Lynn Kilpatrick

Lynn Kilpatrick’s first collection of short stories, In The House, was published by FC2 in March. Her fiction has recently appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and Hotel Amerika. Her essays have been published in Ninth Letter, Creative Nonfiction, and Brevity. She earned her PhD in Fiction from the University of Utah and an MA in Poetry from Western Washington University. She teaches at Salt Lake Community College and lives in Salt Lake with her husband, son and German Shorthair Pointer.

Earlier this summer I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

So many people recommended this book I had to pick it up. Many of the conversations I had about this book began with someone saying to me, “I liked it, but…” and having finished it, I’d have to say that I agree. The book felt extremely French to me, or maybe more like a French film, with a lot of talking and not a lot of action. I love books that include meditations on ideas or philosophical investigations, and this book was full of those. Overall, I loved the book, though I found the ending disappointing. But the writing is lovely.

This Noisy Egg by Nicole Walker

Every year I vow to read more poetry, and this year I did a pretty good job, including this debut collection by Nicole Walker. I enjoy the ferocity of her language, seeming simplicity wrapped in complex structures. The mark of great poetry, for me, is a book that makes me want to fling it down and start writing. Walker’s poetry inspires me in this way.

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

My book club, made up of poets, fiction writers, book sellers and scientists, chose this for our first summer selection. It’s a chilling book, full of travel and malice. I loved being in the mind of Ripley and mistrusting him, while he slowly won me over. This novel made me want to read all of the Ripley novels. Deliciously creepy.

Visit Lynn Kilpatrick's website.

--Marshal Zeringue