Ep 125-Spring of Success, Amy Hempel ("In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried")

Amy Hempel's first published story was a breakout success, and has gone on to be one of the most anthologized stories of the last few decades. We talk about her path to success, and why this story has resonated. We also discuss some of the mid-to-late 80s backlash to minimalist fiction, which Hempel got caught up in.

In the second half of the show we talk about people who had early career success in writing and the arts, and how (or whether) they followed it up.

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