Michelle Burford has a fuzzy, purple ski hat, and when she puts it on, she can channel voices. The New York Times Book Review praised the “firm, warm, proud, reflective voice on the page” as Burford’s creation. Normally we would call such a person a ghostwriter, but Burford can’t stand the term. “Historically, to be a ghostwriter was to be seen as sort of a literary hack,” she said earlier this month during a video interview from her Manhattan apartment. Burford has been a collaborator or “story architect” — her preferred titles — on 10 books over the past eight years, and half have become New York Times best sellers.

Source: New York Times January 24, 2021 09:56 UTC