E.L. Doctorow
The author tells George Plimpton about the trouble he has writing absence notes for his daughter and argues that it isn't necessary to go to war to become a writer.
By Interview by George PlimptonTopics:
E.L. Doctorow’s powerful and innovative novels of American social turmoil include “The Book of Daniel,” “Ragtime,” “Billy Bathgate” and “City of God.” He is the recipient of the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award (twice), the PEN/Faulkner Award and the National Humanities Medal. He lives in New York and has taught in the creative writing program at New York University.
In this recording, Doctorow talks to George Plimpton about the necessity of experience in writing, the revealing statements people make about their own lives and why it’s still hard for him to write absence notes for his young daughter.
Visit The Paris Review Web site for information on upcoming issues, how to subscribe and more.
Related Stories
More Related Stories
-
What's 2013's "Gone Girl"? Here are this summer's best reads
-
Twitter talks back: Obama's missed salute
-
Fox executive behind "Does Someone Have to Go?" leaving the network
-
Developers evict historic women's shelter to build luxury hotel
-
Guantánamo prisoner on hunger strike cries for help on Twitter
-
Kaitlyn Hunt refuses plea offer, will go to court over high school relationship
-
The secrets of cicada survival
-
Hillary Clinton memoir shows up on Amazon
-
Nobody "needs" to rape
-
A brief history of Jennifer Weiner's literary fights
-
First look: Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard shine in "The Immigrant”
-
DHS admits "impossible" to control 3D-printed guns
-
3 possible solutions to international tax avoidance
-
“I just want the U.S. to send my father home”
-
Journalists file suit against Manning trial secrecy
-
Russia: Syrian regime ready to talk peace
-
Catholic Church in market for more exorcists
-
Report: Nearly a quarter of all Americans struggle to afford food
-
Army weapons engineer tied to white nationalist organizations
-
Ted Cruz against the world
-
Wikipedia's anti-Pagan crusade
Featured Slide Shows
The week in 10 pics
close X- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
-
Lisa Montgomery embraces her nephew Thursday after a tornado tore apart her home in Cleburne, Texas. The twister killed six people and destroyed entire swaths of the North Texas town.
Credit: AP/LM Otero -
Jack McMahon, the defense attorney for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, speaks outside the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia Tuesday. His client was convicted of killing three babies in his clinic, and will serve multiple life sentences.
Credit: AP/Matt Rourke -
A photo taken Monday captures Vice President Joe Biden's response to a Milwaukee second-grader's innovative proposal to end America's epidemic of gun violence. This guy!
Credit: AP/Jenny Aicher -
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., flanked by a grouper-eyed Michele Bachmann, addresses the IRS' admission that it targeted Tea Party groups in advance of the 2012 election. In an op-ed for CNN Thursday, the Kentucky senator slammed the president for his faux outrage.
Credit: AP/Molly Riley -
Ousted IRS chief Steven Miller is sworn in on Capitol Hill Friday. Miller testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the extra scrutiny the agency gave conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite -
Attorney General Eric Holder pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Holder is under fire, among other things, for the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press.
Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster -
O.J. Simpson sits during an evidentiary hearing at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison for armed robbery and kidnapping, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial.
Credit: AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Jeff Scheid -
Major Tom to ground control: On Sunday astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video from space, a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
Credit: AP/NASA/Chris Hadfield -
When it rains it pours. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inexplicably inspiring an #umbrellagate Twitter meme.
Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin -
A smoke plume rises high above a road block at the intersection of County A and Ross Road east of Solon Springs, Wis., Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but the the wildfire caused evacuations across northwestern Wisconsin.
Credit: AP/The Duluth News-Tribune/Clint Austin -
Recent Slide Shows
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
Related Videos
Most Read
-
Tornado survivor to Wolf Blitzer: Sorry, I'm an atheist. I don't have to thank the Lord
Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
9-year-old slams Rahm over Chicago schools
Natasha Lennard
-
Judge tells lesbian couple to separate -- or lose kids
Irin Carmon
-
Oklahoma senator: Tornado aid "totally different" from Sandy aid
Jillian Rayfield
-
Experts: Fox News spying scandal a game-changer
Natasha Lennard
-
Greek yogurt, toxic waste hazard?
Kristen Gwynne, AlterNet
-
Inhofe and Coburn: Red state hypocrites
Joan Walsh
-
Facebook's hate speech problem
Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
Brad Pitt keeps breaking his silence on how boring marriage to Jennifer Aniston was
Daniel D'Addario
-
Graphic video reportedly shows possible London machete attack suspect
Jillian Rayfield
Popular on Reddit
links from salon.com

91 points92 points93 points | 7 comments

47 points48 points49 points | 13 comments

36 points37 points38 points | 5 comments

Comments
0 Comments