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Ann Napolitano biography

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Ann Napolitano
Photo: Nicola Dove

Ann Napolitano

How to pronounce Ann Napolitano: na-poll-ih-TAH-no (first syllable like 'ap' in apple)

Ann Napolitano Biography

Ann Napolitano is the author of Dear Edward, which was an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and is now an Apple TV+ series. She is also the author of the novels A Good Hard Look and Within Arm's Reach. For seven years, Napolitano was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story, and she received an MFA from New York University. She has taught fiction writing at Brooklyn College's MFA program, New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and Gotham Writers Workshop.

Ann Napolitano's website

This bio was last updated on 02/24/2023. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.

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Interview

In two interviews, one video and one text, Ann Napolitano discusses her book A Good Hard Look, set in Milledgeville, Georgia, home of celebrated author Flannery O'Connor.

In two interviews, one video and one text, Ann Napolitano discusses her book A Good Hard Look, set in Milledgeville, Georgia, home of celebrated author Flannery O'Connor.

In the video below, author Ann Napolitano discusses her book A Good Hard Look



A Conversation with Ann Napolitano

What drew you to write a novel centered around Flannery O'Connor? What were the most interesting challenges/pleasures in writing about such an extraordinary literary figure? How much research did you do for the novel?
When I started A Good Hard Look, I had no idea Flannery O'Connor would come anywhere near the novel. If you'd told me she would be one of the characters, I would have said you were crazy. I had no aspiration to write historical fiction and I hadn't read any of Flannery's work in about a decade.

Initially, the book was about a character called Melvin Whiteson who lived in New York City in the present day. I had the idea of this very wealthy man who'd been given every opportunity, but didn't know what to do with those opportunities. I was interested in the question of how people choose to live their lives. The novel wasn't working though; I think Melvin was more of an idea than a character. It was about a year into...

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Books by this Author

Books by Ann Napolitano at BookBrowse
Hello Beautiful jacket Dear Edward jacket A Good Hard Look jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Ann Napolitano but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Tiffany Baker

    Tiffany Baker

    Tiffany Baker’s Recipe For A Writing Life

    A handful of islands: Belvedere , Aquidneck, Balboa, Manhattan, Corsica, Maui, the UK
    Three small children: Two girls and a boy, plump in the cheeks and knees. Strong-willed ...

    (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    A Good Hard Look

    Try:
    The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
    by Tiffany Baker

  • Melinda Haynes

    Melinda Haynes

    Melinda Haynes grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A painter for most of her life, she now writes full-time from her home in Grand Bay, Alabama.

    Her works include Mother of Pearl (1999), Chalktown (2001) and Willem's Field (... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    A Good Hard Look

    Try:
    Mother of Pearl
    by Melinda Haynes

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