On NPR’s Morning Edition, Lawrence Wright spoke with Steve Inskeep about Redemption: Faith, Justice, and Sisterhood on Death Row. Wright describes how the nuns taught the women monastic practices for living in community, how his research led him to believe some of the women don’t belong on death row, and why he finds “something grotesque” about executing people decades after they’ve been transformed.
The Human Scale is a popular selection for book clubs. It’s not only a gripping page-turner, but a balanced and carefully researched history of an epochal conflict. Check out our official Book Club Kit for discussion questions, a helpful glossary of characters and terms, and a special note from the author.
Keep ReadingA Note from Lawrence Wright:
A very civilized discussion with Dr. Benjamin Reiss in a church in Atlanta about The Human Scale. The first time I signed books in Atlanta—more than 40 years ago—the police came twice. The literary scene has settled down considerably.
A Note from Lawrence Wright:
Wonderful interview with Elliot Ackerman at the legendary 92nd St. Y. He’s a bestselling novelist himself so the interview could have gone the other way.
A review in The New York Times by Elliot Ackerman gives the new book high marks.
Keep ReadingWright’s visceral depiction of the Oct. 7 attacks at the novel’s climax forces us to weigh the value of a single life against another, to engage in this conflict that has turned into a human scale. Given the passions raging around the current war in Gaza, Wright’s book is a gutsy one to write. To fail as a novelist and become a partisan of one side would read as a betrayal not only of the opposing side, but also of what the best literature does: It both asserts and reconciles our humanity through perspectives that may be far from our own. Wright succeeds in this complex, deeply felt work. He shows that if it is possible to save mankind one life at a time, as the Talmud and Quran affirm, then maybe it is also possible to save our humanity, one story at a time.
Don’t miss seeing the author in person.
Tuesday, March 11 @ 7PM
BookPeople X Texas Book Festival
Joined by Rebecca McInroy
Austin, TX
Wednesday, March 12 @ 6:30 PM
Brazos Bookstore
Houston, TX
Thursday, March 13 @ 6PM
Interabang Books
Dallas, TX
Tuesday, March 18 @ 7:30 PM
The 92nd Street Y
Joined by Elliot Ackerman
New York, NY
Wednesday, March 19 @ 7 PM
Politics & Prose at The Wharf
Washington, DC
Thursday, March 20 @ 7PM
A Cappella Books at the Inman Park Church
*this event will be ticketed
Joined by Ben Reiss
Atlanta, GA
Tuesday, April 8 @ 7:30 PM
Writers Bloc Presents at Moss Theater at New Roads
*this event will be ticketed
Joined by Matt Gutman
Los Angeles, CA
In his latest article for The New Yorker, Wright tells a powerful story of sisters from a convent outside Waco who develop deep ties with women on Texas’ death row.
The magazine’s executive editor, Daniel Zalewski, writes:
Keep ReadingFor the past year, Larry Wright has been regularly driving about two hours north from his home, in Austin, Texas, to the town of Gatesville, where there is a prison housing all seven of the women currently being condemned by the state to execution. Prison employees call them the ladies on death row. Wright started making these trips when he learned that something extraordinary was happening inside this locked world. The inmates, all of whom have been convicted of murderous crimes, have become close with a group of contemplative Catholic nuns who live half an hour away, in a convent in Waco. The inmates and the nuns formed an instant and intense bond the first time the nuns visited the row, in 2021. As one of the nuns, Sister Lydia Maria, told Wright, “Something from Heaven happened.”
Austin Music Legend Marcia Ball and Pulitzer Prize-Winner Lawrence Wright Headline Benefit for HOME
AUSTIN, TX, September 2, 2024 — The Saxon Pub will host a special event on Monday, September 23, 2024, combining the best of Austin’s musical talent, literary acclaim and community support in a one-night-only performance featuring songs and scenes from "Mr. Texas," a musical in development based on the critically acclaimed novel by local Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright.
This event marks the beginning of a months-long series of weekly fundraisers at the Saxon Pub for Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers (HOME), an Austin nonprofit providing financial housing assistance for aging musicians in need. The night will showcase performances by the songwriters from "Mr. Texas," including local legend Marcia Ball, Gordon Wright, and Lawrence Wright, along with a number of special guest appearances by local musical luminaries.
Marcia Ball, renowned blues singer, songwriter, and pianist, is not only a featured performer but also a co-founder of HOME, which she started with a group of concerned women to address the housing needs of Austin's aging musicians.
Doors open at 5:00 PM, with the show starting at 6:00 PM. Tickets are priced at an accessible $15, with all proceeds benefiting HOME. In addition to supporting a worthy cause, attendees will receive a download code for the "Mr. Texas" EP and have opportunities to win special signed books and swag from the writers and performers.
The Saxon Pub is located at 1320 S Lamar, Austin, TX 78704. This is a 21 and over event.
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