Novelist Steven Rowley has written five books including Lily and the Octopus, The Editor, The Guncle, and its sequel The Guncle Abroad. His work has been published in 20 languages, and he received the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor.
After all that, Rowley is back as a finalist for the 2026 Thurber Prize! We talked about how he learned he was a finalist for each prize, each time calling his agent. However, this time he feels an added pressure due to the book being a follow-up to his previous award winner.
Rowley sees his craft as a deliberate balance of heart and humor. He explores grief and resilience using comedy, carefully cutting or adding jokes to keep scenes from becoming too jokey or too dark. We also discussed the undervaluation of comedy and how hard it is to write.
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