Peng Shepherd

Novelist and NEA Literature Fellow Peng Shepherd's latest book is the speculative mystery, The Cartographers. Those of us who love maps think they are magical; in Shepherd’s book, this magic isn’t metaphorical. The Cartographers has, at its heart, not only the wonder and possibilities of map-making, but a map that is actually magical and becomes a dangerous obsession for a group of cartographers. In this episode of the Art Works podcast, Shepherd talks about her fascination with maps, the phenomenon of phantom settlements and how they inspired the book’s premise, her love of speculative fiction, and the challenges of writing “the second book.”

Follow us on Apple Podcasts!