Nina Schuyler’s latest book is a short story collection, In This Ravishing World, which won the W.S. Porter Prize and the Prism Prize for Climate Literature and was published in July 2024. As fiction mixes with fact, we need that sort of imaginative and forward-thinking more than ever.
What do you do?
I’m a writer, and I teach creative writing for Stanford Continuing Studies, The Writing Salon and Book Passage.
Where do you live?
San Anselmo.
How long have you lived in Marin?
We moved to Fairfax in 2005, and then San Anselmo in 2017. I love them equally.
Where can we find you when you’re not at work?
Riding my bike or hiking the hills, heading up, usually. A view from the hills is magnificent, an earned new perspective. I recently discovered County View Trail—a turnoff before you get to Tennessee Valley—with views of nearly everything, unless the fog has snatched them away.
If you had to convince someone how awesome Marin is, where would you take them?
The headlands overlooking Stinson Beach. That sensual curve of the beach, the wide expanse of blue and bluer; I feel exceeded in the best way.
What’s one thing Marin is missing?
Since everyone says diversity (and it’s true), I’ll suggest a giant telescope to look at the stars.
What’s one bit of advice you’d share with your fellow Marinites?
I don’t like to give advice, but I’ll tell you a story…
If you could ask anyone to join you at dinner, who would you invite?
So many, but Virginia Woolf, for sure. I’d like to ask: How does your brain work? What do you see when you look out the window?
What’s some advice you wish you knew 20 years ago?
Writing is a solitary act, but you absolutely need a robust writing community.
What’s something that 20 years from now will seem cringeworthy?
Fossil fuel consumption—unfortunately, more than cringeworthy.
Big question. What’s one thing you’d do to change the world?
A massive conversion to alternative energy—sun, wind, hydro. Bring it on.
Keep up with Schuyler at @NinaSchuyler on Instagram and nina.schuyler on Facebook.
Nish Nadaraja was on the founding team at Yelp, serves on the San Anselmo Arts Commission and drives a hybrid car.
