Earlier this fall, Kirkus Reviews announced the 18 finalists of the 2017 Kirkus Prize. The three winners of the Prize each received $50,000 in November. Five of the finalists attended the Kirkus Prize panel at the Texas Book Festival: Jack E. Davis (THE GULF); Karen English (IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS); Patricia Lockwood (PRIESTDADDY): Madeleine Stratford (ME TALL, YOU SMALL); and Laura Dassow Walls (HENRY DAVID THOREAU: A LIFE). In this episode, we hear from these excellent writers as they talk about the ideas behind their latest books.