David Sedaris Books

Terry Gross interviewing writers is going to give some gems because she's got a slow delivery and a way of asking the right questions. Some of these pieces are excellent. Philip Roth is a high point. John Updike is a snob. Stephen King doesn't really shine as much as if he was just allowed to talk without her inane questions.

However the third disk is an exercise in the kind of drudgery I've come to loathe in Public Radio. Fran Lebowitz has nothing much to say except about how she can't write (oh boohoo!) and David Rakoff is a stereotypical annoying New Yorker whining about outdoors and bad casting decision on the part of Hollywood screenwriters. I heard many great things about David Sedaris but his interview is tedious to say the least. The best Terry Gross can come up with is to ask him to imitate Billie Holiday and sing Madonna songs or commercial jingles. THe first time he does it, it's mildly amusing. The second time he does it, it's irritating. ANd the third time he does it you want to gather all his fans into one room and blow it up.

This is an ok CD for the price, but I would recommend checking it out from the library and skipping the last CD entirely.

Person-to-person interviews between Terry Gross and a dozen big-name authors. Some are hilarious (David Sedaris and David Rakoff) while some are thought provoking (Norman Mailer and John Updike). But where are all the women? Fran Lebowitz was asked about becoming famous for NOT writing, and how she deals with age (something Terry didn't ask James Baldwin!). Joyce Johnson spoke entirely about her relationship with Jack Kerouac, not about her own work. From a female interviewer, I expected more.

Wow, what a wonderful collection of voices from some of the best known writers in America. I listened to these interviews and realized that this is a writing seminar in a box. Terry Gross asks those questions that elicit "real" responses from her subjects. I not only get to hear about what makes some of America's greatest writers tick from their own points of view but how they go about writing.

There are highs and lows and unexpected drama and irony, especially from Stephen King's interview, where he talks about the traffic accident and his physical recovery. I didn't expect such an intimate and personal treatment from an interview. I'm left feeling greater respect and reaching for a higher level of admiration for these real people (as famous as they may be) after hearing them converse.

I applaud Terry's ability to share her conversations and leave us feeling good about each of these iconic writers. It's better than listening to a speech by any one of them because you get answers to those questions that form in your head.