Q&A with the Author of "American Innovations," Rivka Galchen

Rivka Galchen’s short-story collection, <em>American Innovations</em>, was published in 2014. In 2010 she was chosen by <em>The New Yorker</em> as one of its “20 Under 40,” which honors young fiction writers who <em>The New Yorker</em> believes are, or will be, key to their generation. Galchen’s first novel, <em>Atmospheric Disturbances</em>, was published in 2008 and was awarded the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. The novel was also a finalist for the Mercantile Library’s 2008 John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize; the Canadian Writers’ Trust’s 2008 Fiction Prize; and the 2008 Governor General’s Award. She has written for several national magazines, including <em>The New Yorker</em>, <em>Harper’s Magazine,</em> the <em>New York Times Magazine</em>, and <em>The Believer</em>. Galchen teaches writing at Columbia University and is a contributing editor at <em>Harper’s Magazine.</em>