Jonathan Safran Foer, author of the novel “Here I Am” is interviewed by Richard Wolinsky.

In his latest novel, the author of “Everything is Illuminated” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” focuses on the question of what it means to be a secular Jew in America today in the story of an American family on the verge of crisis, set against the backdrop of turmoil in the Middle East. In this wide-ranging interview, he talks about the characters in his book, why he chose its various elements, and how he relates his own life and ideas to those in his book. “Here I Am” was named as one of the 100 notable books of 2016 by the New York Times.

He also discusses his other recent work, including an aborted HBO series and other recent projects.

A shorter version of this interview airs as a Bookwaves radio program.

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