10-26-13 UPDATE:Podcast Update:Time to Read Episode 130: Margaret Atwood, MaddAddam
Click image for audio link.
Here's the one-hundred and thirtieth 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.
The one-hundred and thirtieth episode is a look at Margaret Atwood, 'MaddAddam'.
Stephen King, 'Doctor Sleep' ; Ann Rice, 'The Wolves of Midwinter' ; Michael Gruber, 'The Return'
Alan Cheuse and I managed to have a holiday-discussion about three to-notch books this time around, as we discussed Stephen King's 'Doctor Sleep,' Ann Rice's 'The Wolves of Midwinter' and Michael Gruber's 'The Return.'
One of the reasons I so much enjoy my discussions with Cheuse is that he brings to bear all his literary critic's eye and appreciation for literary fiction to genre fiction. He's a critic, and to the degree that these are great times for genre fiction, a fan. He brings an outsider's perspective to genre that is really refreshing.
Of course, it's hard to go wrong sometimes. When you have a recognized American literary giant with a long-awaited sequel to one of his early favorites, mangled once on the big screen and only slightly tormented on the small screen — then you have 'Doctor Sleep,' Stephen King at his best. This has been a great year for 80's horror, and Cheuse and I had a lot of fun discussing the finer points of sequels — and the potential for more.
With sequels in the air, it's a delight to follow up with 'The Wolves of Midwinter,' by Anne Rice, her sequel to 'The Wolf Gift.' Last year, I spoke with Anne Rice about 'The Wolf Gift', which I thought was her best book yet, and the sequel lives up to the original.
And finally, a book I was not able to read myself, though I am familiar with the author. Michael Gruber; in fact, I just fished out a hardcover first edition of his first novel (I believe), 'Tropic of Night.' Alan and I discussed his newest novel, 'The Return.' Cheuse noted, and I agree that Gruber's work is reminiscent of other great thriller authors, including Richard Condon ('The Manchurian Candidate' and 'The Vertical Smile') and Don Winslow ('Savages' and 'Dawn Patrol').
"...it felt like some kind of kinship..." —Hannah Kent
Hannah Kent arrives early at Bookshop Santa Cruz; she's waiting for me in the office where I do the interviews. Her first novel, 'Burial Rites' is a staff favorite at Bookshop, and I understand why. Kent manages to be compelling, character-driven and highly atmospheric. This is a page-turner with a pulse.
She's also very articulate about the creation of the book. Out of the box, what I want to know is what her first experience of hearing about the events she portrays in her novel was; did she hear it as "book to be" or simply as a story, or as news, just raw facts. Kent dug into this in her answer and it was indicative of what was to come. She always managed take her answers to my questions farther afield than I might have imagined.
Then again, Kent did more with her novel than I might have imagined. Still, it was interesting to find out just how she heard the story, and her very specific and understandable reasons for relating to it.
In any novel based on non-fiction events, writers can expect research questions. These days, you can pretty much guarantee that a writer will tell you how wonderful the Internet is for research. While Kent acknowledged this, she also spoke of some wonderfully arcane primary sources. Hearing about these is why I love interviewing writers.
"
We also talked about writing fiction based on reality, and the morality of telling a story versus telling the truth, and the truth as based in fact and truth as based in what lies beyond facts. Kent cited Margaret Atwood as a guide in this matter, and the dissection of this is a great look at this problem. Fact-based fiction is never cut and dried, but it can be better understood.
Kent did quite a bit of research in Icelandic, and it shows up quite nicely in the novel. For my mind, one of the best aspects of this book is Kent's word choice. She really hits the right balance between native words and names and slightly Anglicized versions. The changes were actually at a character, not a word level, and as a reader, I thought that was a smart choice, because it preserves both the atmosphere and the flow of words through our reading minds.
I will caution listeners that Kent has a fantastic voice, and hearing that voice alone will make you want to buy the book. It's a great book, and well worth buying. You can follow this link to the MP3 audio file to hear Hannah Kent discuss 'Burial Rites.'
10-22-13 UPDATE:Podcast Update: Time to Read Episode 129: Hannah Kent, 'Burial Rites'
Click image for audio link.
Here's the one-hundred twenty-ninth episode of my series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. Hitting the two-year mark, I'm going to make an effort to stay ahead, so that podcast listeners can get the same sort of "sneak preview" effect that radio listeners get each Friday morning. This week, I seem to be on top opf the game, but who knows what the hell might happen. I am hoping to stay back up and stumbling.
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.
The one-hundred twenty-ninth episode is a look at Hannah Kent and 'Burial Rites.'
Paul Harding writes sentences that will stretch your mind, paragraphs that will re-write your reality, and novels — 'Tinkers' and his latest, 'Enon' — that define what is great and what is singular about the reading experience. All this, and he has the energy of a rock star, which is not surprising since he used to be a drummer in the rock band Cold Water Flat.
As we sat down to talk at KQED, I admit that I was not prepared for all the energy of our conversation. Harding has done a lot of interviews, which comes with the Pulitzer he won for 'Tinkers', but the interview business, and even the podcast world, does not apparently favor the long-form that I prefer. Sand so I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk eith someone who may have been interviewed to within an inch of his life and was probably on his way to another set of similar interviews, but at the moment Harding was ready, willing and able to get down into the depths his fiction.
I'm not known for putting my interviewees on the spot, but even the engineer remarked afterwards that some of my questions for Harding seemed teetering on harsh. That said, hard was not my intention, clarity and objectivity were. So when I told Harding his fiction was not beach reading or even literary reading, but well into the realm of difficult reading, he knew exactly how to interpret what I was asking about. His answer was one of many fascinating replies.
I did have to ask about his time in Cold Water Flat, his drummer gig in the nineties. To my mind they sound quite a bit like The Jam, or Paul Weller, solid, driving, interesting pop. And his answer to that question was outstanding. Harding is just vibrating with creative intensity; obvious if you read his prose.
Looking at the interview as I edited it, I realized that we could easily have talked for another hour, and that we ran well over the limit I'm usually allotted at KQED. I can't imagine anyone who hears the conversation not wanting to read one of his novels. Let me suggest that you do so in a single sitting in a quiet park. And if you need any more reasons to read Paul Harding, listen to him talk; he's every bit as brilliant as his work. You can hear our conversation — just a shade3 over an hour, by following this link to the MP3 audio file.
New to the Agony Column
09-18-15: Commentary : William T. Vollman Amidst 'The Dying Grass' : An Epic Exploration of Simultaneity
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with William T. Vollman : "...a lot of long words that in our language are sentences..."
09-05-15: Commentary : Susan Casey Listens to 'Voices in the Ocean' : Science, Empathy and Self
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Susan Casey : "...the reporting for this book was emotionally difficult at times..."
08-21-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report : Senator Claire McCaskill is 'Plenty Ladylike' : Internalizing Determination to Overcome Sexism [Incudes Time to Read EP 211: Claire McCaskill, Plenty Ladylike, plus A 2015 Interview with Senator Claire McCaskill]
Agony Column Podcast News Report : Emily Schultz Unleashes 'The Blondes' : A Cure by Color [Incudes Time to Read EP 210: Emily Schultz, The Blondes, plus A 2015 Interview with Emily Schultz]
07-05-15: Commentary : Dr. Michael Gazzaniga Tells Tales from Both Sides of the Brain : A Life in Neuroscience Reveals the Life of Science
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."
04-21-15: Commentary : Kazuo Ishiguro Unearths 'The Buried Giant' : The Mist of Myth and Memory
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro : ".... by the time I was writing this novel, the lines between what was fantasy and what was real had blurred for me..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Marc Goodman : "...every physical object around us is being transformed, one way or another, into an information technology..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It
