Jan 05 Conversation: Nixon, Obama and Universal Health Care By Jason Kane "Failure Again." It was the working title for Stuart Altman's new book on the latest push for health care reform. Two years after President Obama's Affordable Care Act became law, Altman is the first to admit he happily changed… Continue reading
Dec 16 Conversation: Michael Ondaatje By Tom LeGro The fictional voyage in Michael Ondaatje's new novel, "The Cat's Table," is like one that he took long ago before becoming the much honored writer of such works as "The English Patient" and "Anil's Ghost" and "Divisadero." Jeffrey Brown talks… Continue reading
Dec 09 Conversation: Why Do Americans Protest Art? By Tom LeGro Art can soothe, it can inspire, but it also at times stirs heated passions and outright protest. Why does that happen and why in some cases but not others? That's the subject of the new book, "Not Here, Not Now,… Continue reading
Dec 02 Conversation: Andrew Graham-Dixon, Author of 'Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane' By Tom LeGro Michelangelo Caravaggio was one of the great painters in the history of Western art. He also remains one of the most mysterious and elusive of artistic geniuses. A new biography wrestles with the man, his times and his work. "Caravaggio:… Continue reading
Nov 11 Conversation: Stephen Mitchell, Author of the New Translation of Homer's 'The Iliad' By Tom LeGro Stephen Mitchell is a poet and one of the preeminent translators and interpreters of ancient and modern classics. His works include "Gilgamesh," "Tao Te Ching," "The Book of Job," "The Gospel According to Jesus" and "The Selected Poetry of Rainer… Continue reading
Nov 08 Conversation: Julian Barnes, Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize By Tom LeGro The Man Booker Prizeis given annually to a novel by an author in Britain, Ireland or one of the Commonwealth nations. It is highly prestigious, as well as often highly contentious and controversial. This year was no exception. This year's… Continue reading
Sep 16 Conversation: Tom Piazza, Author of 'Devil Sent the Rain' By Tom LeGro Tom Piazza's works of fiction include the novel, "City of Refuge" and those of non-fiction include "Why New Orleans Matters." His new book is a collection of essays on a wide array of topics, titled "Devil Sent the Rain."… Continue reading
Sep 09 Conversation: 'Rebirth' Tells Stories of Healing After Attacks By Molly Finnegan From 2002 to 2009, director Jim Whitaker and a film crew chronicled the lives of five people who were directly impacted by the attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11 for a new documentary, "Rebirth."… Continue reading
Sep 07 Conversation: Amy Waldman, Author of 'The Submission' By Tom LeGro What if a jury selected a design for the new 9/11 memorial and then discovered that its architect was a Muslim? Ten years after the terrorist attack, the actual memorial is just about to open. But an alternative history is… Continue reading
May 05 Conversation: Nathacha Appanah, Author of 'The Last Brother' By Tom LeGro "The Last Brother" is Nathacha Appanah's fourth novel and her second translated into English. The book centers on the unlikely friendship of two young boys, Raj and David, as they both struggle with intense loneliness and the impact of their… Continue reading