Patchett, Kingsolver & Lee on the Art—and Uncertainty—of Being a Modern Novelist

For literary fiction fans, 2026 has been a banner year, with new novels from award-winning American authors Barbara Kingsolver (“Partitia”), Min Jin Lee (“American Hagwon”), and Ann Patchett (“Whistler”). But amid shortening attention spans and fears that the ‘end of reading’ is fast approaching, what role do novels still play in modern life, and what does it take to find success as a writer today? Kara speaks with Barbara, Min and Ann about the unifying themes across their latest  novels, how they’ve adapted to changes in the publishing industry over the last few decades, and how they continue to reach new, younger audiences. The authors also bring their own burning questions for each other.  Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices