Lauren Groff's 'Brawler'
Lauren Groff joins the podcast to talk about her new short story collection 'Brawler,' her approach to story writing, and more
By LARB Radio HourFebruary 27, 2026
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Lauren Groff's 'Brawler'
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Eric Newman speaks with Lauren Groff about her latest story collection, Brawler, an intimate and tender exploration of the all-too-human struggle to balance a life between compassion and hatred, love and vengeance.
Groff shares her approach to writing stories, from the inception of a gossamer idea or mood through to the editorial grunt work of arranging and sharpening characters and sentences, all while trying to let the work emerge organically. Groff also discusses Flannery O'Connor, the possibility of redemption, the importance of avoiding a moral judgment on your characters, and how she tries to balance the lightness and darkness of life on the page.
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LARB Contributor
The LARB Radio Hour is hosted by Eric Newman, Medaya Ocher, and Kate Wolf.
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Did you know LARB is a reader-supported nonprofit?
LARB publishes daily without a paywall as part of our mission to make rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts freely accessible to the public. Help us continue this work with your tax-deductible donation today!