All parents want their children to do well; not all parents want their children to become writers. Author Lan Samantha Chang chats with our man in Boston about her new novel that was 10 years in the writing, and her slide from upstanding daughter to rebel with a clause.
Grave mistakes have been made in Iraq, but there's still room for hope. A conversation with New Yorker correspondent Jon Lee Anderson for a fascinating, frank talk about life in Baghdad, U.S. policies as viewed from the street, and how Iraq's insurgency could possibly be quelled.
Our Boston correspondent chats with novelist Jennifer Finney Boylan about going on Oprah, the differences between being a female writer versus a male writer, and her best-selling book about becoming the woman she always was.
Our New Hampshire correspondent catches up with veteran writer Renata Adler to survey today's journalism (when it seems like a PR agency for the government) and learn exactly why you don't diss the Times book review chief.
Classical music was said to be dead in the 14th century, so why are we still holding it hostage? We talk with New Yorker music critic Alex Ross about the state of the art, which composers might appeal to different segments of rock fans, and exactly what he listens to at dinner.
Our man in New Hampshire snags a fascinating conversation with the New Yorker's principal political voice Hendrik Hertzberg about his new book, the president's 12-step politics, and why the New York Times Book Review should avoid sexing up.
Once upon a time, the CIA was stocked with Yalie do-gooders, liberal spooks who were going to change the world. A conversation with the master novelist and former agent about a dying breed, posing as a reporter undercover, and the different ways to describe success in publishing.
Is the American publishing world a playground for pansies? Do all diners in fancy New York restaurants look European? Our man in New Hampshire talks to the novelist about her new book, love for boys, and respect for the prime minister.
Our man in New Hampshire talks with critic and author James Wood about his professional dilemmas, what makes for appealing style in fiction, and which stings more, getting panned as a critic or as a novelist.
Author Michael Lewis talks about his wave-making book Moneyball and the current state of baseball, plus what's good and bad with journalism today, Red Sox paranoia, and the joys of screenwriting.
