Series: National Writers Series

A twisted marriage of lies, infidelity, and murder — master of the mystery/thriller and author of the New York Times bestseller Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn reveals what it takes to write a novel people can’t put down. What was the inspiration for the book that has replaced Fifty Shades of Grey as the new must-read fiction of the year? Find out how this former journalism major, crime reporter, and film and TV critic at Entertainment Weekly became one of the most popular authors writing today. Guest Host and founder of the The National Writers Series Doug Stanton fulfills the mission of bringing to life great conversations with today’s best-selling authors in this sold out event. Recorded April 25, 2013 at the City Opera House, Traverse City, MI.

First aired on 5/5/2013 by Stanton, A.

Suffering, survival, and a celebration of the human spirit— go inside one of the most secretive places on the planet with bestselling author Blaine Harden. “Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West,” tells the true story of Shin Dong-hyuk. Born into a life of hard labor behind the electrified fences of the Kaechon internment camp, Shin is the only person to have escaped from what can only be described as a modern-day concentration camp. Yet, his story is one of an unbreakable determination to be free. Guest Host Jack Segal explored the book with the author and salient points on North Korea on April 9, 2013 at City Opera House in Traverse City.

First aired on 4/21/2013 by Stanton, A.

Rarely does an author transcend his chosen genre. Buzz Bissinger managed to do it first with his breakout bestseller turned popular television series, Friday Night Lights. Not just a sportswriter, Bissinger is a master storyteller known for his artful ability to capture the everyday dramas faced by coaches and players off the court and away from the cheers of adoring fans. His ability to weave a compelling narrative and reveal the human side of every story is why some Bissinger’s most ardent fans are, in fact, readers who have little interest in watching sports. Now with his latest book, one of this nation’s most-honored and distinguished writers ventures into entirely new and intensely emotional terrain. Father’s Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son, chronicles the lives of Bissinger’s twin sons, born 13 weeks premature in 1983 and weighing less than two pounds. Gerry and Zach are twins who grew to live diametrically opposed lives. Buzz Bissinger appeared with Detroit News columnist, Neal Rubin to discuss his latest book, his life and some of the interesting back stories behind his award-winning career. The author of five highly acclaimed nonfiction books — Friday Night Lights, A Prayer for the City, Three Nights in August, Shooting Stars and Father’s Day — Bissinger first won praise as a journalist working for The Philadelphia Inquirer where he received the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for story on corruption in the Philadelphia court system in 1987.

First aired on 3/31/2013 by Stanton, A.

NOTE: TV-MA Modern television is now home to some of the best, most engrossing storytelling happening in American culture. Audiences loved last year’s evening at NWS with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, and before that Mad Men writers and producers Janet Leahy and Lisa Albert. This exclusive, one-of-a-kind event has become a signature evening and much anticipated by National Writers Series audiences. The National Writers Series is proud to present An Evening with Chip Johannessen, one of television’s most creative and successful writers and producers. Chip Johannessen is Executive Producer and writer of Homeland. Critics have hailed Homeland as the best thing on television, period. Think of this drama as a “filmed” story you might read in The New Yorker, influenced by deep character study and gripping suspense. On January 13, 2013, Homeland was television’s big winner of the evening at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis won Best Actress and Best Actor in a television drama, and Homeland was named Best Television Drama. Johannessen brought pages from his favorite scripts to accompany a select reel of “Homeland” moments. Chip Johannessen will take you backstage as he and Doug Stanton explore how Homeland is brought to life from script to screen.

First aired on 2/17/2013 by Stanton, A.

#1 New York Times Best-Selling Author of The Lincoln Lawyer and Creator of the Harry Bosch Series with Guest Host Bryan Gruley, Award-Winning Author of the Starvation Lake Mystery Series.

First aired on 12/2/2012 by Stanton, A.

The chapters of author, actor and photographer Benjamin Busch’s life have circled back and folded in on themselves in mysterious and moving ways. A former U.S. Marine Corps officer who served two combat tours in Iraq, Ben returned to the U.S. to play a Marine in HBO’s Generation Kill, where he pretended to invade towns he had actually invaded in the line of duty. The intersection of combat and art continued to play a pivotal role in Ben’s career; he produced multiple photo exhibits of Iraq that have toured the U.S., and he played narcotics officer Anthony Coliccio on The Wire, David Simon’s masterful HBO series on the U.S.’s war on drugs. Ben also appeared on Homicide and The West Wing. Ben’s searing new memoir, Dust to Dust, reflects a complicated relationship between destruction and creation. In themed chapters such as “Water,” “Metal,” “Bone,” and “Blood,” Ben reflects on his rural upbringing, his combat training, his relationship with his father—acclaimed novelist Frederick Busch—and, most poignantly, his own mortality, his family and the natural world. Others have compared Dust to Dust to Annie Dillard’s Tinker at Pilgrim Creek, and former NWS guests Mary Karr and Karl Marlantes have both raved about the memoir. This event was reciorded November 8, 2012 at City Opera House in Traverse City, MI.

First aired on 11/11/2012 by Stanton, A.

New York Times bestselling Author Maggie Stiefvater brought a new audience to the National Writers Series as the first young adult author to appear on the City Opera House stage on September 27, 2012. Bookends blogger and young adult reviewer Lynn Rutan guest hosted the conversation with Stiefvater, who offered an energetic and entertaining look into her career as a young adult novelist. “As soon as I stopped writing crappy novels, I got published. That’s the secret,” Stiefvater boldly stated to an audience of equal parts students and adults. It was also her status as a “small and resentful child” that led her imagination to dream up the topics of her fantasy novels, which feature everything from homicidal faeries to a Romeo and Juliet story…with werewolves.

First aired on 11/4/2012 by Stanton, A.

As one of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the 2004 murder of her colleague, Theo van Gogh, at the hands of a religious fundamentalist. Ayaan was immediately forced into hiding, having written the screenplay for Theo’s Submission, a fierce 11-minute critique of Islam. The treatment of women in the Islamic religion has been a clarion call for the Somolia-born Ayaan. At age 22, she fled to the Netherlands to escape an arranged marriage to a stranger. Her move to this secular, democratic country proved a pivotal turning point in her life. She began advocating for downtrodden women, attended college and was elected to the Dutch parliament. Don't miss political activist and best-selling author of Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali with guest host Jack Segal, Top NATO Adviser on Afghanistan and former U.S. diplomat in this topical conversation.

First aired on 10/21/2012 by Stanton, A.

NOTE: TV-MA (Language) Author Lee Child is in conversation onstage at the City Opera House with New York Times bestselling author and host Doug Stanton for a fascinating discussion on his life and work, including the eagerly anticipated new novel, A Wanted Man (published September 2012). Child has become an international sensation and regular fixture atop the New York Times bestsellers list. He is published in ninety-five countries and in forty languages, with more than thirteen million books in print in the United States. His hero, Jack Reacher, finds himself in all kinds of interesting jams, which Reacher handles with a wary eye, dry humor and good manners. Lee’s spare, musical prose is unstoppable – once you start a Reacher novel, you finish that night. Called “the best thriller writer in the business” by The Boston Globe, Lee is looking forward to none other than Tom Cruise depicting Jack Reacher in the Paramount film series, launching 2012.

First aired on 10/13/2012 by Stanton, A.

NOTE: TV-MA (Language) In this special National Cherry Festival partner event, best selling author Janet Evanovich discusses her latest novel "Wicked Business" with NWS founder Doug Stanton. During the event Janet traces her writing career back to the day when she burned all of her rejection letters and decided to start over writing romance. This decision would lead to her bestselling Stephanie Plum novels and success she never imagined. Don’t miss this great conversation!

First aired on 8/17/2012 by UpNorth Media Center

Authors Natalie Bakopoulos and Elizabeth Kostova share the inspiration behind their best selling books with Writers Series founder Doug Stanton. Natalie's debut novel "The Green Shore" chronicles the struggle of one family during the Greek military takeover in the 1960s known as "The Regime of the Colonels."

First aired on 7/20/2012 by UpNorth Media Center

Anna Quindlen, beloved by readers for her portrayals of families and life lessons, is a journalist, award-winning columnist and best-selling author of Good Dog. Stay, Object Lessons, Rise and Shine, Blessings and One True Thing, which was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger. Anna is interviewed by Susan Casey, Editor in Chief of O Magazine and bestselling author of The Wave.

First aired on 6/20/2012 by UpNorth Media Center

"Breaking Bad" has become must-see television across the country, garnering consecutive Emmy nominations in 2009 and 2010 for Outstanding Drama Series. NWS founder Doug Stanton interviews the show's creater Vince Gilligan in an exclusive behind-the-scenes discussion about the show’s memorable scenes and how they move from the writer’s room to the screen.

First aired on 2/17/2012 by UpNorth Media Center

Jeffrey Eugenides appeared at National Writers Series on October 20, 2011, with guest interviewer, Jeremy Chamberlain, in a rare public appearance to discuss his life and work. Eugenides is best known for his novel "The Virgin Suicides" which was adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Kirsten Dunst.

First aired on 11/2/2011 by Stanton, A.

NWS Co-Founder Doug Stanton is joined on stage by Sebastian Junger. Sebastian is an internationally acclaimed journalist, best-selling author and Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker. He has won the National Magazine Award and the Dupont-Columbia Award for broadcast journalism, and received critical acclaim for nonfiction books "A Death in Belmont" and "War." In 2010, Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for their documentary "Restrepo," a film about the conflict in Afghanistan that went on to win an Oscar nomination in 2011 for Best Documentary.

First aired on 5/24/2011 by UpNorth Media Center

An internationally renowned author, screenwriter, playwright, broadcaster and Detroit Free Press columnist, Albom has penned four #1 New York Times best-sellers, including “Tuesdays with Morrie,” “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” “For One More Day” and “Have a Little Faith.” “Tuesdays with Morrie” became the most successful memoir ever published, spending four years on the New York Times best-sellers list and generating a television film adaptation starring Jack Lemmon that won four Emmy awards. Albom’s most recent work, “Have a Little Faith,” was selected by Oprah.com as the best nonfiction book of 2009. Albom was joined on stage by host Doug Stanton, New York Times best-selling author (“In Harm’s Way”) and founder of the National Writers Series.

First aired on 4/18/2011 by Milligan, B.

In this final event for the 2010 season, Karl Marlantes will be joined on-stage by renowned author and special guest host Philip Caputo, who wrote national best-seller “A Rumor of War,” lauded as a classic of modern literature and one of the most important books ever written about the Vietnam War. Karl Marlantes is a graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, he served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. Upon returning home from service, Marlantes began work on an epic war novel that would capture his combat experiences. Thirty years later, in 2010 – after decades of discouraging setbacks, criticism and agent rejection notes – “Matterhorn” finally exploded onto the publishing scene. Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most profound and devastating novels to come out of Vietnam, or any war,” Marlantes’ debut novel has earned rave critical praise and debuted at #7 on The New York Times best-seller list.

First aired on 12/4/2010 by Stanton, A.

In this final Studio event for the 2010 season, Karl Marlantes will be joined by renowned author Philip Caputo, who wrote national best-seller “A Rumor of War,” lauded as a classic of modern literature and one of the most important books ever written about the Vietnam War. Karl Marlantes is a graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, he served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. Upon returning home from service, Marlantes began work on an epic war novel that would capture his combat experiences. Thirty years later, in 2010 – after decades of discouraging setbacks, criticism and agent rejection notes – “Matterhorn” finally exploded onto the publishing scene. Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most profound and devastating novels to come out of Vietnam, or any war,” Marlantes’ debut novel has earned rave critical praise and debuted at #7 on The New York Times best-seller list. Joining these two renonwed autors is National Writers Series Founder Doug Stanton and Bronwyn Jones of the Northwestern Michigan College Communications department.

First aired on 12/3/2010 by Stanton, A.

Two-time National Book Award winner Peter Matthiessen will be joined onstage by National Writers Series founder and NYT best-selling author Doug Stanton for a lively and entertaining conversation about Matthiessen's books, work and life, as well as an interactive audience Q&A. Matthiessen is considered to be one of the foremost writers of the twentieth century, having won NBAs for both “The Snow Leopard” and “Shadow Country.” Described by The New York Times as “one of the most admired and admirable writers of our time,” the author is both a novelist and non-fiction writer as well as an American Indian rights advocate, which resulted in his acclaimed book “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.” Matthiessen is also co-founder of the highly influential Paris Review, started in 1953.

First aired on 11/10/2010 by Stanton, A.

Northwest Michigan College’s Bronwyn Jones is joined in the UpNorth TV studio by authors Jerry Dennis & Thomas Lynch. Critically acclaimed author Jerry Dennis, who has penned such popular books as “A Place on the Water” and “The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas." The latter title won the prestigious Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award and was selected as "Best Book of 2003" by the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Dennis is currently working on a documentary film based on the book. Poet, author and funeral director Thomas Lynch is renowned for his charismatic stage presence and captivating manner of storytelling in front of live audiences. He has been the subject of two documentary films: PBS Frontline’s “The Undertaking,” which won the 2008 Emmy Award for Arts & Culture Documentary, and Cathal Black’s “Learning Gravity,” which won The Michigan Prize at the Traverse City Film Festival in 2009. His first work of nonfiction, “The Undertaking – Life Studies from the Dismal Trade,” won The American Book Award and The Heartland Prize, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. It was also required reading for the staff of the hit HBO television series “Six Feet Under,” for which Lynch served as a consultant.

First aired on 9/1/2010 by Stanton, A.

An Evening With Thomas Lynch - June 2, 2010 at the City Opera House. Lynch will be joined onstage by guest host and critically acclaimed author Jerry Dennis, who has penned such popular books as “A Place on the Water” and “The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas." The latter title won the prestigious Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award and was selected as "Best Book of 2003" by the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Dennis is currently working on a documentary film based on the book.

First aired on 7/30/2010 by Stanton, A.

Legendary news anchor and television journalist Tom Brokaw visited Traverse City on Wednesday, May 12 as part of the 2010 TC National Writers Series. Anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004, Brokaw is the only person to ever host all three major NBC News programs: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press. He is also the New York Times best-selling author of runaway hits “The Greatest Generation,” “The Greatest Generation Speaks” and “Boom! Voices of the Sixties,” as well as recipient of the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement and the first journalist to ever receive the George Catlett Marshall Medal, the U.S. Army’s highest award.

First aired on 5/21/2010 by Stanton, A.

Series creator and author Doug Stanton is joined by author Rhoda Janzen to discuss her new book "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress".

First aired on 3/19/2010 by UpNorth Media Center

Moderator Bronwyn Jones visits with author Rhoda Janzen. They are joined by series creator, author Doug Stanton to discuss Rhoda's new book "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress".

First aired on 3/17/2010 by Stanton, A.

Series creator, author Doug Stanton is joined by author and syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon to discuss Amy's new book "I See Rude People".

First aired on 2/26/2010 by Stanton, A.

Moderator Bronwyn Jones visits with authors (father & son) Elmore and Peter Leonard. The three are joined by series creator, author Doug Stanton to discuss fiction and nonfiction writing.

First aired on 7/30/2009 by Community Media Center