Memorial Day weekend means one thing to most people: freedom. The grills and beach chairs come out, the days stretch longer, and people generally become happier versions of themselves. It’s a perfectly reasonable way to think about summer. It’s just not mine. I live...

People who haven't read your book can teach you something important about it. Arguably something the people who have read it can't. I'm in launch mode right now—a steady run of bookstore events, library talks, and author appearances—and the nature of the beast is that...