NEED TO KNOW
Lori Carlson-Hijuelos is releasing a new book A Writing Marriage, and PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover
The forthcoming book is a blend of memoir and Blue Antiquity, an unpublished novel by the author’s late husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer Oscar Hijuelos
A Writing Marriage is out May 12, 2026
Over a decade after the death of her husband, Lori Carlson-Hijuelos’ latest book took her on an “unexpected pilgrimage” to the heart of their union.
The New York City-based author and editor’s latest book, titled A Writing Marriage, is a memoir, but it’s also much more than that: The forthcoming book also features excerpts from Blue Antiquity, an unpublished novel by Lori’s late husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer Oscar Hijuelos.
The unique blend of fiction and non-fiction will release May 12, 2026, publisher Regalo Press announced on Friday, Oct. 17 — and PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover.
Oscar, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love in 1990 — the first Latino author to receive the honor — died in October 2013 at the age of 62. His death came after nearly 15 years of marriage to Lori, their union celebrated not only in A Writing Marriage but on it: The jacket features a photo of the couple from their nuptials.
Regalo Press
‘A Writing Marriage’ by Lori Carlson-Hijuelos with Oscar Hijuelos
But what is a “writing marriage?” In the book, Lori “shares her firsthand answer, limning searing recollections of her marriage” to the late Cuban-American novelist, alongside his voice via fragments of Blue Antiquity, per an official description.
“This memoir is a one-of-a-kind narrative, a blend of genres, an illumination of Hispanic sensibility and verve, an exploration of religious faith and a celebration of true love in the glare of New York City literary stardust,” the description states.
Oscar and Lori tied the knot in December 1998 in Riverside Church in N.Y.C. “One love story, one Pulitzer Prize and one untimely death later, Lori is left to unveil the creativity and faith that were at the center of their marriage,” the description teases.
“In a narrative of recollections inspired by the setting of a Lutheran cathedral library, Lori delves into the archaeology of their union,” it continues. “Her memories are coupled with excerpts from Oscarʼs unpublished opus, Blue Antiquity, which he was writing at the time of his passing in 2013.”
Harry Heleotis
Oscar Hijuelous and Lori Carlson-Hijuelous on their wedding day in 1998
The previously unread novel is the late author’s “distillation of a lifetime of pondering human passion, familial love, personal identity, death and eternity,” the description teases. “A Writing Marriage is a literary one-off in style and story that memorializes down-to-earth love and its endurance set against a background of bright lights and certain blessings.”
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Lori says she feels “blessed to be able to share” the memoir, “which recounts the cherished time” she had with her husband prior to his death.
The author also tells PEOPLE that his novel interspersed throughout is “a magical work of literature with an archaeological theme that is paralleled by my memoir’s excavation of a life and a marriage.”
“It has been more than a writing exercise (for me),” she adds. “It has been an unexpected pilgrimage to the heart of our union.”
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A Writing Marriage is out May 12, 2026, and available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
Read the original article on People