Table of Contents

Contents: Acknowledgments Note to Readers Introduction: The Literary Interview as Public Performance Part 1. The Traditionalists 1. Wild Man: Rick Bass 2. The Thinking Poet: W. S. Di Piero 3. The Masters' Apprentice: Frank Conroy 4. "Bitter" Poet-Prophet: Marge Piercy Part 2. The Raconteurs 5. Splendor in the Weeds: Gerald Stern 6. The Masked Man of Letters: Richard Howard 7. The Translator as Team Player: John Nathan Part 3. The Advertisers 8. The Performing Artist-Intellectual: Camille Paglia 9. The Chilean Scheherazade: Isabel Allende Notes Selected Bibliography Source Acknowledgments

Promotional Information

First in-depth look at the literary interview as performance art includes nine conversations with authors

About the Author

John Rodden is the author of six books, including Lionel Trilling and the Critics: Opposing Selves (Nebraska 1999).

Reviews

"Here is a strong and timely book, rich in implication for all who study the complex culture we inhabit. Anyone interested in our current intellectual trajectory should quickly open these covers."--Michael Levenson, University of Virginia "Performing the Literary Interview makes a major contribution to understanding an increasingly popular genre of public discourse. This book deserves a wide readership."--James van Oosting, Seton Hall University "John Rodden takes the art of the literary interview to a new level of achievement in this book."--James Arnt Aune, The Pennsylvania State University

"Here is a strong and timely book, rich in implication for all who study the complex culture we inhabit. Anyone interested in our current intellectual trajectory should quickly open these covers."--Michael Levenson, University of Virginia "Performing the Literary Interview makes a major contribution to understanding an increasingly popular genre of public discourse. This book deserves a wide readership."--James van Oosting, Seton Hall University "John Rodden takes the art of the literary interview to a new level of achievement in this book."--James Arnt Aune, The Pennsylvania State University