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Andre Dubus III reads to 'sink more deeply' into the human condition

 
Andre Dubus III (Dirty Love)
Andre Dubus III (Dirty Love)
Published Jan. 10, 2018

Nightstand

Andre Dubus III

Eckerd College's Writers in Paradise conference takes place this week, and one of the returning faculty members is Andre Dubus III. Dubus is the author of six books, including Bluesman, Townie and two novels turned films, The Garden of Last Days and The House of Sand and Fog. He is also a professor at University of Massachusetts Lowell. Dubus will be part of the Evening Reading program at 7 p.m. Thursday. (See Book Talk for details.)

What's on your nightstand?

I'm currently reading Jesmyn Ward's wonderful novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing, and I just finished a very strong first novel, Fire Sermon by Jamie Quatro. I also just finished the incredibly good book of history Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne. It's a really compelling narrative of the Comanches. Also on my nightstand is Richard Russo's lovely story collection Trajectory. I'm savoring one story at a time. And Tom Perrotta's new novel, Mrs. Fletcher, which I'm getting ready to read next. I would highly recommend (all of these) books to anyone who wants to sink more deeply and honestly into the human condition.

The House of Sand and Fog will be featured on a movie night during Writers in Paradise. Who else comes to mind as "visual'' writers?

I would say, first and foremost, Ernest Hemingway, who actually studied Cézanne's landscape paintings to learn more about how to describe the physical world. My late friend Larry Brown was also a wonderfully visual writer, as is Joyce Carol Oates.

Contact Piper Castillo at pcastillo@tampabay.com. Follow @Florida_PBJC.