One of the most original and outspoken voices now writing, James Elroy,  “The Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction” earned great respect and loyal fans from his L.A. Quartet The Black Dalhia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz. He joins me to talk about his latest, Blood’s A Rover, and about his life which is rich, dark and fascinating. A character in the best sense of the word. . . .you’d best hold on to your seats for this one.

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Jason Starr is a big talent coasting along just under the radar and worth discovering. If you’ve read his first book “Cold Caller,” and freaked out, or his most recent “Panic Attack,” you’ll know what I mean. Jason and I discuss how he got into writing. . .  writing thrillers, and how he views the rest of his life. An interesting young man.

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Jonathan Lethem tells me he thinks Chronic City is his best and most complete work. This evaluation becomes interesting in light of the fact that we have a clash of critics in the Times. Michiko Kakutani in the daily New York Times reviewed the novel unkindly while Gregory Cowles on the cover of the New York Times Book Review called it a “bravura eighth novel.” Lethem, a MacArthur Award recipient, who has developed his reputation with “Motherless Brooklyn,” and “Fortress Of Solitude,” and been compared to a young Saul Bellow probably has little to fear from the critics, yet it is interesting to hear him discuss his current work and raison d’etre in his own words.

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Caryn James in The New York Times Book Review said of Lorrie “She may be the most acute and lasting writer of her generation,” and personally I don’t doubt it. One has only to read some of Lorrie’s short stories in “Birds of America,” “Like Life,” or “Self-Help,” or her novels, “Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?” “Anagrams,” or her latest “A Gate At The Stairs,” to realize that you are in the presence of a major talent. Yes she has won dozens of prizes for her writing, and yes she is a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin, but Lorrie Moore possesses that literary je ne sais quoi that is not immediately translatable until you meet her in the flesh. She has a certain charm, look, and disarming modesty that at first takes you off guard but soon announces itself as quiet confidence fused with high intelligence, playfulness, and a crackling sense of humor. A devastating combination I might add. Join me when I meet Lorrie for the first time in person and we get to know one another for you on the air. I think you’ll enjoy this remarkable writer. I did.

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This time Nick Sparks visits me to talk about his new book “The Last Song,” that he wrote for Miley Cyrus about a young girl’s first encounter with heart-break and . . . love. It will soon be released as a film by Disney. Two of his other books will also be released in the next few months and we talk about those as well. No one can tell a story like Nicholas Sparks and we get into the reasons for his success, his extraordinary background, gifts, and attitude. We also talk about his two guard dogs, Rex and Laura whom he trained from puppies to follow his every command and defend he and his family to the death if necessary. Find out things you never knew in this interview with Nicholas Sparks. . . I do every time I chat with him.

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Nicholson Baker is one of our most intelligent writers. Years ago, I reviewed Nicholson’s unusual self-meditation about his obsession with John Updike, “U and I” in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, and then watched as he produced one extraordinary book after the other. “The Mezzanine,” “Vox,” “The Fermata,” and a number of others. In this interview we are talking about “The Anthologist,” about Paul Chowder, a once-in-a-while published kind of writer who is experiencing “writer’s block” over an introduction to an anthology of poetry that he is supposed to write. The result is at once hilarious, profound, entertaining and brilliant, with throw-away insights by Baker that are worth the price of the book itself. Nick is such a modest and charming man that you won’t want to miss our little chat.

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Originally Aired in 2004; One of the most remarkable writers to come along in recent years Alexander McCall Smith is widely erudite and has written more than 60 books including his wildly popular No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. His books range from the academic to children’s books. . . this charming and witty man is enormously well-traveled, a veritable fountain of words, ideas, and information. Absolutely delightful!

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Originally Aired in 1999; David Foster Wallace was a bedeviled wunderkind who had already written several books by the time he was 22. His best-known work was Infinite Jest, which takes on additional irony when one considers that Wallace committed suicide in 2008. During his lifetime he produced novels, essays, and short-stories, and taught at a number of colleges. A graduate of Amherst college summa cum laude with a double major in philosophy and English he received the MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” in 1997, and in the same year was also awarded the Aga Khan Prize for Fiction by editors of the Paris Review. In our interview in response to my question about what is his favorite word, Wallace prophetically tells me that while he doesn’t know if it counts as a favorite word, the word he used most in his writing is “troubled.”

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Yes, Hyatt Bass wrote, directed and produced the film “75 Degrees in July,” which was released in 2006 and now she has written a smoldering novel called “Embers” about family. . .  that Publisher’s Weekly called “A riveting narrative. . . “ Hyatt is not only talented she is a lot of fun. . . . join us for a half hour of playfulness and getting to know this bright and sweet new writer.

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David Morrell, creator of “Rambo,” and an old buddy of mine, who once set one of his characters in my apartment, stops by to discuss his new book The Shimmering and tell me about Thrillerfest in NYC where he is being honored by the likes of Joseph Finder, Clive Cussler, and dozens of other great suspense writers. During the interview David discloses how his son died 20 years ago from bone cancer sending him into a horrible depressive spiral and how recently his 14 year old granddaughter Natalie has just been diagnosed with the same disease. David is nothing if not courageous, and tells me how at the age of 66 he has just received his pilot’s license and hopes one day to take Natalie flying with him. Tune in and visit with us and find out what else this scholar adventurer has to say.

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