Jessica Francis Kane: Leaning into Your Obsessions (& Your Obstacles Too)

Today, I’m talking to Jessica Francis Kane, author of the recently released novel, FONSECA, based on a trip that acclaimed English writer Penelope Fitzgerald took in the Winter of 1952 in an attempt to inherit a personal and creative lifeline from two elderly relatives. We’ll be talking about how Jessica wove personal letters into the narrative as well as how she managed the point of view of a literary personality that many readers know and love.Watch a recording here. This audio/video version is available for a few weeks. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform.I don’t charge for subscriptions, but if you’d like, you can support my work with with a small donation here.To find Kane’s latest book as well as many other books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page.Looking for a writing community? Join our Facebook page.JESSICA FRANCIS KANE is the author of two short story collections, Bending Heaven and This Close, which was named a best book of the year by NPR. Her first novel, The Report, was a finalist for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, the Indie Booksellers’ Choice Award, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her second novel, Rules for Visiting, was a national and LA Times bestseller. It was selected for the Indie Next List of the American Booksellers Association and was named a best book of the summer and/or year by Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, Vulture and The Chicago Tribune. Her latest novel, Fonseca, has been named a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice and a best book of the year by Kirkus, Esquire, and BookPage. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com