One True Sentence #41 with Virginia Evans

Virginia Evans, the 2026 PEN/Hemingway Award winner for her novel The Correspondent, joins us to discuss her one true sentence from Hemingway: “You must be prepared to work always without applause." In this episode, Evans reflects on learning to value the work itself before and after publication, especially following the unexpected success of her novel. She discusses writing intuitively, the challenges of shifting between multiple letter-writers’ voices, and braiding many plot strands tightly back to Sybil at the story’s center. In addition, Evans recounts winning the PEN/Hemingway Award and her plan to read all of Hemingway in her fortieth year.Thank you for listening to One True Podcast! Consider donating to the Hemingway Society, including to the recently created One True Podcast Fund or the Hemingway Café Club!Previous "one true sentences" are collected in: One True Sentence: Writers and Readers on Hemingway’s Art, available here.