Marisha Pessl (born October 26, 1977) is an American writer best known for her debut novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Read full biography of Marisha Pessl →
I think every writer has a book that haunts them, and on some level, every book you write is a reaction to it. 'Lolita' is that book for me.... →
I hate to think of a day where a compelling book or a compelling authorial voice would be lost simply because that person doesn't have a Web... →
I believe writers need to be chameleons, or like Meryl Streep, who can play all sorts of characters. A good writer should be able to cross gender... →
In America, people of a certain age ask, 'Where were you when Kennedy was shot?' In my house you were more likely to be asked, 'Where... →
Good bands you can kind of lose, then come back and realize they're still good.
I haven't always been a writer and I suppose I tiptoed around the idea of writing full time, because it's so isolating.
Certainly one of the surprising truths of having a book published is realizing that your book is as open to interpretation as an abstract painting.... →
If I scribbled a few words on a cocktail napkin and showed it to my family, they'd proclaim it astonishing and more culturally relevant than the... →
In college I studied '60s and '70s radicalism, student activism, forms of political violence, groups like the Weathermen, the Black Panthers... →
Occasionally when I'm procrastinating writing, I'll while away the hours on iTunes. You can just keep going forever and find these bands... →
When I'm creating characters, I definitely think of theme songs. Writing for me is very visual, so I sometimes think of it in terms of a movie... →
Marisha Pessl (born October 26, 1977) is an American writer best known for her debut novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics.