Joan Didion, who died last week at the age of 87, helped shape a highly personal brand of nonfiction that came to be known as the New Journalism. Her early essay collections "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" (1968) and "The White Album" (1979) influenced generations of writers. Her later memoirs, "The Year of Magical Thinking" and "Blue Nights," chronicled the deaths of her husband and daughter. In 2011 Didion talked with Steve Paulson about illness and growing old in the wake of the death of her daughter, Quintana.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Philosopher Judith Butler took a rigorous look at gender in her 1990 book, “Gender Trouble.” In this EXTENDED conversation, Steve asks her - with transexual and gender queer people more visible than ever - what can we say about the state of gender in North America?
Leonard Zwilling tells Jim Fleming about boxing’s impact on the English language. It’s yielded such words and phrases as fan, throw in the towel, and up to scratch.
Norman George wrote and stars in “Poe Alone” - a play set during the writer’s last public lecture.
As a child, Michael Ondaatje took a long ocean voyage from Sri Lanka to England. This is the seed of his novel "The Cat's Table." He talks with Jim Fleming about the fine line between fiction and memoir.
Celtic historian John Matthews tells Steve Paulson that Merlin probably was a real person and that wizards are related to our ancient shamans.
Jay Parini talks with Jim Fleming about the power of poetry and how it especially empowers young people in troubled times.
Lorrie Moore has a new collection of short stories. She tells Steve Paulson that life is filled with absurdity; ghost stories are great fodder for fiction; and North America now owns the short story.
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