National Book Award winner and Zen master Matthiessen is author of, among others, "The Snow Leopard," "At Play in the Fields of the Lord," "Far Tortuga" and "Wildlife in America." He writes about vanishing cultures, oppressed people and exotic wildlife and landscapes, combining scientific observation with lyrical, intellectual prose. Matthiessen co-founded the Paris Review and was its first fiction editor.

Recorded May 2, 2007.