Knowing that writers GARY SHTEYNGART and AMOR TOWLES are friends, it became irresistible to pair them in a wide-ranging and free-wheeling conversation about literature and language—and indeed, friendship. They have both enjoyed massive literary success with beloved novels like Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story and Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow, books that are stylish, entertaining, and deeply smart. In a conversation moderated by VINSON CUNNINGHAM, novelist and critic for The New Yorker, they will talk about the books they write and the books they love and whether, with time, writing gets easier or harder. And yes, tell us about those martinis—the ones that turn up in their stories and the ones they have shared.