The Art of Perspective: Who Tells the Story - Softcover

Christopher Castellani is the author of three novels, including All This Talk of Love. He is the artistic director of GrubStreet and teaches in the MFA program at Warren Wilson College. He was recently awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction.

"A close look at writers' crucial choices. The latest contributor to The Art of series, novelist and Guggenheim Fellow Castellani  offers an attentive reading of works by E.M. Forster, Lorrie Moore, Zoe Heller, Grace Paley, and Tayeb Salih, among others, to illuminate "the how and why" of narration...A modest, gracefully written meditation on creativity and craft." -- Kirkus Reviews
"This is not a book of prescriptions for writers, but more a study of principles through examples. Castellani describes his way of deciding on the right perspective for one of his story ideas, and examines various strategies in the works of others... Castellani thinks and writes with great perception and clarity. Anyone with an interest in how good stories are constructed will findthis book both enjoyable and useful...A perceptive and thorough consideration ofthe role of perspective in storytelling." -- Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)
"Castellani's lucid exploration into the mechanics ofnarrative means The Art of Perspective is a pleasure to read foranyone curious why the stories we love move us the way they do; why so often itis not the sequence of events or some happening of the plot that compels us toturn the page, but a voice--be it forthright or deceptive--at the heart of thestory...While the series may be of most interest to writers, Castellanidiscusses fiction in such an accessible and engaging manner that the bookshould prove compelling to anyone who is curious about why some of theirfavorite novels work the way they do."        -Zyzzyva
"A master class -- in 140 pages -- on how various narrative strategies make novels tick." - The Boston Globe
"A little gem of a book filled with wit and wisdom." - Catherine Ramsdell, Popmatters