Rachel Barenbaum discusses the first pages of her second novel, Atomic Anna, and how she discovered what those first pages had to be after drafting the full book. We also talk about loud openings, how to hand time and pov jumps, and the all important CLOCK.
Barenbaum’s first pages can be found here.
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Rachel Barenbaum’s debut, A BEND IN THE STARS, was named a New York Times Summer Reading Selection and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. It was a Boston Globe Bestseller. Her second novel, ATOMIC ANNA, was a Massachusetts Book Award “Must Read”, was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award, and was named an Honor Book in Fiction by the Association of Jewish Libraries. She is a prolific writer and reviewer whose work has appeared in publications such as the LA Review of Books, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. She has been a Scholar in Residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis and Ucross and is a graduate of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator. She founded and runs the popular podcast, Check This Out, which is produced and sponsored by the Howe Library and features new and diverse writers. She lives in Brookline, MA and is an elected Town Meeting Member.
Passages: Rachel Barenbaum on Atomic Anna