Friendships form the most significant relationships in our lives. Sometimes they save us, and sometimes they can sink us. We’ll look at how literary luminaries such as Elena Ferrante, Margaret Atwood and Ann Patchett focus on friendship to drive their stories, then put what we’ve learned into practice.

Steve Almond is the author of twelve books of fiction and non-fiction including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His first novel, Which Brings Me to You (co-written with Julianna Baggott) was made into way-better-than-he-expected movie starring Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff. His last novel, All the Secrets of the World, is in development for television by 20th Century Fox. His work has appeared in the Best American Short Stories, the Pushcart Prize, Best American Mysteries, and the NYT Magazine. His most recent book, Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow, is about craft, inspiration, and how to keep going at the keyboard. Almond teaches at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and lives outside Boston with his family and his anxiety.

How to Write About Friendship (without Losing Friends) with Steve Almond