Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives [Paperback]

Lawrence Grobel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0306810042 | ISBN-13: 978-0306810046

Norman Mailer once told Lawrence Grobel that writers may be an endangered species. And Saul Bellow said, "The country has changed so, that what I do no longer signifies anything, as it did when I was young." But to judge from this collection, writers and writing aren't done for quite yet. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, sometimes caustic, always passionate, the twelve writers in Endangered Species memorably state their case for what they do and how they do it. And they even offer an opinion or two about other writers and about the entire publishing food chain: from agents to publishers to booksellers to critics.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for more than thirty years, writing for the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Playboy, Movieline, and many other periodicals; Playboy called him “the interviewer's interviewer” after his historic conversation with Marlon Brando. Grobel has written several books, including Conversations with Capote, Talking with Michener, and The Hustons. He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (June 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306810042
• ISBN-13: 978-0306810046
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,591,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pretty fluffy stuff, November 29, 2008

By 

B. A. Anderson (Tamil Nadu, India) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives (Paperback)

I was disappointed by the topics discussed in this book.

The interviews feature personal details of the writers' lives, and devote little attention to more substantive or critical issues, at a time when we appear to be doing everything within our power to hasten our own extinction.

I wish the author had interviewed Vonnegut. An interview with Vonnegut might have redeemed the whole book. Vonnegut seems to be a rare writer who sees the big picture.

The author should conduct interviews with authors who really understand that we are an endangered species.

3.0 out of 5 stars Read writers talking about their writing, September 6, 2006

By 

Steven M SCHMITT (SAINT PAUL, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives (Paperback)

This book pretty much delivers what the cover describes. A nice look inside the minds of some of the big names in mid to latter 20th century fiction authors: Mailer, Oates, and Bradbury were some of my personal favorites. If you like reading and would like to learn more about the characters that do the work behind some of your favorite creations, you can probably find them here.

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, insightful, and often hilarious., February 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives (Paperback)

With this book Lawrence Grobel has compiled some of his best work. Each interview is insightful, well researched, and above all entertaining. He is never afraid to ask the difficult or controversial questions and his manner seems to elicit honest and revealing answers. For anyone interested in the men and women behind some the 20th century's most prestigious writers, this book is a must.