Articles Written By Robert Birnbaum
Robert Birnbaum is editor-at-large at Identity Theory. All the sketchy details of his life will be (re)fabricated in his memoir-in-progress, Just Talking: How to Do Things With Words. His weblog can be found here.
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Edwidge Danticat
America may believe in its own exceptionalism, but it’s also been exceptionally involved in Haiti’s history. A conversation with American Book Award-winner Edwidge Danticat about the current state of Haiti and the current state of her stories.
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George Pelecanos
Most cities (save New York) have a crime-writer-in-residence, and D.C. is lucky to call George Pelecanos a local. A conversation with the author about his new book, the daily grind, and what it’s like to write a TV show with a dream team of novelists.
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Laurie Lynn Drummond
We know the lives of cops from TV shows, movies, and maybe an uncle who retired from the squad, but those versions are rarely true to police officers’ real struggles. A chat with former cop and lauded storyteller Laurie Lynn Drummond about life behind a Louisiana badge.
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Francesca Delbanco
It’s easy for twenty-somethings to believe their lives are monumental and truly complex, but what if it’s true? A conversation with first-time novelist Francesca Delbanco about the pleasures of Los Angeles, solidarity in friends, and going nuts in Montana.
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Brian Greene
Living in three dimensions can be hard enough, but 10? More than 10? Our man in Boston engages physicist and author Brian Greene in a fascinating conversation about string theory, science writing, and the type of nightmares that haunt contemporary physicists.
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Ana Menendez
The U.S. understanding of Cuba often begins with embargoes and ends with Castro trying out for the Yankees. A conversation with Cuban author Ana Menendez on Fidel, Che, and fomenting passionate revolutions.
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Rafael Campo
Understanding ourselves better may be the key to getting better. A conversation with writer and physician Rafael Campo on the role literature and expression play in the healing process, and what’s being done about it.
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Henry Petroski
The next time your imperfect car breaks down perfectly, remember, someone designed it that way. Our man in N.H. talks to author and former engineer Henry Petroski about the effects of design in our lives.
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Jonathan Lethem
The dead may know Brooklyn, but it’s the living who make it. Author Jonathan Lethem talks about his new book, how to handle savage reviews, and the process of remembering his hometown from far away.
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Peter Carey
To win the Booker Prize twice certainly requires talent, but to celebrate only one of the winnings suggests a particular madness. A conversation with author Peter Carey about his new book, private schools in New York, and the terrors found in boredom.
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Dale Peck
Being the most hated man in literature isn’t easy, but it helps to have a backbone of lauded novels behind you, plus an actual hatchet for publicity stunts.
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Anne Garrels
For many, Anne Garrels’s voice became the most trustworthy stream of information broadcast from Iraq. A frank discussion with the author and NPR Iraq correspondent, one of only 16 non-embedded journalists to remain in Baghdad for Operation Shock and Awe.