Lit Hub Asks: 5 Authors, 7 Questions
The Lit Hub Author Questionnaire is a monthly interview featuring seven questions for five authors with new books. This month we talk to: Lauren Michele Jackson (Back: Essays on the Soul and Spine of America) Natasha Lennard (On Un/Certainty: The.
The article features the Lit Hub Author Questionnaire, a recurring interview format published monthly by Lit Hub, a digital platform dedicated to literature and book culture. Each edition includes seven questions posed to five authors who have recently released new books. The October 2026 edition includes interviews with Lauren Michele Jackson, Natasha Lennard, Julie Orringer, Kawai Strong Washburn, and Adam Wilson. The questionnaire is designed to explore the authors' creative processes, influences, and personal reflections without requiring them to summarize their books or justify their work. The format emphasizes openness and avoids constraints, as indicated by the subtitle No Wrong Answers.
The authors discuss the central themes of their books without summarizing them. Lauren Michele Jackson describes her work as exploring form—the visual and structural aspects of things—and how these influence perception, particularly in the context of the United States. Natasha Lennard focuses on skepticism toward the phrase these uncertain times, suggesting a critique of overused narratives about societal instability. Julie Orringer’s book weaves together themes of artistic betrayal, love triangles, identity, and nature, including elements like a stolen manuscript, injured animals, and personal relationships. Kawai Strong Washburn’s work addresses courage, cultural evolution, climate change, race, and geography, spanning locations like the Pacific islands and Minnesota. Adam Wilson’s book explores mortality, family dynamics, failure, and generational shifts, framed within the context of America.
The authors describe the diverse influences shaping their books, often without naming specific works or authors. Natasha Lennard cites language games, political uprisings, and mass strikes as key influences, emphasizing themes of doubt and uncertainty. Adam Wilson mentions personal experiences such as therapy, parenthood, grief, and the 1994 action movie Speed as sources of inspiration. Kawai Strong Washburn highlights landscapes from Hawai’i and Minnesota, multicultural storytelling, climate activism, and hip-hop as foundational elements. Lauren Michele Jackson references digressive criticism—a style of writing that wanders from the main topic—as well as film, gym culture, and photography. Julie Orringer draws from personal losses, nature, fairy tales, and the Russian short story tradition, alongside practical experiences like teaching and swimming.
The authors share fragmented glimpses of their lives during the writing process, using short phrases rather than full sentences. Julie Orringer mentions significant life events such as the loss of her grandmother, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a five-month stay in Maine, alongside creative challenges like thirty-two revisions and hundreds of late nights. Lauren Michele Jackson reflects on social distancing, career milestones, and personal changes like dyeing her hair blonde. Natasha Lennard references political activism, geographical shifts between New York and Berlin, and personal relationships amid a backdrop of global crises. Adam Wilson describes major life events like the births of children, a pandemic, funerals, and physical ailments such as herniated discs. Kawai Strong Washburn highlights emotional and physical experiences, including love, resistance, seasonal changes, and health struggles like depression.
The authors identify words or phrases they dislike being used to describe their writing by readers or reviewers. Kawai Strong Washburn responds positively, stating gratitude for readers but does not specify disliked terms. Julie Orringer criticizes phrases like Little, Competent, and Snapshots used to describe her debut novel, comparing them to poor-quality instant photography. Adam Wilson dislikes the term oversexed as a descriptor. Lauren Michele Jackson rejects terms associated with passion or intensity, such as hot and powerful, calling the latter lazy and insulting. Natasha Lennard objects to labels like dense and academic flapdoodle—flapdoodle being a colloquial term for nonsense or foolish talk.
The authors imagine alternative career paths they might have pursued instead of writing. Adam Wilson envisions a role as a mentor or producer for young bands, akin to the music industry figure Rick Rubin. Kawai Strong Washburn expresses interest in becoming a doctor, particularly in underserved areas. Natasha Lennard humorously suggests becoming an heiress, implying a life of financial independence. Julie Orringer lists several options, including a NICU babysaver (a professional who cares for newborns in intensive care), a croissantist (a baker specializing in croissants), a nineteenth-century explorer, or someone working to reverse climate change. Lauren Michele Jackson considers careers in divinity school, law school, or professional ballet, highlighting her interest in movement and interpretation.
The authors reflect on their strengths as writers and areas for improvement. Lauren Michele Jackson believes she excels at analyzing cultural detritus—everyday cultural artifacts—and wishes to deepen her historical knowledge. Adam Wilson identifies rhythm—the musical quality of prose—as a key strength. Kawai Strong Washburn highlights a strong lyric instinct—an ear for poetic or musical language—and plot sense but aims to improve psychological depth in his writing. Julie Orringer describes herself as skilled at revision—the process of rewriting and refining drafts—and seeks to better understand the subconscious messages in her work. Natasha Lennard feels she clarifies complex ideas effectively but aims to incorporate more poetic language into her sentences.
The authors discuss how they manage the challenge of believing their work deserves attention. Natasha Lennard acknowledges the hubris inherent in writing but notes that her writer friends normalize this self-belief and that, in reality, few people may care about her opinions. She references *Ludwig Wittgenstein*, an Austrian-British philosopher known for his work on language and certainty, and his idea that belief is often groundless. Julie Orringer counters the hubris by recognizing that without writers, there would be nothing to read, framing writing as a collective necessity. Lauren Michele Jackson defers the dilemma, stating that respected peers have not yet asked her to stop writing. Kawai Strong Washburn approaches writing with discipline and devotion, seeing it as a way to overcome loneliness and achieve liberation. Adam Wilson balances hubris with *crushing bouts of despair*—intense feelings of hopelessness—to maintain perspective.
