Novelist Kevin Wilson tackles serious issues through an outrageous premise

Kevin Wilson, the author of the NEA Big Read title Nothing to See Here, explains his long-time obsession with spontaneous human combustion—a condition that figures prominently in the novel. In a nutshell, 28-year-old Lillian is tasked with minding the stepchildren of a wealthy old school friend whose politician husband has two kids who literally burst into flames when they get angry or agitated. One reviewer called the novel a brilliant parable about childhood and child care.   But, in our lengthy discussion about this wise and funny book, Wilson points out that at its core, the novel asks “how do we take care of people” and “how do we live with conditions that others might see as disabilities.”  Wilson discusses his own issues with life-long anxiety that was diagnosed as Tourette’s Syndrome when he was an adult and the ways that writing has helped him to come terms with it. He talks about parenthood, the joy he takes in being very active in his sons’ lives and how his initial anxiety around parenting informs Nothing to See Here.  And we discuss the extraordinary joy he has always gotten from reading, the importance of the library had for him as he was growing up in a small rural town, and the connection and expansiveness created by bringing a community together around a single book. Let us know what you think about Art Works—email us at artworkspod@arts.gov. And follow us on Apple Podcasts!