The Irrational Allure of Writers’ Houses*

*Adapted for Literary Traveler from the Introduction to A Skeptic’s Guide To Writers’ Houses
By Anne Trubek
Around the time the housing collapse hit New York City, a modest one bedroom apartment came up for sale on the Lower East Side. ‘‘How quiet, serene, and wonderful is this 1-bedroom apartment with balcony?’’ the real estate ad asked. ‘‘So quiet, serene and wonderful that one of the top 5 best novels of 2006 . . . was written here!’’
The novel was Absurdistan, the writer Gary Shteyngart, a rising literary star who was born in Leningrad in 1972 and then immigrated to New York at the age of ...

To continue enjoying this please login or subscribe today.

Related Articles

Lucy Maud Montgomery An Island Tribute to a Great Writer

On June 20, 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery received a copy of her first book, Anne of Green Gables, from the publishers, fresh off the presses. Little did Maud, as friends and family knew her, realize the impact her story, and the delightful character she created, would have on the world. Anne Shirley went on to become a beloved literary character and a role model for millions of young girls.