Previewing Next Week's Get Lit Event with Tom Perrotta

Summary

All Of It with Alison Stewart: Previewing Next Week's Get Lit Event with Tom Perrotta
Date: May 21, 2026
Podcast: WNYC / All Of It with Alison Stewart
Main Guest: Tom Perrotta – novelist, author of Ghost Town
Event Previewed: "Get Lit" Live Event on May 27 with Tom Perrotta & They Might Be Giants

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Alison Stewart welcomes bestselling author Tom Perrotta to discuss his new novel, Ghost Town, which is the May selection for the “Get Lit With All Of It” book club. Together, they delve into the book’s inspiration, themes of grief, memory, and suburban childhood, and the personal connections behind its creation. The episode also previews an upcoming live book club event featuring Perrotta and the band They Might Be Giants.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of "Ghost Town"

• [02:31] Tom Perrotta reveals that Ghost Town was conceived during the pandemic while he was staying in his childhood home helping his elderly mother. This return to his roots, and the haunted feeling that came with it, served as a primary inspiration for the novel:
  • "It was definitely a pandemic novel. ...I just spent, you know, that whole period in the house that I grew up in, sleeping in my old bedroom and kind of remembering. It just seemed like a world full of ghosts to me. And that somehow led me to this book..."
    – Tom Perrotta [02:31]

2. Depicting Childhood in 1970s New Jersey

• [03:16] Perrotta discusses the contrasts between growing up in the 1970s ("free range" childhood) and modern-day parenting, emphasizing the independence and risks children experienced—and the darker side when "guided by misguided people."
  • "There was that strange free range quality... it probably forced kids to grow up and be independent. But this book also explores the dark side of that, like what happens when you're being guided by misguided people."
    – Tom Perrotta [03:16]

3. The Fictional Town of Creamwood

• [04:03] Creamwood is a wholly fictional suburb, inspired by but distinct from Perrotta’s real hometown, Garwood. The novel explores both Jimmy's personal grief and the public racial tensions of the time:
  • "Creamwood is a blue collar, mostly Italian American suburb, but it is notably all white... There's a public drama that's happening around the racial politics of that particular time and place."
    – Tom Perrotta [04:03]

4. Ghosts, Loss, and the Supernatural

• [05:14 & 06:34] The story centers on Jimmy Parini, whose mother’s death alters his family forever. Jimmy’s encounter with a Ouija board (a staple of 1970s pop culture) and questions of the supernatural provide both literal and figurative ghostly presences:
  • "Jimmy begins by saying, you know, we used to be a normal family and then something happened and we got weird. ...The thing that begins this weird journey is the death of his mother."
    – Tom Perrotta [05:14]
  • "I think there are things beyond our rational awareness, and I think some of it we imagine, some of it we dream. Some of it we probably walk through without even noticing. ...something like the Ouija board just opens you up to those possibilities..."
    – Tom Perrotta [06:34]

5. Creating Characters Across Time

• [07:19] The narrative alternates between Jimmy’s youth and his adulthood as "Jay Perry," a now-successful writer. Perrotta is interested in how formative childhood trauma becomes integrated (or walled off) in adulthood:

  • "The whole book is meant to tell you how Jimmy became Jay and how by telling Jimmy's story, Jay can see himself as a whole person rather than a fragmented person."
    – Tom Perrotta [07:19]

• [08:21] On writing the same character at two very different life stages, Perrotta notes:

  • "There's just a mystery of like, how did I become who I am and can I even remember the person that I was? ...what happened to Jimmy was so traumatic that Jay has sort of cordoned it off..."
    – Tom Perrotta [08:21]

6. Easter Eggs and Autofiction

• [09:28] Perrotta speaks to the playful "autofictional" element—the ways Jay's oeuvre slyly references Perrotta's own books. Knowing his real works ("Little Children," "The Leftovers," "Bad Haircut") gives readers another layer to enjoy.
  • "It's autofiction in a kind of comic funhouse mirror. ...if you know my work... you will have a maybe a slightly deeper appreciation for some of the Jay's literary works that are described."
    – Tom Perrotta [09:28]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pandemic Inspiration:
  "It just seemed like a world full of ghosts to me."
  – Tom Perrotta [02:38]

• Suburban Childhood:
  "You can't actually ever get lost. Right. Your parents can track you on a phone... but [then] there was that strange free range quality..."
  – Tom Perrotta [03:16]

• On Ouija Boards:
  "Oh, man, I got so spooked."
  – Tom Perrotta [05:41] "I have never touched one again. I ordered one from that era just to have while I was writing this book so I could look at it..."
  – Tom Perrotta [05:46]

• Supernatural Beliefs:
  "I think there are things beyond our rational awareness... I think something like the Ouija board just opens you up to those possibilities in a way that normal life doesn't."
  – Tom Perrotta [06:34]

• Healing Through Story:
  "By telling Jimmy's story, Jay can see himself as a whole person rather than a fragmented person."
  – Tom Perrotta [07:19]

• Easter Eggs for Fans:
  "Jay is not Jay Perry is not Tom Parotta. But some of his work has strange echoes of Tom Perotta's work."
  – Tom Perrotta [09:28]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:31 — Inspiration for Ghost Town during the pandemic
• 03:16 — Describing '70s childhood & its dangers
• 04:03 — Creamwood: Fictionalization of real suburbia and its politics
• 05:14 — Protagonist’s family trauma and its aftermath
• 05:36 - 06:00 — Experiences with Ouija boards
• 06:34 — Supernatural beliefs and metaphors
• 07:19 — Jay Perry: From traumatized youth to adult writer
• 08:21 — Writing the same character 50 years apart
• 09:28 — Easter eggs for Perrotta fans

---

Tone & Style

The episode maintains a warm, thoughtful, and gently nostalgic tone. Stewart and Perrotta’s rapport is casual but incisive, with reflections that blend personal memory, cultural observation, and literary craft.

---

Episode Value for Listeners

This episode provides both a literary preview and a behind-the-scenes look at Ghost Town. It’s especially compelling for fans of Tom Perrotta, those interested in '70s suburban history, or anyone curious about how personal experience shapes fiction. The discussion offers layers—story, craft, cultural memory, and even playful metafiction—making it an engaging listen or read for the book club (and wider) audience.

---

For more information, borrowing e-copies of Ghost Town, and event details, visit wnyc.org/getlit.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. WNYC Studios is supported by Odoo. When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at o d o o.com that's o d o o.com.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Our May get lit with all of it Book club selection is Ghost Town, the brand new novel from best selling author Tom Parotta. The story is set in 1970s suburban New Jersey. An 8th grader named Jimmy is grappling with a terrible loss. In the midst of his grief, he finds himself with two new friends, a stoner named Eddie and an older teenager named Olivia who who also has experience with death in her family. Olivia has a Ouija board and wants Jimmy to use it. The novel also follows Jimmy as an adult now known as Jay Perry. He's a successful writer who has been invited back to his hometown by the mayor, a visit that brings up all kinds of memories thanks to our partners at the New York Public Library. Library card holders can check out an E copy of Ghost Town right now with no wait times. Our live event with Tom Perotta is happening on Wednesday, May 27 and we have a special musical guest, they might be giants. As of right now, tickets are sold out, but all is not lost. You can register for the live stream and keep checking back because sometimes the library is able to make more tickets available as the date gets closer. Head to wnyc.org getlit for more information to get you ready for the event. Earlier this month, Tom Parotta joined us for a preview. I began by asking him what he was doing when he started working on the novel in 2020.

[Tom Perrotta]

It was definitely a pandemic novel. I was going back to the house I grew up in because my elderly mom was having some trouble and of course was kind of isolated there and so I just spent, you know, that whole period in the house That I grew up in, sleeping in my old bedroom and kind of remembering. It just seemed like a world full of ghosts to me. And that somehow led me to this book and to, you know, making the ghost kind of a literal part of a novel.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, it's kind of interesting. You aren't necessarily known for writing autofiction, but a story sort of draws from your own background, as you said. What did you want to capture about being a kid in New Jersey in the 70s?

[Tom Perrotta]

Well, you know, we talk about childhood now and how, you know, intensely surveilled kids are and how the parents are always looking over their shoulder. And you can't actually ever get lost. Right. Your parents can track you on a phone and, you know, every day you're taking pictures. But I think that, you know, there was that strange free range quality which, you know, I think we can romanticize and there's some things about it. It probably forced kids to grow up and be independent. But this book kind of also explores the dark side of that, like what happens when you're being guided by misguided people.

[Alison Stewart]

The book is set in a fictional Jersey town, Creamwood, New Jersey. What's Creamwood like?

[Tom Perrotta]

Creamwood is a blue collar, mostly Italian American suburb, but it is notably all white. And basically Jimmy's going through a fog of grief in this summer and, you know, he's just living his private life. But there's a public drama that's happening around the racial politics of that particular time and place.

[Alison Stewart]

Is Creamwood is there a town you base it on?

[Tom Perrotta]

Well, I grew up in a town called Garwood. And you know, in the same way that J. Perry isn't me, Creamwood isn't exactly Garwood. It's like, you know, I think that's why we write fiction, so that we're not kind of limited by the literal truth of the past.

[Alison Stewart]

I sort of. I grew up in northern New Jersey. I was like, I bet this might be. Fill in the blank.

[Tom Perrotta]

There were a bunch of towns like that.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Tom Parotta, author of the new novel Ghost Town. It's our May get lit with all of it book club selection. To borrow your E copy and get tickets to the May 27 event, head to wnyc.org getlit what is going on with young Jimmy Parini when we first meet him in the novel?

[Tom Perrotta]

Well, Jimmy begins by saying, you know, we used to be a normal family and then something happened and we got weird. And that one thing is, or the thing that begins this weird journey is the death of his mother.

[Alison Stewart]

A Ouija board comes into the equation. First of all, have you ever used one?

[Tom Perrotta]

Yes, I did. I did.

[Alison Stewart]

I think everybody who grew up in the 70s used one.

[Tom Perrotta]

Oh, man, I got so spooked.

[Alison Stewart]

Someone else I know said that they would never touch one again after using it.

[Tom Perrotta]

I have never touched one again. I ordered one from that era just to have while I was writing this book so I could look at it. And somebody was like, let's do it. And I'm like, you go right ahead.

[Alison Stewart]

So you just had it to look at, to kind of get the vibe.

[Tom Perrotta]

I just wanted to make sure that I was describing it properly. But I remember that sense of the pointer, you know, sliding around with nobody seeming to be willing it. And, you know, then you've got the suspense of the message being spelled out from the great beyond. There it was. Look, I was just a. I was probably 12, and when I walked home that night, I was as scared as I've ever been.

[Alison Stewart]

Are you someone who believes in the supernatural?

[Tom Perrotta]

I think there are things beyond our rational awareness, and I think some of it we imagine, some of it we dream. Some of it we probably walk through without even noticing. And I think something like the Ouija board just opens you up to those possibilities in a way that normal life doesn't.

[Alison Stewart]

We're talking to Tom Perotta, author of the new novel Ghost Town. It's our May get lit with all of it book club selection. To borrow your E. Cop and get tickets to our May 27th event, head to wnyc.org getlit we also meet Jimmy as an adult. He's going by Jay Perry. He's become successful as a writer. How did you want Jay to be different from Jimmy?

[Tom Perrotta]

So I think that is partly what the book explains. How do we get from this boy with the Ouija board to this man who is a successful writer both as a literary novelist and then much later as a commercial novelist and a creator of an animated kids TV series. And I think that, you know, for Jay, his life has gone off on a very different trajectory. And this summer is what that he's telling about when he was 13 is the summer that explains that trajectory. And so I think the whole book is meant to tell you how Jimmy became Jay and how by telling Jimmy's story, Jay can see himself as a whole person rather than a fragmented person.

[Alison Stewart]

It's interesting because it goes back between Jimmy and Jay. What was interesting for you as a writer to write about the same person at different points in their lives?

[Tom Perrotta]

You know, I think if you live long enough, like, you know, Jay is remembering back 50 years and when you have that much past, I think there's just a mystery of like, how did I become who I am and can I even remember the person that I was? And this is an extreme case because what happened to Jimmy was so traumatic that Jay has sort of cordoned it off and said, I don't go there. I don't think about that. But as a result of this invitation to return home, he has to do that. And that leads to the telling of the story and I think to some sense of discovery and compassion for the boy that he was and everything that he went through. So there's a kind of a healing for Jay.

[Alison Stewart]

I think we always ask our get lit authors if there are any Easter eggs in the book or a section of the book you want our readers to pay att or maybe a section of the book that was difficult for you to write and you soldiered through.

[Tom Perrotta]

Well, the Easter eggs I think are in the descriptions of Jay's work. You mentioned that there was some autofictional element, but it's autofiction in a kind of comic funhouse mirror. So, you know, Jay is not Jay Perry is not Tom Parotta. But some of his work has strange echoes of Tom Perotta's work. So if you, I think if you know my work, if you know Little Children and some of the other the Leftovers and Bad Haircut, you will have a maybe a slightly deeper appreciation for some of the Jay's literary works that are described.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Tom Parotta talking about his novel Ghost Town. For information about our May 27 Get lit book club event with him and they Might Be giants, head to wnyc.org getlit again, that's wnyc.org getlit and that is all of it for today. Next time we'll be talking about the best road trips in our area ahead of the hot weather. And we'll unpack the hype around frozen yogurt and talk about the best froyo shops in the city. Plus, rapper and filmmaker Boots Riley talks about his crime comedy movie I love boosters. I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. I'll meet you back here next time.

[Commercial Announcer]

WNYC Studios is supported by AT&T Summer. It's when we share more time, more memories and more photos. And at ATT. The iPhone 17 Pro is your summer essential. Its center stage front camera auto adjusts the frame to fit everyone into group selfies. Right now at AT&T. Ask how you can get iPhone 17 Pro on them with eligible iPhone. Trade in any condition requires trade in of iPhone 15 or higher excluding iPhone 16e and 17e requires eligible plan. Terms and restrictions apply. Subject to change. Visit att.comiphone or visit an ATT store for details.

[Tom Perrotta]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's, like the strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with Popping Boba. You've got ice cold drinks for every moment.

[Alison Stewart]

Refreshers contain caffeine.