Daniel Handler

City Arts & Lectures

Under the pen name Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler is responsible for the beloved thirteen-volume A Series of Unfortunate Events and the four-volume All the Wrong Questions, among other books. Mr. Snicket is back with his first book for readers of all ages, a whimsical and philosophical novel that begins with the protagonist Snicket finding a note that informs him: “You had poison for breakfast.” On August 30, 2021, Daniel Handler talked to his sister, the writer Rebecca Handler, about writing again as Mr. Snicket, about craft, and about family. Daniel Handler is the author of the novels Why We Broke Up, We Are Pirates, All the Dirty Parts, and most recently, Bottle Grove. Under the name Lemony Snicket, Handler has written numerous children’s books, including The Dark, the four-volume All the Wrong Questions, and the thirteen-volume A Series of Unfortunate Events, which has sold more than 60 million copies and was the basis of a feature film. Poison for Breakfast, Snicket’s most recent book––for readers of all ages––was published in August 2021. The whimsical and philosophical novel begins with the protagonist Snicket finding a note that informs him: “You had poison for breakfast.”

Rebecca Handler is a writer who lives and works in San Francisco. Her stories have been published and awarded in several anthologies. Her recent debut novel Edie Richter Is Not Alone features a protagonist who moves with her family to Perth, Australia following the death of her father. There, she finds herself isolated and forced to confront a painful secret from her past.

On August 30, 2021, Daniel Handler and Rebecca Handler talked about writing again as Mr. Snicket, about craft, and about family.