Customer Reviews

Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives

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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.

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.

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.