the empty chair: two novellas

The Empty Chair, a collection of two poignant novellas by acclaimed author Bruce Wagner, explores the depths of human suffering and resilience. In ＂First Guru,＂ a fictionalized Wagner depicts a Buddhist in Big Sur who finds enlightenment after his child’s tragic suicide. ＂Second Guru＂ follows Queenie, an aging free spirit, as she returns to India to complete her spiritual journey. These interwoven tales, shared by two strangers years apart, vividly capture the chaos of life and the remarkable strength of the human spirit. The Empty Chair offers a deeply moving and meditative experience that challenges and inspires.

Bruce Wagner has written fourteen novels and bestsellers, including the famous ＂Cellphone Trilogy,＂ I’m Losing You (PEN USA finalist), I’ll Let You Go and Still Holding), Dead Stars, and the PEN/Faulkner-finalist Chrysanthemum Palace. He wrote the screenplay for David Cronenberg’s film Maps to the Stars, for which Julianne Moore won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. In 1993, Wagner wrote and created the visionary mini-series Wild Palms for producer Oliver Stone. He has written essays and articles for the New York Times, Artforum and the New Yorker. He lives in Los Angeles.