New Hope is a fictional place but thanks to Patricia Ann McNair, it’s a place full of pain, heartbreak, faith and friendship. New Hope is the setting of The Temple of Air – the latest collection of stories from McNair. It’s no accident that McNair mines a Midwestern setting – the Columbia College professor has spent almost her entire life in the region. And while her experiences shape her stories, they aren’t entirely autobiographical. Eight Forty-Eight recently spoke with McNair about her stories and characters—and to learn more about how she approaches writing. 

Patricia Ann McNair reads Tuesday evening at the Hop Leaf in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. That’s part of the reading series Tuesday Funk.

Music Button: Boards of Canada, “Hey Saturday Sun”, from the album The Campfire Headphase, (Warp)