Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Kenny Mooney writes about The Gift Garden. + Origins: The idea for the book came pretty much fully formed, at least in a loose sense. I basically woke up one day…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Lindsey Drager writes about The Lost Daughter Collective from Dzanc Books. + Two Stories Telling Each Other: On the Liminal I am taking the assignment of offering my research notes quite…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Annie Hartnett writes about Rabbit Cake from Tin House. + I was twenty-six that summer, which is young by nearly everyone’s standards, but there was one job I was too old…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Leyna Krow writes about I’m Fine, But You Appear To Be Sinking from Featherproof Books. + People often want to know if the snakes are real. They seem to worry less…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, William Walsh writes about Forty-four American Boys from Outpost19. + A Boys Club Many years ago, I took one of my freshman comp classes to the library for a field trip.…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Juan Martinez writes about Best Worst Americans from Small Beer Press. + Necessary Photobombs The short stories in Best Worst American draw from, among other places, a flotsam of visual arcana…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Tom McAllister writes about The Young Widower’s Handbook from Algonquin Books. + When people ask how my wife feels about my having written a book about a young man’s wife dying,…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Laura Ellen Scott writes about The Mean Bone in Her Body from Pandamoon Publishing. + The Mean Bone in Her Body is my most intentional mystery novel, the first of the…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Ruth Gilligan writes about Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan from Tin House. + They say that you should “write what you know”. And then they say it again. So for…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Kathleen Rooney writes about Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk from St. Martin’s Press. + The Margaret Fishback Papers Back in May of 2007, thanks to a tip from my best-friend-from-high-school Angela…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Meredith Alling writes about Sing The Song from Future Tense Books. + A big part of writing for me is note-taking. Most of the time a “note” is just a few…

Our Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with “research” defined as broadly as they like. This week, Grant Maierhofer writes about Flamingos from Itna Press. + The writing and unwriting of the manuscript that became Flamingos started with disparate elements and fragments, all guided by a thematic impulse…