Laurie Gwen Shapiro has most recently written articles for publications including The New Yorker, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Slate, Aeon, Los Angeles Review of Books, and has her own history column focusing on unsung heroes for The Forward. Shapiro is also a documentary filmmaker who won an Independent Spirit Award for directing IFC’s Keep the River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale and an Emmy nomination for producing HBO’s Finishing Heaven.Shapiro's latest book is The Stowaway: A Young Man's Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica.
From the author's Q&A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: How did you first learn about Billy Gawronski, and at what point did you decide to write a book about him?Visit Laurie Gwen Shapiro's website.
A: I mainly read literary nonfiction. I wanted to write the kind of nonfiction book I love to read -- think David Grann, Susan Orlean -- and was looking for a forgotten story.
But in the meantime I decided I would keep practicing on local stories as my experience was previously as a fiction writer and documentary filmmaker. In my mind I would write a nonfiction book that unfolded like a novel, using both of my skill sets.
Q: The book includes so many details about his life--how did you conduct your research, and did you learn anything that particularly surprised you?
A: I made a resolution in January of 2013 to...[read on]
The Page 99 Test: The Stowaway.
Writers Read: Laurie Gwen Shapiro.
My Book, The Movie: The Stowaway.
--Marshal Zeringue