Essays, Interviews & More
Interviews
Love And Heartbreak In The Valley of Virginia
Robert discusses his second novel Heading Out To Wonderful with Book Page's Eliza Borné. (6/12/12)
Passion Play
Robert discusses Heading Out To Wonderful with Publisher's Weekly's Judi Goldenberg. (3/26/12)
The Wife Who Came In From The Cold
Robert Goolrick discusses his debut novel A Reliable Wife with The Daily Beast's Sara Nelson. (3/24/09)
Essays and Other Writings
The Passion of Place, The Place of Passion
Thirty years ago, a friend of mine sat down and told me a story, a long story, about something that had happened to him as a child. It took him an hour to tell it, and it was the best story I have ever heard.
Read More >What Happened To You?
Several summers ago, in the heat of July, a homeless man claimed a spot on the sidewalk on Manhattan's Sixth Avenue, right across from Balducci's. He was young, no more than his late twenties, and he appeared to be healthy. He was handsome and deeply tanned, and he was dressed simply but not shabbily in jeans and a T-shirt and an army jacket. His only equipment was an old duffel bag and a paper cup, and as the days went by I got into the habit of dropping small change into his cup as I passed.
One day I couldn't resist. I leaned down, put a dollar in his cup, and looked at him.
"What happened to you?" I asked.
The Place I Really Live
I wake up in the dark. Au bout de la nuit. 4:06 on the LED. Take a leak. Cigarette. I know I shouldn't; I mean, in general, generally speaking, nobody should, not after everything we know, not after we've watched loved ones die, not to mention movie stars, but I do. I'm an addict. But I especially shouldn't smoke at 4:06 when I have a hope of getting back to sleep. It makes my heart race.
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