Visiting Writers Series: Patrick Ryan — October 8

Here’s the lineup you’ll be seeing announced soon:

Once in a while, mistakes happen. I mention this mistake because it testifies to something powerful about Patrick Ryan’s new novel, Buckeye.

When I made a late request for an advance review copy of Buckeye, the copy I received looked fine, but when I opened it I realized it was mistakenly bound backwards. The title page was at the very end of this over-450-page novel.

So, as a kind of brain exercise, I began reading Buckeye backwards, my head moving from right to left. By page 9, I was already so caught up in the world Ryan creates, Buckeye could have been misprinted upside down and sideways and I still wouldn’t have been able to put it down.

Patrick Ryan — October 8
Award-winning author Patrick Ryan will discuss his novel “Buckeye,” a sweeping story set in small-town Ohio that traces interconnected lives and moral choices across generations.

Marjan Kamali — October 22
Bestselling author of the beloved novel “The Stationery Shop,” Marjan Kamali returns with “The Lion Women of Tehran,” a moving story of friendship, courage and resilience amid political and social change.

Michael Finkel — January 21
Journalist Michael Finkel will close the season with the astonishing story behind his #1 New York Times bestseller “The Art Thief,” chronicling one of the most prolific art thefts in history.