Maxim Osipov told essayist Becca Rothfield that his book will not withstand a literary fact check on Friday afternoon during a Q & A at Brookline Booksmith. "[My essays are not] journalistic work, it's more of a writer's, [it would not pass a] fact check, I combine several people into one person," Osipov tells Rothfield, explaining the importance of a story's content rather than presenting in a traditional organized manner.

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​Maxim Osipov, writer and cardiologist, is the author of Kilometer 101, a series of short stories and essays that tackle important questions of modern life in Russia. Osipov was congratulated on his talent for writing politically complicated stories.

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​According to Rothfield, a literary critic who works for The Point Magazine, his fiction is politically engaged and subtle. "I want you to teach American writers something, which is how to write good political fiction," Rothfield tells Osipov.

Rothfield and Osipov followed an ongoing discussion that challenged his decisions of literary devices and the alternative background of his book. Osipov shared his main writing challenge with the audience: "I have difficulties finding the right tone and names."  It is indicated in his book that his characters remained nameless. He continued his discussion with Rothfield. 

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Osipov announced that he was one of the characters in his essay. He also concluded that he felt the emotions they felt. This revealed a closer narrative he had with his characters.

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​Rothfield drew focus upon a more political standpoint, prompting Osipov to say, "Politics is not black and white." Osipov described himself as familiar with the characteristics of a nation's conflicting sides of government.

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Osipov elaborated on finding his literary voice, "It is an endless process; each time I write, I try to find it, it's not to be found, it's an ongoing thing [with you]," he shares with the audience. Rothfield challenged Osipov as she disagreed with his character's foolishness, "Many of them are not stupid, though." She offered an example of a character who wasn’t stupid during a crisis, a writer who is forced to move out of his town because of a natural disaster. This offered Osipov a new perspective.

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During the closing of his Q&A discussion, Osipov shared several experiences that invoked laughter from the audience and added playful comments to provide a comfortable book discussion. The discussion acknowledged the challenges Osipov experienced in writing, yet he remains committed to exploring the complexities of storytelling through fiction.