Episode #438
Keith Koeneman - PATERNITY - Episode 438
It was great having Keith Koeneman on Salt Lake Dirt to talk about his new novel, Paternity . Having previously written a biography on former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Keith made the leap to fiction with a story that follows two couples in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood over two decades. He shared how he structured the book like a Netflix series with 19 interlocking chapters, drawing heavy inspiration from Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge while maintaining a strict chronological timeline as the characters age from their late twenties to their fifties. During our conversation, Keith opened up about his writing process and how reading hundreds of books a year growing up shaped his love for storytelling. We talked about how he picked up lessons on short chapters and plot hooks from reading mystery novels, as well as the importance of setting work aside and having a couple of honest friends read drafts. It was a really fun discussion about the balance between fiction and nonfiction, and Paternity is a fantastic read for anyone who loves deep character-driven stories. Thanks for listening! Kyler --- Episode Links: Purchase Paternity --- SLD Podcast Info: Visit SaltLakeDirt.com for more interviews. Intro and outro music courtesy of Hot House West . Vienna Waltz composed by Nathan Royal, performed by HHW .
