Acclaimed author Amor Towles extends his canon with new book of wit and drama

Author Amor Towles' latest book is "Table for Two." (Dmitri Kasterine)

Amor Towles may surpass Scheherazade herself in his spinning of marvelous stories. The author of “Rules of Civility,” “A Gentleman in Moscow” and “The Lincoln Highway” has a new book, “Table for Two” — a collection of six stories set in New York City and a novella set in 1930s Los Angeles.

“City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with Towles about his latest book.

“I thought wouldn’t it be interesting if a person wasn’t good at anything except standing in lines, but he was so good at it that he could become the best in an entire city,” said Towles.

When asked about his writing process, he said, “Many have written about flow or these states that we can get in when fully immersed in the art form. It sort of frees up the subconscious and the imagination.” He continued, “I will often write short fiction while I’m on tour. I don’t like to start a novel when I’m on tour because I can’t give it my full attention, so I’ll write shorter works.”

More information about “Table for Two” is available here.