Title: Trying to save Piggy Sneed
First published: 1993
Description: Trying to Save Piggy Sneed contains a dozen short works by John Irving, beginning with three memoirs - two of which (including an account of Mr. Irving's dinner with President Reagan at the White House) are new to American readers. The newest and longest of the memoirs, "The Imaginary Girlfriend," is the core of this collection.

The middle section of the book is fiction. In 28 years, John Irving has written eight novels - but only a half-dozen short stories that he considers "finished"; they are all published here. In the third and final section are three essays of appreciation: one on Gunter Grass, two on Charles Dickens. To each of the 12 pieces, which cover 30 years of writing, Mr. Irving has contributed his Author's Notes.
Subjects: American Novelists, Biography, Criticism and interpretation, Irving, John, 1942-, Novelists, American -- 20th century -- Biography., Irving, john, 1942-, Dickens, charles, 1812-1870, Grass, gunter, 1927-2015, Authors, biography, Grass
People: John Irving (1942-), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Günter Grass (1927-), Günter Grass (1927-2015)
Time periods: 20th century