Why do some books become classics? Three book buffs join us to explore why certain novels stand the test of time.
What makes a book a classic? Is it blockbuster sales? Effusive, effulgent reviews from book critics? Is it something we all read in school? Is it simply a book that survives the publishing industry’s out-of-print paper shredders? With debate about the literary canon fiercer than ever, the definition of “classic literature” seems ever more elusive.
Elizabeth Rosner’s luminous debut novel, The Speed of Light, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Sparked by a wish to celebrate the book’s longevity, Elizabeth is joined in lively conversation with veteran critic John McMurtrie (formerly of the San Francisco Chronicle) and fellow author Vanessa Hua about what makes certain novels resonate with readers over time.
About the Speakers
Vanessa Hua is the author of the national bestsellers A River of Stars and Forbidden City, as well as Deceit and Other Possibilities, a New York Times Editors’ Choice. A National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a California Arts Council Fellowship, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as honors from the de Groot Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association, among others. She was a finalist for the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, and the New American Voices Award. Previously, she was an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. She has filed stories from China, Burma, South Korea, Ecuador, and Panama, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She teaches at the Warren Wilson MFA Program and elsewhere. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Her novel Coyoteland is forthcoming.
John McMurtrie is the nonfiction editor of Kirkus Reviews. He served as the books editor of the San Francisco Chronicle for a decade. Most recently, he was senior editor of the literary journal Zyzzyva and an editor for McSweeney’s Publishing. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Literary Hub.
Elizabeth Rosner is an author whose work focuses on the redemptive power of storytelling and deep listening. Her six books of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry have been translated into twelve languages and have received literary prizes in the US and abroad. Third Ear: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening, her most recent book, blends personal stories of growing up in a multilingual household with multidisciplinary research about sound and silence in the natural world. Survivor Cafe: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory, was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award. Her bestselling first novel, The Speed of Light, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year; among several honors, it won Hadassah Magazine’s Ribalow Prize, judged by Elie Wiesel. Based in Northern California, Elizabeth leads writing workshops internationally; her teaching carries forward a message of perseverance and tenacious optimism.
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