WAMU 88.5 : The Kojo Nnamdi Show

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"Vampires in the Lemon Grove"

February 25, 2013
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Author Karen Russell's work defies easy categorization, blending elements of fantasy, horror and realism. Russell's new short story collection ventures away from her native Florida where her earlier books were set, and takes readers to richly-drawn worlds from Italy to Minnesota. Russell joins Kojo in the studio to talk about her work.

Inside The Studio

Karen Russell reads from her new short story collection, "Vampires in the Lemon Grove." Excerpts include the first chapter, which shares the book's title, and "The barn at the end of our turn," about dead U.S. presidents who are reincarnated into the bodies of horses.

Read An Excerpt

Excerpted from "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell. Copyright © 2013 by Karen Russell. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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