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.
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