He is an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, having been the paper’s Rome bureau chief, White House correspondent, restaurant critic, and more. During our conversation at JCC Manhattan, he describes meeting two long-time idols: one was a bit of a let down, one was entirely satisfying. Hear what happens when youthful dreams … Continue reading »
Monthly Archives: April 2016
Episode 126: Ken Ludwig
His plays, including Lend Me a Tenor, have been performed in 30 countries and 20 languages. When we spoke at Princeton’s McCarter Theater, he asserted that comedy is as important and serious as drama, which gave me a chance to quote Coleridge – “The true comic is the blossom of the nettle.” – something … Continue reading »
Episode 125: Azar Nafisi
Born in Tehran and educated in Switzerland and the University of Oklahoma, thus setting some kind of record for cultural contrast, she taught English literature at Tehran University and is now a fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Like millions of admirers, I first heard of her with the publication of … Continue reading »