📚 Strange metaphors and repetitive phrasing

Photo: Pallas Erdrich

Louise Erdrich is one of the GOATs. She’s published dozens of books, ranging from novels to poetry to children’s stories. Her new collection of short stories Python’s Kiss is out today from Harper.

We were thrilled to have her drop by the Book Riot Podcast for a conversation about this book and where it sits in her storied career. Some highlights:

It was a family affair: Erdrich’s daughters also contributed to the project. Pallas Erdrich narrated the audiobook, and Aza Erdrich Abe provided the cover art and illustrations to accompany each story.

On writing short stories after a long run of novels: “I wanted to have standalone short stories, short stories that really were short stories and didn’t gesture to the novel or feel like they were part of a novel. I think I could have done that before, but maybe I didn’t have the confidence. These were stories I really believed in as short stories.”

Where should a reader start with her books? Erdrich recommends The Night Watchman, which is “centered on what’s hardest to write: human decency.” She also suggests The Sentence: “I got into that voice, and I couldn’t stop. That is the most wonderful experience for a writer.”

🎧 Hear the rest of our conversation.