Book Book Book Book
Commentary Commentary RSS Reviews Podcasts_Audio Podcasts RSS Blog Links Archives Indexes

08-10-11: A 2011 Interview with Alan Cheuse for 'Song of Slaves in the Desert

Click image to hear interview

"I had to invent an evolving truth as the story unfolded."

—Alan Cheuse

In theory, I was going to do this interview with Alan when we spoke at the Capitola Book Café, but the conversation there went in other enjoyable directions at the audience's behest and by virtue of the inspiration an audience provides. But I did want to sit down and have a direct conversation with Alan about a book that is both hugely moving and hugely entertaining. That's a tough row to hoe and he did it with style to spare and lots of class. Obviously, a few questions were in order.

Click image to read review
The resulting conversation is yet another standout exploration not just of 'Song of Slaves in the Desert,' but, by extension, literature, writing and the creative process. I knew going into the interview some of Alan's inspirations behind the initial investigation that spurred the creation of the novel. I knew that this was not a "straight shot" novel; it had taken him a long time finish 'Song of Slaves in the Desert.'

This is also a fairly complicated novel. There are two narrative strands. There was a lot to research; not just the slavery in the United States, but the history of human slavery. The portions set in the South required a sort of double-step back, in that the voice telling the story, Nathaniel Pereira, is an educated young man who thinks highly of his own education and is prone to show off with a rather elaborate prose style. Cheuse manages to convey the character's shortcomings without succumbing to them, a feat that I suspected would require some adjustments along the way.

Frankly, it was simply a joy to sit down and chat with a good friend about a great accomplishment on an overcast summer morning in a beachside bungalow. Yes, you'll hear some neighbors' kids playing in the background. And you'll also hear a writer at ease, exploring his own creative process after the heavy lifting is done. No heavy lifting on your part, just follow this link to the MP3 audio file.




08-09-11 UPDATE: Podcast Update: Time to Read, Episode 5: Simon Rich, Elliot Allagash


Here's the fifth episode of my new series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. The podcasts/radio broadcasts will be of books worth your valuable reading time. I'll try to keep the reports under four minutes, for a radio-friendly format. If you want to run them on your show or podcast, let me know. This one was written and recorded while I was on the road to talk with Karrine Steffans, Ben Loory and David Goyer and Michael Cassut.

My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.

The fifth episode is a review of Simon Rich's 'Elliot Allagash' featuring a reading from the book, Rich's inspirations for the characters and his thoughts about work at SNL and the way it affected his writing for the novel.Here's a link to the MP3 audio file.




08-08-11: A 2011 Interview With Simon Rich

Click image for audio link.

"My goal as a writer, more than anything is just to write something that people will finish voluntarily."

—Simon Rich

Sometimes, it's not so difficult to set up an interview, even with a writer who typically spends his time on the East Coast. That was the case with Simon Rich, who to my good fortune, is here in Northern California working on a writing assignment that I'll let him explain in the interview we did recently. He's staying at a to-die-for hotelish thing in San Francisco. It's precisely the type of accommodation that one might expect either Elliot Allagash or "Clark Rockefeller" (AKA 'The Man in the Rockefeller Suit') to choose. It's almost impossibly upscale.

I had really enjoyed talking with Simon a couple of years ago for his book 'Free Range Chickens,' but the circumstances of that interview were compromised by the venue. The conference room at the hotel where we recorded had the acoustics of an echo chamber. Rich reverb is fine for music, but not so great for conversation.

This time around, we got great sound. Moreover, there was a lot to talk about in his novel 'Elliot Allagash,' out now as a trade paperback. It's a joy to read and as we explored his thoughts behind the novel there were lots of surprises in terms of his influences and writing. I like asking questions and getting unexpected answers. Readers who enjoy interviews that are by and large unexpected can follow this link to the MP3 audio file.



New to the Agony Column

09-05-15: Commentary : Susan Casey Listens to 'Voices in the Ocean' : Science, Empathy and Self

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Susan Casey : "...the reporting for this book was emotionally difficult at times..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 213: Susan Casey : Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins

08-24-15: Commentary : Felicia Day Knows 'You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)' : Transformative Technology

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Felicia Day : "I think you have to be attention curators for audience in every way."

08-22-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 212: Felicia Day : You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

08-21-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report : Senator Claire McCaskill is 'Plenty Ladylike' : Internalizing Determination to Overcome Sexism [Incudes Time to Read EP 211: Claire McCaskill, Plenty Ladylike, plus A 2015 Interview with Senator Claire McCaskill]

Agony Column Podcast News Report : Emily Schultz Unleashes 'The Blondes' : A Cure by Color [Incudes Time to Read EP 210: Emily Schultz, The Blondes, plus A 2015 Interview with Emily Schultz]

08-10-15:Agony Column Podcast News Report : In Memory of Alan Cheuse : Thank you Alan, and Your Family, for Everything

07-11-15: Commentary : Robert Repino Morphs 'Mort(e)' : Housecat to Harbinger of the Apocalypse

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Robert Repino : "...an even bigger threat. which is us, the humans..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 208: Robert Repino : Mort(e)

07-05-15: Commentary : Dr. Michael Gazzaniga Tells Tales from Both Sides of the Brain : A Life in Neuroscience Reveals the Life of Science

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 208: Michael Gazzaniga : Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience

06-26-15: Commentary : Neal Stephenson Crafts an Eden for 'Seveneves' : Blow It Up and Start All Over Again

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Neal Stephenson : "...and know that you're never going to se a tree again..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 207: Neal Stephenson : Seveneves

06-03-15: Commentary : Dan Simmons Opens 'The Fifth Heart' : Having it Every Way

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Dan Simmons : "...yes, they really did bring those bombs..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 206: Dan Simmons : The Fifth Heart

05-23-15: Commentary : John Waters Gets 'Carsick' : Going His Way

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with John Waters : "...you change how you would be in real life...”

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 205: John Waters : Carsick

05-09-15: Commentary : Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD and 'Shrinks' : A Most Fashionable Take on the Human Mind

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD : "..its influence to be as hegemonic as it was..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 204: Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD : Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry

04-29-15: Commentary : Barney Frank is 'Frank' : Interpersonally Ours

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Barney Frank : "...while you're trying to change it, don't ignore it..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 203: Barney Frank : Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage

04-21-15: Commentary : Kazuo Ishiguro Unearths 'The Buried Giant' : The Mist of Myth and Memory

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro : ".... by the time I was writing this novel, the lines between what was fantasy and what was real had blurred for me..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 202: Kazuo Ishiguro : The Buried Giant

04-17-15: Commentary : Erik Larson Follows a 'Dead Wake' : Countdown to Destiny

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Erik Larson : "...said to have been found in the arms of a dead German sailor..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 201: Erik Larson : Dead Wake

04-15-15: Commentary : Peter Bell Reflects 'A Certain Slant of Light' : Strange Stories of Modern Scholars

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2014 Interview with Peter Bell : "...I looked up some of the old books..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 200: Peter Bell : Strange Epiphanies and A Certain Slant of Light

03-14-15: Commentary : Marc Goodman Foresees 'Future Crimes' : Exponential Potential

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Marc Goodman : "...every physical object around us is being transformed, one way or another, into an information technology..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

Commentary & Podcast Archive
Archives Indexes How to use the Agony Column Contact Us About Us