Blogs and Stories
Philip Roth Unbound
If You Think Turning 60 Was Fun…
“The proximity of death,” Roth says, may not be a source of daily brooding, but he certainly thinks about it. As for his goals for the rest of his life, “I don’t care about X more books. I care about being occupied in writing.”
Is Barack Obama a Good Writer?
Roth has shied away from politics—especially from criticism of the Bush administration. “I’m an Obama supporter. And if you’re an Obama supporter, that means you had a hard time during the Bush years,” Roth says. He also offers his reaction to Obama’s Dreams From My Father.
Looking Back at Portnoy’s Complaint
Roth rarely speaks publicly about the book that early in his career made him not just an acclaimed writer, but a notorious one. “Portnoy’s Complaint was a big marker,” he says. “I don’t have any regrets about writing it or publishing it.”
Want to see the interview as one continuous video? Click here.
Click here to read a transcript of the interview.
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Tina Brown is the founder and editor in chief of The Daily Beast. She is the author of the 2007 New York Times best seller The Diana Chronicles. Brown is the former editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Talk magazines and host of CNBC's Topic A with Tina Brown.
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Edwards Sex Tape Details
Investigative journalist and syndicated columnist Diane Dimond has covered the Michael Jackson story since 1993 when she first broke the news that the King of Pop was under investigation for child molestation. She is author of the book, Be Careful Who You Love—Inside the Michael Jackson Case. She lives in New York with her husband, broadcast journalist Michael Schoen.
Get Rid of Pit Bulls
Charles Leerhsen is the author of Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, The Most Famous Horse in America.
Blast-Off for Women in the World Summit!
Tina Brown is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. She is the author of the 2007 New York Times best seller The Diana Chronicles. Brown is the former editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Talk magazines and host of CNBC's Topic A with Tina Brown.
Women in the World: Stories and Solutions
Tina Brown is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. She is the author of the 2007 New York Times best seller The Diana Chronicles. Brown is the former editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Talk magazines and host of CNBC's Topic A with Tina Brown.
Andrew Young's Revenge
Tina Brown is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. She is the author of the 2007 New York Times best seller The Diana Chronicles. Brown is the former editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Talk magazines and host of CNBC's Topic A with Tina Brown.
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The Daily Beast Video curates the most essential and entertaining video, and brings you original and exclusive productions from our talented contributors.
The Powerhouse French Finance Minister Takes on the World Economy
The Daily Beast Video curates the most essential and entertaining video, and brings you original and exclusive productions from our talented contributors.
March 14: 7 Best Moments from Sunday Talk
The Daily Beast Video curates the most essential and entertaining video, and brings you original and exclusive productions from our talented contributors.
NYUKULELE
That was excellent! I'm a fan of TDB again! Great job, Tina. I look forward to hanging out in your bar more often.
BipartisanCurious
With respect to Roth, I beg to differ. The man makes a lot of assumptions that are just wrong: read a book in 2 weeks or you don't get its full effect? I'd say there are a number of authors whose prose is such a rich dessert that reading them in 2 weeks does not do them justice.
More importantly, Roth doesn't mention that all of the things that he says will kill the novel still have their basis in writing. Computers are text based. Videos, TV and movies all get their starts in text. In fact, when looking at Hollywood, how many ideas do they take from novels?
People read less because there are more options----but books will be popular into the future because they are our best way to develop rich and complex ideas.
MatthewJohnPhillips
While I agree with your disagreement to Roth's 2-week comment, I do not believe that he is saying text or writing will be dead in 25 years. But, rather, the novel as a writing form. The book as a static, physical object.
sophia5
Make it a double.
Love her engaging interviewing skills going back to "Topic A."
Somebody sign her to another show.
randydeutsch
What an absolute treat! Did I just eavesdrop on an intimate, softspoken conversation between Tina Brown and Philip Roth in a bar? I couldn't take my ears or eyes off either of them. This is absolutely historic footage. I real find, a true find - and a treasure. Thank you! I'm already thirsty for more...
Natalee
This was a treat. Roth is one of, if not my actual favorite modern writer. Perhaps the screen will be kinder to short stories than to novels if his prediction proves right. (Surely this is Tina Brown's chance to lead the pack with a proper internet-based interview program...The Beast Bar indeed. I'm lovin' it.)
piktor
Hey, what's with the glasses of water! Or are they vodka?
abashelev
Tina, he talks to you. If this is it for this go-round, please do more and soon. PR's a great get. Take advantage of his comfort with you and do something really cool - a much broader conversation. PR's prognosis for the novel is given verisimilitude by TDB's editorial choice to present your chat in three, song track timed, vidposts. He's talking not about a disinterest in text or narrative, per se. He's talking about our collective disinclination to focus - on the one screen, on the one whatever. You can give us at least an EP of you two, but chance it, give us an hour. Very good stuff.
piktor
Tina, interview Camille Paglia, please.
susangalea
BipartisanCurious nailed it: to assimilate his/her ideas, I can't think of a better, richer source of imaginative material than the human imagination or treatment of reality by novelists...
Actually, after some irritation with Tina Brown over some fluffy and inconsequential writing I was impressed by her charming and substantive interviewing. She was instrumental in gleaning worthwhile information and rather charming too.
carouzer
Tina--
Thanks for a great, insightful interview with a great American writer.
Arbogast
Ironic: TDB chooses to make piece lamenting the (current and future) decline of serious reading available only in video form. Where's the transcript???
LisaSolodWarren
Ms. Brown, I am as envious as I can be. Roth has long been my favorite writer and I am thrilled that he is so productive. The intensity and seriousness of the interview--on both your parts--was mezmorizing. As both a writer and an interviewer myself, this was magic. Thank you.
karlos4473
Does Roth read novels or is he strictly a novelist? I can't stop
reading them and find that after having completed a John Grisham work, I must go on to something that attempts to
explain questions of existence and purpose. Novels have
a place that is different from movies, computer screens,
and other media.
emilyb
I don't have the words
Thank you.
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