Park Slope Author Writes What She Knows

Authors are always advised to write what they know and that's exactly what Park Slope local Nicole Krauss has taken to heart.

It all started in 2007 when Krauss published "From the Desk of Daniel Varsky," a short story featured in Harper's. The tale focuses on inheritance and was inspired by her own custom-built hand-me-down desk she acquired about eight years ago.

The desk is large, ugly, and overbearing according to its owner. At one point, Krauss considered chopping the behemoth up but didn't want to waste the wood. So she continued to write at it until one day inspiration for her story came about.

Whether she loves or hates the desk, it has brought her much success. Once the short story was published, Krauss couldn't leave the desk, the characters, or the topic of inheritance alone. Short stories lead to novels. Her third book, "Great House" delves into the connections that the single desk has made through its fictional life.

A local to Park Slope, Krauss lives with her husband and their young children. The family frequents the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the playground at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook, and local book stores where she often holds readings of her works.

Source - The Brooklyn Paper