Dust and Light - On the Art of Fact in Fiction

In this thoughtful collection of essays, Andrea Barrett draws from her experiences writing some of the most acclaimed historical fiction of our time to explore the mysteries and delights of the genre. Inspiration found in the past, she argues, can illuminate fiction, just as dust scatters light and makes the unseen visible. Delving into some of the largest questions in the genre-How does a writer find meaningful subject matter beyond the confines of their life? How are scraps of history transformed into a fully formed narrative?-Barrett explores how she came to create some of her beloved works and explores lessons gleaned from the work of such masters of historical fiction as including Toni Morrison, Leo Tolstoy, Hilary Mantel and Colm Tóibín. Candid and elegant, Dust and Light is the perfect book for anyone who loves reading fiction set in the past, as well as for anyone aspiring to write it.

About the author

Andrea Barrett is the author of the National Book Award–winning Ship Fever, Voyage of the Narwhal, Servants of the Map, Natural History, and other works of fiction. She has received a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Award, an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an NEA Fellowship, and the Rea Award for the Short Story, and been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She lives in the Adirondacks.

Product details

• Authors: Andrea Barrett, Barrett Andrea
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 02.06.2025
• EAN: 9781324036500
• ISBN: 978-1-324-03650-0
• Dimensions: 122 mm x 193 mm x 23 mm
• Weight: 243 g
• Subjects: Guides > Law, job, finance > Training, job, career; LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Essays, LITERARY CRITICISM / Books & Reading, Literature: history & criticism, Writing & editing guides, Literary essays, Writing and editing guides, Creative writing & creative writing guides, Creative writing and creative writing guides, Literature: history and criticism, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Writing / Fiction Writing, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Writing / Authorship