ALL THE WORLD CAN HOLD

Narrators Jason Culp, Greta Jung, and Erin Ruth Walker present three distinct portraits in this literary story set on a cruise ship in the week after 9/11. Culp channels regret and loneliness through Doug Clayton, an aging actor who has spent a lifetime behind a mask. Jung infuses resentment and tension into Korean American Franny as she navigates a celebration for her mother's 70th birthday. Walker brings out frustration in Lucy, a Black MIT graduate student confronting barriers to acceptance. Against the tragic backdrop of 9/11, the novel sensitively explores issues around gender, race, and sexuality as well as questions of identity, family, and friendship. A slow-burning, character-driven story elevated by three compelling performances. [Published: JANUARY 2026]