The final episode from my recent trip to New York—which also had me lunching with Tor Art Director Irene Gallo and dining with Asimov’s magazine editor Sheila Williams—took me back to the magical land of my birth—Brooklyn!

At the suggestion of Barry Goldblatt, who founded the eponymous Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency in September 2000, we met at Bella Gioia, a Sicilian restaurant in Park Slope. A wonderful choice! But that’s to be expected when you get together with Barry, for he and I have eaten the fantastic many times before at such restaurants as Alinea in Chicago and Olo in Helsinki—though this is the first time you’re being invited to eavesdrop.

Barry’s clients including such writers as previous guest of the show Fran Wilde, Christopher Barzak, Libba Bray, Charles Vess, Nisi Shawl, and many others.

We discussed why he ended up as an agent rather than an astronaut, the happy accident that led to him being taught by the legendary science fiction writer James Gunn, the time Lloyd Alexander caused him to burst into squee-filled tears, J. K. Rowling’s first U.S. book signing and how she changed children’s publishing forever, what everyone thinks they know about agents that’s totally wrong, the sorts of things he’s told authors to help take their work to the next level, why it sometimes makes sense for him to submit a less than perfect book, whether the YA market is doing a better job with diversity than adult fiction, what he’s been looking for that he hasn’t been getting, and much more.

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Here’s what Barry and I shared during our dinner in my old stomping grounds—

Purpetti
veal, beef, and pork meatballs, creamy polenta

Heirloom Tomato Salad
baby heirloom tomatoes, arugula, burrata, pesto

Zucca Salad
roasted butternut squash, quinoa, cranberries,
pumpkin seeds, spinach, honey dijon

Tumminia
ancient Sicilian grain Busiate-style pasta, pesto alla Trapanese,
almonds, caciocavallo cheese

Cotoletto di Vitello
breaded veal cutlet, arugula, cherry tomatoes,
onions, parmigiano, balsamic glaze

As for dessert, for that we wandered a few blocks away to Ample Hills Creamery, where that photo of Barry up top was taken.

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I hope you’ll join me two weeks from now, when I pick the brains of two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning horror writer Norman Prentiss over a Chinese food lunch.

Thanks for listening!