Going Under in Wendover
Jonathan Lethem wrestles with what he calls the 'white elephant' role of the writer as public intellectual. Jonathan recalls an unnerving journey hitch-hiking in the USA.
In the opening essay from his book The Ecstasy Of Influence, the American writer Jonathan Lethem recalls an unnerving journey hitch-hiking in the USA.
Jonathan Lethem is one of the most idiosyncratic voices in US literature. Before he became a published writer the New Yorker spent 15 years working in secondhand bookshops. His first published works were science fiction stories; before moving on to novels. His interests are eclectic: ranging from Bob Dylan to Marvel comics; Philip K. Dick to cyber culture.
The Ecstasy Of Influence is a collection of previously published pieces and new essays and is a provocative array of the writer's talent.
"One of the most emotionally engaging and intellectually nimble of contemporary novelists"
The Guardian
Reader: Kerry Shale
Abridger: Pete Nichols
Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Broadcasts
- Mon 9 Jul 201209:45BBC Radio 4 FM
- Tue 10 Jul 201200:30BBC Radio 4
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
BBC Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.
