In Conversation with Katherine Heiny, author of Standard Deviation

Many years ago, David Hedges and Julie Fiske had a short, sweet marriage, before they parted ways and left for opposite coasts. Now, they haven't seen each other in almost 30 years, and both are going through a rough patch in life. David's boyfriend, Soren, has left him for an older man. His job is exasperating. As his life reaches new lows, his weight reaches new highs. Julie isn't having a much better time herself. Carol, the woman (younger, of course) that Henry, her second husband, left her for, is downright likeable—more likeable than Henry was. Her sullen teen daughter adamantly refuses to apply to college. When she starts digging in the basement and learns for the first time of her mother's earlier marriage, she begins a chain of events that leads to David and Julie's reunion.

Best-selling author Stephen McCauley’s My Ex-Life is all about unexpected second chances and is full of laugh-out-loud lines, smart social commentary, and characters you can't help rooting for. In prose filled with hilarious and heartbreakingly accurate one-liners, Stephen McCauley has written a novel that examines how we define home, family, and love. Be prepared to laugh, shed a few tears, and have thoughts of your own ex-life triggered. Wise and funny, Kirkus Reviews called it “a gin and tonic for the soul.”

“My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort―it’s a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet.” ―Tom Perrotta, bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher

“My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level.” ―Richard Russo, bestselling author of Everybody’s Fool

“Before you read My Ex-Life, make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined.” ―Katherine Heiny, author of Standard Deviation

“From the first page of My Ex-Life, I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!” ―Elinor Lipman, author of On Turpentine Lane

Stephen McCauley is the author of six previous novels, including The Object of My Affection, True Enough, and Alternatives to Sex. Many have been national bestsellers, and three have been made into feature films. The New York Times Book Review dubbed McCauley “the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen”, and he was named a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. His fiction, reviews, and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Harper’s, Vogue, and many other publications. He currently serves as Co-Director of Creative Writing at Brandeis University. He has several properties listed on Airbnb in Massachusetts and New York and owns a total of zero toss pillows.

Stephen McCauley will be joined in conversation by Katherine Heiny, author of Single, Carefree, Mellow and Standard Deviation.

This event is FREE.  Let us know you're coming on Facebook. 

600 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002