Emily Nemens is the author of Clutch (2026) and The Cactus League (2020), both of which were NYT Book Review Editor’s Choice selections. Her stories have appeared in BOMB, Zyzzyva, New Stories from the South 2026, and elsewhere; her illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker and in collaboration with Harvey Pekar. Emily spent over a decade editing literary quarterlies, including leading The Paris Review and serving as co-editor and prose editor of The Southern Review. She teaches in the MFA program at Bennington College and lives in central New Jersey with her husband and dog.
Authors Priyanka Mattoo and Emily Nemens sit down to discuss their latest novels that explore the pleasures and challenges of midlife. Whether in the fictional world of Clutch, or the personal stories in How to Be Less Useful, both authors question our professional priorities and the joy that really matters most. Moderated by author Maris Kreizman.
Emily Nemens reads from her new novel at Portland Art Museum in the Northwest Art gallery.
