In a heart-wrenching revelation, acclaimed author Siri Hustvedt has announced that she is penning a memoir about her late husband, the legendary writer Paul Auster. The upcoming book, tentatively titled “Ghost Stories,” promises to offer an intimate glimpse into the life and love of one of literature’s most celebrated couples.
A Memoir Born from Grief and Love
According to a recent interview with a German news outlet, Hustvedt shared that she began writing the memoir just days after Auster’s passing on April 30th, 2024. The beloved author of the New York Trilogy succumbed to complications from lung cancer at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy that will forever be etched in the annals of American literature.
“It’s called Ghost Stories. I have 120 pages now,” Hustvedt revealed, emphasizing that writing about Auster was her “first impulse” in the wake of his death. The 69-year-old author, whose most recent work includes the essay collection “Mothers, Fathers, and Others,” explained that the urge to write after losing a loved one is a familiar experience for many writers.
“There is something about death that triggers in writers this impulse to write,” Hustvedt mused. “Writing on a blank page is different from talking to someone in person. There is something about that page, that empty space, that creates an intimacy that doesn’t exist in a live dialogue with a human being.”
A Love Story for the Ages
Hustvedt and Auster’s love story is one that has captivated the literary world for decades. The two met in 1981 and married the following year, going on to build a life together in Brooklyn, New York. They have one daughter, Sophie, who is also a writer.
Throughout their 42-year marriage, Hustvedt and Auster served as each other’s muses, confidants, and most ardent supporters. They often spoke of their deep admiration for one another’s work and the joy they found in their shared passion for literature.
“Paul was my first reader, my best reader, and my most trusted editor,” Hustvedt once said in an interview. “He saw things in my writing that I couldn’t see myself, and he always pushed me to be better, to go deeper.”
Grieving Through the Written Word
As Hustvedt navigates the uncharted waters of grief, she finds solace in the act of writing. “Ghost Stories” is not only a tribute to her late husband but also a means of processing her loss and the myriad emotions that come with it.
“You know, I’m grieving for my husband,” Hustvedt confessed in the interview. “But as I always say to friends now: I’m not depressed. But I’m scared. Since he died, I’ve been reading about grief all the time.”
The author’s openness about her grief and the therapeutic nature of writing is a testament to the power of the written word in helping us make sense of life’s most profound challenges. As Hustvedt puts pen to paper, she not only honors Auster’s memory but also invites readers to share in their extraordinary love story.
A Highly Anticipated Literary Event
News of Hustvedt’s memoir has sent ripples of excitement through the literary community, with fans and fellow writers eagerly awaiting the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the couple’s relationship and creative partnership.
While Hustvedt hopes to finish writing “Ghost Stories” by early next year, she remains cautious about setting a definitive timeline. “That is my hope, not my promise. I have no idea when it will be published,” she admitted.
Regardless of when “Ghost Stories” hits the shelves, one thing is certain: Siri Hustvedt’s memoir about Paul Auster will be a literary event of the highest order, offering readers a rare and intimate look into the lives of two of the most brilliant minds of our time.
As the world mourns the loss of Paul Auster, we find comfort in knowing that his legacy will live on through his groundbreaking works and the love he shared with Siri Hustvedt—a love that will now be immortalized in the pages of “Ghost Stories.”
