NPR's Book of the Day: Ken Jaworowski’s New Crime Novel ‘What About the Bodies’

Date: September 25, 2025
Guest: Ken Jaworowski, author and New York Times editor
Host: Aisha Rascoe

Episode Overview

In this episode, Aisha Rascoe interviews Ken Jaworowski about his new crime novel, What About the Bodies. While the book delivers the suspenseful twists expected of the genre, Jaworowski brings a surprisingly tender, humane lens to the story and its economically bruised setting, Locksburg, Pennsylvania. The conversation touches on character development, the importance of setting as a character, Jaworowski's unique writing and editing process, and the larger thematic questions raised by the novel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Locksburg, Pennsylvania

• The novel is set in a fictional former industrial town grappling with post-boom decline.
• Jaworowski emphasizes how the loss of industry shapes lives, opportunities, and the mood of the town's remaining residents:
  • "Some of these towns in Pennsylvania ... are repurposing themselves from this hard industry past into nice tourist destinations. Some of them are not so lucky." — Ken Jaworowski (04:30)

2. Introducing the Protagonists

• The story centers on three main characters, each linked by struggle and dreams:
  • Carla – A single mother and waitress, scraping to launch her own restaurant.
  • Reid – An autistic young man bullied throughout life, now bound by a pivotal promise.
  • Liz – A down-and-out musician, finally on the verge of achieving her dream when new troubles emerge.
• Jaworowski describes their core conflicts and interconnected hopes:
  • "They are each facing some challenges, to put it mildly ... all could use a change of luck." — Ken Jaworowski (02:03)

3. The Novel’s Central Question

• Rascoe observes that, despite dissimilarities, all three protagonists are ultimately grappling with the same existential dilemma:
  • “How far would you go to follow your dream? Or maybe, for Carla, protect your son; and Reid, for a promise that he made, right?” — Aisha Rascoe (03:14)
• Jaworowski expands:
  • "The big question is how far would you go for what you love? ... But what happens if I asked you, well, what happens if you might be facing 30 years to life in Greaterford Prison? That might change your answer a little bit." — Ken Jaworowski (03:31)

4. Setting as a Character

• The economic hardships and limited opportunities in Locksburg serve as both backdrop and dynamic force in the characters’ lives.
  • "When you limit the character's opportunities, boy, it's catnip for a writer. ... When people get desperate, then the excitement happens." — Ken Jaworowski (04:30)

5. Crafting the Intertwined Plot

• Jaworowski contrasts his approach with past failed novels:
  • He previously struggled because he didn’t outline or structure his stories.
  • For this book, he planned the plot threads and intersection points from the outset:
    • “I have a desk full of old unpublished novels ... I didn’t plot anything else out. I would just roll along and see what happened.” — Ken Jaworowski (05:42)

6. Writing as Editing

• The author puts an unusually honest spin on his strengths:
  • He self-identifies as an editor first, rather than a writer.
  • His process: draft quickly, then edit rigorously — a reflection of his professional background.
    • “I wrote all the past novels. I didn’t write this novel. I edited it. I’m not being self-deprecating when I say I don’t know if I’m a good writer. … But I know I’m a good editor ... I plotted out a story and then went as fast as I could.” — Ken Jaworowski (06:09)
  • He completed the first draft in three months and spent four months editing.
  • He avoids distractions by writing on a computer without internet connectivity.

7. Industry Insight: Editing vs. Reporting

• Jaworowski reveals a key “industry secret” about writing:
  • Even top journalists may not be polished writers, needing editors to shape their stories.
  • “I have edited a lot of terrific reporters who are not great writers ... they're experts at getting the story ... but when they write the copy, sometimes they're moving a little too fast.” — Ken Jaworowski (07:15)
  • His editing work made him believe he could do the same for his fiction.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On who stays and who leaves a declining town:
  • "Most times bodies stay where they are buried. The living do not take the dead with them." — Reid reading from the novel (02:46)
• On perseverance and craft:
  • “If I can do that for a reporter, I think I can do that for myself too. And I hope I did.” — Ken Jaworowski (07:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:10] – Introduction to the novel’s mood and setting
• [02:03] – Overview and characterization of the three protagonists
• [02:46] – Author reads passage featuring Reid in the graveyard
• [03:31] – Discussion on the main question driving the characters
• [04:30] – Analysis of Locksburg as a character and economic backdrop
• [05:42] – Jaworowski’s approach transitioning from unsuccessful novels to planning this book
• [06:09] – Author’s writing-as-editing process
• [07:15] – Insights on editing journalists and self-editing as a novelist

Summary

What About the Bodies is a crime novel with uncommon depth, using the collapse of a town and the struggles of its inhabitants to pose hard questions about loyalty, sacrifice, and survival. Ken Jaworowski provides a candid behind-the-scenes view of his journey — not as a conventionally confident writer, but as an editor determined to shape his own draft into the story he envisioned. The episode offers both literary insight and encouragement for writers who succeed by refining and restructuring, not just raw inspiration.