Hester Kaplan

Hester Kaplan, an author and memoirist, delves into her relationship with her father, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan, through his biography of Mark Twain. She reveals how attending her father's cremation sparked her memoir, Twice Born, as she sought to know him emotionally. Hester discusses the complex dynamics in their literary household and how reading Twain helped her understand her father’s choices. She also explores the impact of grief on his life and the idea that biography can bridge the gap of loneliness.