Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm’s 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael’s accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer’s work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they’ve been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the writers on today’s show have become friends of Michael’s and of Bookworm. We’ll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm’s 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael’s accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer’s work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they’ve been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the writers on today’s show have become friends of Michael’s and of Bookworm. We’ll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

Longtime friend and editor of Bookworm, Alan Howard, returns to host this episode, the last of 10 shows to journey through Bookworm’s 33 years and offer a retrospective look at Michael’s accomplishments on behalf of writers and readers. For decades Michael has read almost all of a writer’s work, not just the book which has been most recently published. Howard has watched writers glow as they realize that they’ve been seriously witnessed by the ultimate Bookworm. All of the&nbsp;writers on today’s show have become friends of Michael’s and of Bookworm. We’ll hear from rock band Sparks (brothers Ron and Russell Mael), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Ann Beattie, Susan Sontag, and Dennis Cooper.

Friends of Michael

Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist <a href="https://www.taolin.us">Tao Lin</a> (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547887/leave-society-by-tao-lin/">Leave Society</a>,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction.

Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist Tao Lin (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “Leave Society,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction.

Acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist <a href="https://www.taolin.us" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tao Lin</a> (“Taipei,” “Shoplifting from American Apparel”) speaks about growing as a writer, and growing his idea of himself in a book, including his latest, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547887/leave-society-by-tao-lin/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leave Society</a>,” about the blurred lines between life and fiction.&nbsp;

Tao Lin’s ‘Leave Society’ shifts the author’s perspective to love and kindness

Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don’t get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his <a href="http://muumuuhouse.com/about.html">Muumuu House</a> imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don’t get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his Muumuu House imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

Author Zac Smith speaks about the extreme juxtaposition of the very short, dense, and clipped stories in his new book, “Everything is Totally Fine.” He says that by removing a lot of exposition, he was able to create intense emotions in a small space. His energetic and thoughtful stories of absurdity and minutiae are things that could not be said any other way, and usually don’t get said. Plus, special guest Tao Lin explains why “Everything is Totally Fine” inspired him to reopen his <a href="http://muumuuhouse.com/about.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muumuu House</a> imprint after it was closed for more than ten years.

Zac Smith’s ‘Everything is Totally Fine,’ the book that reopened Tao Lin’s Muumuu House

Nuclear energy, nuclear family: does the metaphor of fission apply equally to both? Rick Moody on the disintegration of values and the reintegration of fiction.

Nuclear energy, nuclear family: does the metaphor of fission apply equally to both? Rick Moody on the disintegration of values and the reintegration of fiction.

Rick Moody: Purple America

The Passion Dream Book (Harper Collins) Whitney Otto, author of How to Make an American Quilt, discusses her new novel and the competing demands of family life and art.

Whitney Otto

Roads to Santiago
 (Harcourt, Brace)
The European award-winning novelist Cees Nooteboom explores the metaphysics of travel...

Roads to Santiago (Harcourt, Brace) The European award-winning novelist Cees Nooteboom explores the metaphysics of travel...

Cees Nooteboom

The Gospel According to the Son (Random House)
Norman Mailer reads "Lazarus Raised from the Dead" and discusses his version of The New Testament as told by Jesus himself.

The Gospel According to the Son (Random House) Norman Mailer reads "Lazarus Raised from the Dead" and discusses his version of The New Testament as told by Jesus himself.

Norman Mailer

Ragtime (Plume) We look back on E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, its publication, its structure, its long-lasting surprises and its most recent transformation--as a work of musical theater.

Ragtime (Plume)We look back on E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, its publication, its structure, its long-lasting surprises and its most recent transformation--as a work of musical theater.

Ragtime (Plume) We look back on E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime, its publication, its structure, its long-lasting surprises and its most recent transformation--as a work of musical theater.

E. L. Doctorow

Amy Bloom Love Invents Us (Random House)Amy Bloom, a therapist by profession, candidly discusses her popular short stories and the challenges of writing her first novel.

Amy Bloom

Kenward Elmslie Postcards on Parade (Bamberger Books) Elmslie is our singing poet. Here, the New York School icon rummages through his song book and comes up with everything from country western anthems to surreal dramatic playlets with musical backgrounds.

Kenward Elmslie

Bear and His Daughter 
(Houghton Mifflin)
These collected stories by Robert Stone anticipated developments in American fiction by at least a decade...

Bear and His Daughter (Houghton Mifflin) These collected stories by Robert Stone anticipated developments in American fiction by at least a decade...

Robert Stone

The New Life (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) 
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk's imagination evokes the powerful lure of fairy tales. His books bring the magic of childhood reading into the sphere of adult disenchantment.

The New Life (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk's imagination evokes the powerful lure of fairy tales. His books bring the magic of childhood reading into the sphere of adult disenchantment.

The New Life (Farrar, Straus &amp; Giroux) 
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk's imagination evokes the powerful lure of fairy tales. His books bring the magic of childhood reading into the sphere of adult disenchantment.

Orhan Pamuk

Vikram Chandra Love and Longing in Bombay (Little, Brown) The Gods, virtues and storytelling of traditional Hindu culture are at the heart of the stories in Vikram Chandra's new book--and are the focus of this conversation about Indian writing and its audience.

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