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Nicholas A. Basbanes Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Nicholas A. Basbanes

Nicholas A. Basbanes

Nicholas A. Basbanes Biography

Nicholas A. Basbanes is an award-winning investigative journalist and was literary editor of the Worcester Sunday Telegram. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and Smithsonian, and he is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. Basbanes lives in North Grafton, Massachusetts, with his wife

Nicholas A. Basbanes's website

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Interview

Nick Basbanes discusses the inspiration, research and passion for his book, On Paper.

What inspired you to write On Paper?

After writing eight books about every conceivable aspect of books and book culture, it seemed logical that I turn to the stuff of transmission itself, and for more than five hundred years in the West – and much longer than that in Asia and the Middle East – the medium of choice has been paper. The actual idea to write a book about paper, though, was suggested to me in 2002 by MacArthur Fellow Timothy Barrett , during a speaking visit I made to the Iowa Center for the Book at the University of Iowa. I spent several days there with Tim – a world-renowned authority in the fi eld of hand papermaking – and he regaled me with stories about its history that I found irresistible.

The best part about it, from my standpoint, was that no book quite like the decidedly eclectic one I ultimately envisioned had ever been done before. This is not a formal chronology by any means, but a cultural history that takes in the full sweep of this remarkably versatile material, and discusses the impact it has had on the shaping of history.



Can you talk a bit about your research? Did you know when you began the project what an adventure it would take you on - from southwest China and ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Nicholas A. Basbanes at BookBrowse
On Paper jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Nicholas A. Basbanes but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Cynthia Barnett

    Cynthia Barnett

    Cynthia Barnett is an award-winning environmental journalist who has reported on water and climate change around the world. Her new book, The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans, was released in July 2021 ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    On Paper

    Try:
    Rain
    by Cynthia Barnett

  • Barbara Kingsolver

    Barbara Kingsolver

    Barbara Kingsolver was born in 1955, and grew up in rural Kentucky. She earned degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona, and has worked as a freelance writer and author since 1985. At various ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    On Paper

    Try:
    Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
    by Barbara Kingsolver

We recommend 9 similar authors

View all 9 Read-Alikes

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