A Conversation with Siri Hustvedt

Novelist Siri Hustvedt knows a lot about grief. Two years ago, her husband, the writer Paul Auster, died. They had an extraordinary life together as parents, romantic partners, and authors who shared their work. Hustvedt was devastated by Paul's death. In her book Ghost Stories, she explores what happens when someone who has been your partner for more than 40 years disappears and how she remains haunted by his absence. Hustvedt also talks publicly for the first time about a family tragedy: the death of Paul's son and their young granddaughter. In her Brooklyn brownstone overlooking her garden, I talk to Siri Hustvedt about love, memory, healing and the things that make her laugh. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.