"'Transfigurations' is a real opportunity to stare."
—Jana Marcus
I've known Jana Marcus for some time now, as a publicist for Cabrillo College. I've spoken with her over the years about music recitals, plays, local events celebrating arts and artists — but never Jana herself. This was my first opportunity to get to know Jana as an artist.
Having immersed myself in 'Transfigurations,' it was truly a pleasure to talk with Jana about her methods and influences and the journey she took in making the book. We talked about equipment, lighting, camera and her influences, which may on the surface seem surprising but when you see the work — well, it makes perfect sense. You can hear my conversation with Jana by following this link to the MP3 audio file.
10-25-11 UPDATE:Podcast Update: Time to Read, Episode 15: Russell Banks, 'Lost Memory of Skin'
Here's the fifteenth episode of my new series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. The podcasts/radio broadcasts will be of books worth your valuable reading time. I'll try to keep the reports under four minutes, for a radio-friendly format. If you want to run them on your show or podcast, let me know.
My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.
Michael Reynier's perplexity is authentic. He seems more than a bit shocked that he has managed to do what he accomplishes in 'Five Degrees of Latitude.' But that perplexity is tempered by the obvious drive it took to create this unique collection of stories. He's like a man who has walked a tightrope for the very first time. He's both amazed he made it across and anxious to do so again.
I spoke with Michael Reynier only due to the best of circumstances. Most of the time, he resides in England, but he had reason to be in Northern California, and on a sunny but cool summer afternoon not long ago, I had the opportunity to drive up to a gorgeous mansion that overlooked the San Francisco Bay and talk with Reynier about how he created these stories.
That story in itself is every bit as mind-boggling as the stories in this book, and indeed it goes a long way to explain just how and why he was able to create the concise, intense, concentrated-but-still luxurious style of story we find in 'Five Degrees of Latitude.' This is really quite incredible, and I want readers to hear him tell it, not have me spoil the surprise.
Given what I've read in 'Five Degrees of Latitude,' and what Michael told me about its creation, I'm honored to have what I believe to be the first audio interview with what I feel is a major literary talent. You'll hear a detailed discussion of each story and how each was created. I'd recommend buying the book first, and reading it first, but you will certainly want to do so after hearing the interview. Reynier also discusses what he is working on now, which I suspect will really break him out.
Reynier and I talked for long enough that I'm offering three different files and two different ways to hear the interview.
05-16-12: Commentary : Mark Sundeen Pays Out 'The Man Who Quit Money' : Over the Edges
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2012 Interview with Mark Sundeen and Daniel Suelo : "What would happen if we actually practiced this stuff?"-Daniel Suelo
05-15-12: Commentary : Archive Review: Clive Barker 'Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War' : Impure Life
05-08-12: Commentary : Archive Review: Clive Barker 'Abarat' : Reading in Color
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2012 Phone Interview with Mark Sundeen : "...over the years, I had heard through my friends that he had stopped using money and was living in a cave..."
04-30-12: Commentary : Christopher Moore Follows 'Sacré Bleu' : A Story in Color
Agony Column Podcast News Report: A 2012 Interview with Christopher Moore : "...it often isn't efficient to tell a story in chronological order..."
04-27-12: Commentary : Lisa Lutz on 'Trail of the Spellmans' : Meta-Fiction is Fun
Agony Column Podcast News Report: SF in SF from February 11, 2012 : Panel Discussion Moderated by Terry Bisson and Interviews with Rudy Rucker, K. W. Jeter, and Jay Lake
04-26-12: Commentary : Archive Review: Emmanuel Carrere 'The Adversary' : The Enemy Within
04-23-12: Commentary : T. M. Luhrman Listens 'When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God' : Science and the Supernaturaly
04-18-12: Commentary : Gregg Jones Stirs Through 'Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines and the Rise and Fall of America's Imperial Dreams' : A Dream Of Today From Yesterday
Agony Column Podcast News Report: A 2012 Interview with Gregg Jones : "The Philippinos would welcome us with open arms and greet us as liberators."
04-17-12: Commentary : Archive Review: Caleb Carr 'The Alienist' : Subterranean History
04-16-12: Commentary : Richard Zacks Visits 'Island of Vice: Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York' :The Wild, Wild East
Agony Column Podcast News Report: A 2012 Interview with Richard Zacks : "Roosevelt and Riis were out looking, and if they did find a cop, he was talking to a streetwalker."
