2003, Paperback, 243 pages

The Red Notebook stories, pulled from Auster's own life or from the lives of those close to him, are explorations of unexpected coincidences. A wrong number becomes the genesis for a famous novel; a hero appears at an inopportune moment; a lightning storm harries a group of campers; a daughter plunges from a terrifying height only to land improbably safely; a Paul Auster imposter materializes. Like a magic show, The Red Notebook demonstrates that "there is much to life that is special and serendipitous -- if only we allow ourselves to perceive it this way" (The Washington Post).

From the author of 'The New York Trilogy', 'Moon Palace' and 'The Book of Illusions', comes a highly personal collection of essays, prefaces and occasional pieces written for magazines and newspapers.