the overarching themes of home, of being the outsider and survival.

This Beyond the Book interview with Viet Thanh Nguyen was recorded in April 2021 at an online Books & Bathrobes event to benefit Stop AAPI Hate. The in-depth book club style conversation about The Committed was a wonderful continuation of the discussion Julie Robinson had with Viet about his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Sympathizer. Readers will appreciate the insight into the continued confessional writing of his unnamed narrator, the long term cost of colonialism on individuals and cultures, and contextualizing philosophical texts through lived experience. 

This Beyond the Book interview with Anna Solomon was recorded in May 2020 at an online Books & Bathrobes event. In celebration of the paperback release, we are sharing this conversation about The Book of V. Read the book, then enjoy this in depth book club-style conversation with Anna Solomon and Julie Robinson.

This Beyond the Book interview with Kiley Reid was recorded in May 2020 at an online Books & Bathrobes event. In celebration of the paperback release, we are sharing this conversation about Such a Fun Age. Read the book, then enjoy this in depth book club-style conversation with Kiley Reid and Julie Robinson.

This Beyond the Book interview with Janelle Brown was recorded in May 2020 at an online Books & Bathrobes event. In celebration of the paperback release, we are sharing this conversation about Pretty Things. Read the book, then enjoy this in depth book club-style conversation with Janelle Brown and Julie Robinson.

In this episode we welcomed back Medici Book Club Prize winner Yaa Gyasi to discuss her latest novel Transcendent Kingdom. In this book club style conversation, Yaa talks about the shifts she had to make to create a completely different novel from her debut. She also told us what she read before and during the writing process that impacted her craft and how she approached race, culture and geography in her work.

This Beyond the Book interview with Lisa See was recorded April 2020 at an online Books & Bathrobes event. In celebration of Women’s History Month we are publishing Lisa’s discussion about The Island of Sea Women. The in depth book club-style conversation with Julie Robinson focused on female friendships, loss, resilience and forgiveness.

This Beyond the Book interview with Lily King was recorded at our first online Books & Bathrobes event. Lily discussed her novel Writers and Lovers in an in depth book club style conversation with Julie Robinson. We are releasing this fun and informative talk in celebration of the paperback publication of Writers and Lovers. We know it will appeal to writers, readers and lovers alike as we are still experiencing life in a pandemic.    

We ended our conversation last April hoping for another inaugural poet to speak to our nation and we were gifted with that and more. In celebration we are releasing our private America’s Food Fund fundraising event, with inaugural poet Richard Blanco in conversation with Julie Robinson, talking all things poetry and inclusive of poetry readings by Blanco.

An online Books & Bathrobes conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ayad Akhtar about his novel Homeland Elegies. In this in-depth book club style conversation with Julie Robinson, Ayad discusses his delight in heightened language and takes us through this fascinating, brilliant and deeply personal novel and how it reflects the post 9/11 American landscape.

A Beyond the Book interview with the always charming Margot Livesey recorded at an online Books & Bathrobes event. Margot discussed her novel The Boy in the Field in an in depth book club style conversation with Julie Robinson. Margot gave a lot of insight into her characters, her writing process, and her luminous body of work.      

An online Books & Bathrobes conversation with international best selling author Nick Hornby about his novel Just Like You. This conversation with Julie Robinson and Nick Hornby is insightful, interesting, and just plain fun. 

An online Books & Bathrobes conversation with Colum McCann about his New York Times bestselling and Booker Prize shortlisted novel Apeirogon. In this in-depth book club style conversation with Julie Robinson, Colum discussed visiting the Middle-East, meeting Palestinian Bassam Aramin and Israeli Rami Elhanan, and how their shared grief and friendship led to him creating this unique hybrid of fact and fiction.

An online Books & Bathrobes conversation with Brit Bennett about her New York Times and L.A. Times bestselling novel The Vanishing Half. In this in-depth book club style conversation with Julie Robinson, Brit discussed colorism, mother-daughter relationships, the bonds of sisterhood, and the past and contemporary representation of racial constructs in America.

A Beyond the Book interview with Liz Moore recorded live at a Books and Breakfast event in Beverly Hills. Liz Moore discussed her New York Times best-selling literary thriller Long Bright River in an in depth book club style conversation with Julie Robinson. Liz gave a lot of insight into the development of her characters, overarching themes, and the impact of our nation wide opioid epidemic on families, individuals, and the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.       

A Beyond the Book interview with Susan Orlean recorded live as a fundraiser for The Friends of The Beverly Hills Public Library. This is a freewheeling conversation between Julie Robinson and Susan Orlean about her bestselling work, The Library Book. Her book has touched many hearts and minds as all readers have a deep history with our public libraries. Susan Orlean expanded on the stories in her book and her own experiences as a daughter, mother, reader, writer, and journalist.

A Beyond the Book conversation with Laila Lalami recorded live at Koutoubia, a Moroccan restaurant in Los Angeles. Julie Robinson and Laila Lalami discussed with a book club audience her acclaimed novel The Other Americans. Laila offers a great deal of insight into the far-reaching themes in her novel, the architecture required to balance her multiple narrative threads and the importance of minority voices being heard. It was recorded in May 2019.

This very special Beyond the Book conversation with Whitney Scharer was recorded live at ROSEGALLERY in Santa Monica, California. Julie Robinson and Whitney Scharer engaged in a book club style discussion about Whitney's novel, The Age of Light, followed by a brief Q & A. Their conversation covered Lee Miller's life and photography of course but also food, art, and love. Recorded live April 2019.

A Beyond the Book interview with Paula McLain recorded live at The Literary Escape at Miraval Tucson. Paula McLain and Julie Robinson talked to a book club audience about Paula’s latest novel Love and Ruin, that led to a conversation about The Paris Wife, Martha Gellhorn and of course lots and lots about Ernest Hemingway. It was recorded in March 2019.      

A Beyond the Book interview with Min Jin Lee recorded live at The Beverly Hills Literary Escape. Min Jin Lee’s novel Pachinko was awarded the 2018 Medici Book Club Prize and she joined Julie Robinson on stage for a freewheeling book club style conversation about her novel, libraries, books and more. This is the first in a series of podcasts from the yearly book festival to be released. It was recorded on November 3, 2018.

A very special Beyond the Book Conversation recorded Live with Dani Shapiro about her memoir Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with her friend Dani Shapiro for an intimate book club discussion about her memoir, her writing life, identity, and family secrets. Our Beyond the Book podcast is the full live and in-depth conversation, that took place at our exclusive Books & Breakfast event on February 12, 2019.

A Literary Affairs Beyond the Book Conversation with Rachel Kushner about her most recent novel The Mars Room. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson called Rachel Kushner for a book club style discussion about her novel. This Beyond the Book podcast is the full in-depth conversation, we hope individual readers and book clubs enjoy.

A Beyond the Book Conversation with Lauren Groff about her most recent short story collection Florida. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson called Lauren Groff for a book club style discussion about her book. This Beyond the Book podcast is the full in-depth conversation, we hope individual readers and book clubs enjoy.

A Beyond the Book Conversation with Mark Sarvas about his novel Memento Park. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with Mark Sarvas for an intimate book club discussion about his novel answering a lot of the questions that were discussed in many of our Literary Affairs book clubs. Our Beyond the Book podcast is the opening of an hour long in-depth conversation, that took place in the hip bar at the Hotel Bel-Air, and was followed by a Q&A with the audience.

A Beyond the Book Conversation with NYT best-selling author Meg Wolitzer about her most recent novel The Female Persuasion. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with Meg Wolitzer for an intimate book club discussion that takes readers beyond the headlines surrounding the release as they discuss female friendships, coming of age, mentors, sexuality, power, and ambition. Their in depth discussion about the book is followed by a Q&A. 

A Beyond the Book Conversation with Mohsin Hamid about his internationally acclaimed novel Exit West. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with Mohsin Hamid for an intimate book club discussion about his novel answering a lot of the questions that were discussed in many of our Literary Affairs book clubs. Highlights included the genesis of some of the beautiful passages in the novel, how he differentiated his story from other migrant stories, love, parenting, and maintaining hope in our world as it changes. Our first Beyond the Book podcast is a brief excerpt from an hour long in depth conversation, that took place in the hip bar at the Hotel Bel-Air, and was followed by a Q&A with the audience.