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Author Richard Powers uses his storytelling to connect us to nature

WAMU 88.5 | By Avery Jessa Chapnick
Published October 9, 2024 at 8:07 AM EDT
US author Richard Powers poses during the photo call for the authors shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize for Fiction at Southbank Centre in London.
US author Richard Powers poses during the photo call for the authors shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize for Fiction at Southbank Centre in London.

In 2019, Richard Powers won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for his best-seller, “The Overstory.” In the novel, every character has a personal connection to the natural world. The trees are as important to the plot as the people.

Now, in his new novel, “Playground,” Powers treats the sea much the same way. Through his storytelling, he makes the case for preserving and honoring the mysterious, abundant ocean.

We sit down with Powers to discuss these novels and the connections each of us has to the natural world.

Copyright 2024 WAMU 88.5

Avery Jessa Chapnick