André Aciman on Love, Loss & Longing

In her interview with André Aciman, Sheryl McCarthy explores his new book Room on the Sea, a trio of novellas centered on love in its many forms—missed, impulsive, obsessive, and mystical. Aciman reflects on his fascination with love, shaped by a lifetime of emotional longing, displacement, and a deep connection to the past. He emphasizes the pain and beauty of fleeting relationships, the loneliness that follows them, and the idea that obsession can reveal profound truths. Aciman finds more meaning in love’s failures than its successes, drawing inspiration from literature and the timeless, often melancholic nature of human connection.