Check out These
Writers and Musicians

Today there’s no single theme, just a selection of links to some terrific articles and interviews by a few of my favorite writers and musicians.

Ann Patchett

Patchett has a wonderful, novella-length article in the January issue of Harper’s about the time she asked Tom Hanks to narrate the audio book of her new novel The Dutch House and met his assistant, a remarkable woman named Sooki.

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Robert Gottlieb and Robert Caro

Here’s a fascinating, hour-long conversation between Robert Caro, probably my favorite author, and Robert Gottlieb, his superb editor, on the subject of editing. You may know Caro from his biography of Robert Moses, The Power Broker, and his multi-volume series The Years of Lyndon Johnson. Gottlieb has edited everyone, and he turns out to be delightful and very wise.

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Wynton Marsalis

On the occasion of his 50th birthday, Wynton Marsalis gave a 20-minute master class at Lincoln Center in which he shared personal stories on growing up in the Marsalis family and experiencing the music, history, and community of jazz. Be sure to hear the first three minutes, maybe the best description of jazz that I’ve heard.

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Simon Rattle

Seven years ago, Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic did a cycle of concerts pairing the first, second, third, and fourth symphonies of Schumann and Brahms. Before beginning the cycle, Rattle recorded a video commentary, about fifteen minutes long, in which he discussed the two composers and how their lives and music were interrelated, with Clara Schumann in the middle. Besides being a great conductor, Rattle turns out to be a brilliant speaker.

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David Newman

Hollywood composer David Newman has written music for over 100 feature films, including movies as wide-ranging as Throw Momma from the Train, War of the Roses, American Beauty, Hoffa, and Ice Age. Newman began his career as a violinist and later switched to composing and conducting. His father was the legendary Hollywood composer Alfred Newman. This interview is one of several good conversations you'll find at the podcast Anthony Plog on Music. 

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