The 1995 novel "Mysterious Skin" began as Scott Heim's master of fine arts thesis at Columbia University.

NPR: 'Mysterious Skin' Chronicles the Aftermath of Abuse

What's remarkable about "Mysterious Skin, " according to many of the critics who've written about it, is how much of a departure it is from Araki's earlier works.

NPR: 'Mysterious Skin' Chronicles the Aftermath of Abuse

Mr. SCOTT HEIM ("Mysterious Skin"): There's a lot in the book that's autobiographical, but, you know, also there's a lot in the book that is just wholly from my imagination.

NPR: 'Mysterious Skin' Chronicles the Aftermath of Abuse

And what Araki does I think really well and I think really courageously in "Mysterious Skin" is that he--instead of attempting to humanize the perpetrator, he humanizes the victim or at least he makes them more complicated than you would think.

NPR: 'Mysterious Skin' Chronicles the Aftermath of Abuse

Its mirror-finish black steel skin reflects every passing cloud, giving the building a mysterious totemlike quality, while inside unfinished ceilings are painted deep blue and almost every space can be used flexibly, whether for exhibiting, performances or local events.

WSJ: Zaha Hadid, Farshid Moussavi, Louis Kahn and the Best of 2012 in Architecture