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

Landscape Memory A young, gay novelist speaks about aesthetics.

Matthew Stadler

A Thousand Acres
 
Jane Smiley's award-winning author discusses feminism, the problems of the American farmer and the aesthetics of fiction.

A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley's award-winning author discusses feminism, the problems of the American farmer and the aesthetics of fiction.

A Thousand Acres
&nbsp;
Jane Smiley's award-winning author discusses feminism, the problems of the American farmer and the aesthetics of fiction.

Jane Smiley

The beloved author of Where The Wild Things Are talks about The Nutcracker, and the process of writing a book that became a classic.

Maurice Sendak

Darkness Visible; Sophie's Choice Styron on depression and the vileness of the world. He tells what it's like to kill off his favorite characters and survive.

Darkness Visible; Sophie's Choice Styron on depression and the vileness of the world. He tells what it's like to kill off his favorite characters and survive.

William Styron

Vox
Nicholson Baker, the author of this best-seller, talks about intimacy, sentimentality, morality and sexuality. Sparks fly!

Vox Nicholson Baker, the author of this best-seller, talks about intimacy, sentimentality, morality and sexuality. Sparks fly!

Nicholson Baker

(editor of The Voice Literary Supplement and the anthology, Disorderly Conduct) The literary editor discusses her years as editor of the very modern and unconventional Voice Literary Supplement-- probably the most-exciting book review in America.

M. Mark

Spider; The New Gothic Patrick McGrath is attempting to revive the Gothic Novel.  Is he riding the coattails of Stephen King and Clive Barker, or is he inventing a new kind of terror?

Spider; The New Gothic Patrick McGrath is attempting to revive the Gothic Novel. Is he riding the coattails of Stephen King and Clive Barker, or is he inventing a new kind of terror?

Patrick McGrath

The Almanac of the Dead
 
The visionary nightmare novel took of Native American author Leslie Marmon Silko years to write. Today, she talks about the difficulty of living while writing a bleak American novel.

The Almanac of the Dead The visionary nightmare novel took of Native American author Leslie Marmon Silko years to write. Today, she talks about the difficulty of living while writing a bleak American novel.

The Almanac of the Dead
&nbsp;
The visionary nightmare novel took of Native American author Leslie Marmon Silko years to write. Today, she talks about the difficulty of living while writing a bleak American novel.

Leslie Marmon Silko: The Almanac of the Dead

LA., Capital Of The World The writer discusses L.A.'s future and, autobiographically, what it's like to grow up as the son of one of the world's most-prominent literary intellectuals

David Rieff

The British novelist talks about love and the creation of character in fiction.

The British novelist talks about love and the creation of character in fiction.

Julian Barnes

Intellectual, accessible, and provocative literary conversations.

Arts

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Intellectual, accessible, and provocative literary conversations.

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