Novelists Writing Nonfiction

One of the mysteries that comes with reading any great author’s fiction is the personality of the man or woman behind the books – just who are these people, and what can their personal stories tell us about their fictive ones?

Here are five worthy works by five classic authors – both new and old – that help reveal the minds behind the unforgettable novels. From David Foster Wallace’s one-of-a-kind commencement address to Eric Blair’s dirt-poor life before he became George Orwell to Barbara Kingsolver’s surprising solution to an eater’s manifesto, these books show that, for some novelists, creating necessary nonfiction is all a part of the job. Like having a rich conversation with a favorite author, these books are a chance to see great writers from an entirely new, more personal angle – and they’re guaranteed to send you back to the novels, well-equipped to take them in anew.