Conversation: Amos Oz

Celebrated Israeli author Amos Oz has published 18 books and is the recipient of numerous literary awards. His recent memoir, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," was an international bestseller and received the National Jewish Book Award, among many honors. Born in Jerusalem, Oz has written extensively about the state of Israel and its politics. He was one of the founders of the "'Peace Now'":http://www.peacenow.org.il/Site/en/homepage.asp movement and is in favor of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His latest book, "Rhyming Life & Death," is a fictional account of eight hours in the life of a famous Israeli writer. Known only as "Author," we follow the literary celebrity as he participates in a discussion of his work on a humid evening in Tel Aviv. As the author's attention wanders, he fantasizes about the audience around him, imagining their own sordid back stories and creating a series of fictional events that revolve around him. Amos Oz joined me on the phone from Tel Aviv: Listen to Amos Oz read an excerpt from "Rhyming Life & Death":