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Origin Story: Tony Tulathimutte’s Private Citizens
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Origin Story: Tony Tulathimutte’s Private Citizens

Tony Tulathimutte’s debut novel, Private Citizens, charts the spectacular floundering of four recent college graduates. His eye is so sharp, his characters so recognizable, and his truth so pitiless that I sometimes had to close the book, as if he might read my soul through its pages. This is one of the most provocatively intelligent…

The Ploughshares Round-Down: Why Lena Dunham’s New Book is Worth $3.5 Million

The Ploughshares Round-Down: Why Lena Dunham’s New Book is Worth $3.5 Million

When I talk to a new potential client, one of the things we go over is potential advances. Most nonfiction writers get between $25,000 and $75,000; fiction writers, a fraction of that. Everyone who gets more than that did something remarkable to get there. During this conversation, many writers have joked to me that they’re hoping…