Whilst driving to Pasadena to run various pre-honeymoon errands (road map of Ireland, book of driving tours, additional books to add to the cache of Irish reading I plan to do while in Ireland...) I heard Alan Cheuse's audio-review of Roth's latest, Exit Ghost. Brief, interesting. More plot summary than review. Upon hearing this review, I mentally added the book to my ever-growing list of books to be read. Fine. Good.
But then. Robert Siegel has a brief interview with Roth and, well, just go listen. Topics discussed include: the crazy notion that readers deserve to know about a writer's private life, does Zuckerman = Roth, Arthur Miller, is this really the last novel (and what he'll do if it turns out it's not), if there are any upsides to being 70+ years of age, could Exit Ghost be considered slapstick, the downsides of celebrity, good biographies & bad biographies.
I've never (I know, a crime) heard Roth read his work or even give an interview. I've read many - never listened to them. He really does sound delightful. This is an example of an author interview that is truly lovely - where interviewer and interviewee spar in the best sort of way, where there is give and take, where the author actually gets to speak (imagine!) and where the interviewer does pose a few more probing questions but where he is not combative in the least. Call me one who avoids confrontation. Call me wamby-pamby. Perhaps I like my author-interviews "lite" - but it was a gorgeous surprise to hear Roth's delightful laughter filling my car as I frantically ran about town checking things off my list.
Bonus track: Roth speaks about George Plimpton (click the link to the bottom left...they won't allow me to link directly!) and it is worth it. Worth it.
