The Bat Segundo Archive

Except as otherwise noted, all interviews are conducted by Our Young, Roving Correspondent, an intrepid and sometimes excitable journalist sometimes answering to the name “Ed” who often asks unusual and highly specific questions of authors. Bat Segundo himself has not yet conducted an interview, but seeing as how it’s hard enough to get him into the studio to record one of his deranged introductions, the probability of this happening is close to nil.

Shows from 2009

293. Guy Maddin: (MP3)

292. Mark Kurlansky II: (MP3)

291. Laila Lalami II: (MP3)

290. Kathleen Collilns: (MP3)

289. Javier Calvo and Mara Faye Lethem: (MP3)

288. Arthur Phillips: (MP3)

287. Sarah Waters II: (MP3)

286. Michelle Goldberg: (MP3)

285. Nelson George: (MP3)

284. Blake Bailey: It isn’t every day that you talk with a literary biographer, particularly one as thorough and as funny as Blake Bailey, who serves up a good deal of dirt about John Cheever. It also isn’t every day when you meet a literary biographer fond of talking in funny voices and possibly more crazier than Our Young, Roving Correspondent. (MP3)

283. Atom Egoyan: Because we were contending with time constraints, we did our best to squeeze about 40 minutes of information into this fast-talking, high-concept 30 minute interview. Thankfully, the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker was happy to play along. Even when we asked him about his obsession with scenes set in airports. (MP3)

282. John Wray: John Wray is a very intense and serious literary writer, and he was sure to keep things very intense and serious in our conversation with him about his novel Lowboy. (MP3)

281. Alex Rivera: Is the writer-director behind Sleep Dealer really a commercial filmmaker? Or does he have a dormant passion for the avant-garde that he’s keeping from us? We find out. (MP3)

280. Laura Lippman: In this thoughtful one-hour conversation with mystery novelist Laura Lippman, we talk about process, the Oz books, and the burdens of reading an entire novel aloud. (MP3)

279. Carl Wilson: What does it mean to love Celine Dion? Carl Wilson thinks he has a few answers about the way we appreciate culture. (MP3)

278. Esther Rots and Dan Geesin: We talk with the filmmaker and the sound designer behind the Dutch film, Can Go Through Skin, and discover the physical and moral costs of directing a rat. (MP3)

277. Ursula Meier: In this conversation (conducted in French and English), we talk with the director of Home and find out just what it takes to create a freeway on film. (MP3)

276. Heather Armstrong: The blogger behind Dooce and author of It Sucked and Then I Cried discusses motherhood, how her audience factors into business decisions, and whether having a baby is pretty much a book of commentary. (MP3)

275. Tatia Rosenthal: The animator behind $9.99 geeks out with us about process, character proportions, magical realism, self-help books, and color coordination. (MP3)

274. Adam Del Deo: We talk with one of the directors of Every Little Step about the recent revival of A Chorus Line, uncovering a few controversies in the process. (MP3)

273. T.C. Boyle III: In our third conversation with T.C. Boyle, we discuss The Women, Frank Lloyd Wright, the relationship between art and morality, and why cruelty is necessary in contemporary fiction. (MP3)

272. Andrea Peyser: The New York Post columnist has ired a lot of people, but we talk with her on the occasion of her new book, Celebutards, and discover (eventually) that she also has positive things to say about the entertainment industry. This podcast also includes a strange passive-aggressive moment from a woman who hands Our Young, Roving Correspondent a note reading CAN YOU PLEASE TALK QUIETER? (MP3)

271. Tony Stone: Writer/director/editor/actor/producer/caterer Tony Stone discusses his Viking film, Severed Ways, which involved real chickens being killed before the camera, a number of contemporary parallels, and getting a cinematic act of defacation just right. (MP3)

270. Eric Kraft, Part Three: Having been kicked out of one place, Eric Kraft and Our Young, Roving Correspondent reconvene at an adjacent bar to conclude their prodigious three-part conversation, where the talk turns quite jocular and enters into strange tangents that involve a Boston Phoenix restaurant critic, Jean Shepherd, the relationship of socks to a writer’s output, and the jokes that the Krafts wish they heard in bars. (MP3)

269. Eric Kraft, Part Two: The second part of our conversation with Eric Kraft gets into cultural and literary reference and explores the virtues of spontaneous writing and unusual daily routines. There is also discussion about CD-ROMs, cross-referencing, hyperlinks, and the future of the book, before Mr. Kraft and Our Young, Roving Correspondent are ignobly kicked out of an establishment. (MP3)

268. Eric Kraft, Part One: The first of a rip-roaring three-part conversation with Eric Kraft, the author of the Peter Leroy books. This segment gets into the many characters of the Peter Leroy universe and examines many issues pertaining to the relationship between the real and the imaginary. (MP3)

267. Charlie Huston II: In our second conversation with mystery writer Charlie Huston, we delve quite heavily into the art of the sentence and alternating rhythms in prose, while also getting Huston’s definitive views on the roundhouse punch and the culinary horrors of Slim Jims. (Includes video excerpt.) (MP3)

266. Catherynne M. Valente: The fantasy writer discusses Palimpsest, the burdens of genre and publishing, geek outreach, ebooks, and having semiotics for breakfast. (MP3)

265. Neil deGrasse Tyson: The famed astrophysicist led a charge to demote Pluto from planetary status. This conversation investigates the controversy, while touching upon the celebrity culture of astronauts, budgetary cuts, and the dangerous asteroid Apophis. (MP3)

264. Robert G. Kaiser: In this pithy conversation, we talk with veteran Washington Post reporter Robert G. Kaiser about Edward Bernays, lobbying, insider politics, and numerous other Beltway issues. (MP3)

263. Nick Antosca: This lengthy conversation with writer Nick Antosca concerns itself with Antosca’s novel, Midnight Picnic, and somehow manages to fuse the subjects of dogs being hurt in novels with the present publishing apocalypse. (MP3)

262. Shauna Reid: The proprietor of What’s New, Pussycat? and Dietgirl discusses how writing helped her to shed hundreds of pounds in five years. But how does one find the individual courage to do this amidst considerable societal factors? (MP3)

261. David Denby: The New Yorker film critic has declared war on snark, pointing to a certain strain of writing that he feels is disruptive to current discourse. But is he fully apprised of present journalistic realities? This lengthy conversation considers two lengthy essays in response to Denby’s book, finding a few answers and an unanticipated interruption from a stranger. (MP3)

260. Azar Nafisi: The Iranian memoirist talks with us about two of her books, Things I’ve Been Silent About and Reading Lolita in Tehran, and discusses how the relationship between the personal and the political emerges from submerging into life, literature, and writing. (MP3)

259. Chazz Palminteri & Robert Celestino: We talk with the tough actor and the streetsmart director behind Yonkers Joe, attempting to discern from Mr. Palminteri if specific directors have made him feel uncomfortable. (MP3)

258. Norah Vincent: Norah Vincent has infiltrated gender roles and asylums. But does her latest book, Voluntary Madness, offer a sufficient journalistic response to the mental health issue? (MP3)

Shows from 2008

257. Patricia Cornwell: We talk with the bestselling author of the Kay Scarpetta series and learn the circumstances in which Postmortem became an unexpected hit, while likewise veering into odd asides about Judd Apatow’s films, reporters who follow authors into restrooms, and the current state of financing forensic science. (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

256. Allison Amend: The author of Things That Pass for Love talks with us about the criteria for a “golf story,” the burdens of faith and language, the two unpublished novels hidden beneath her bed, Zima, and the regrettable labels that pop up when you’re a woman writer. This interview also features the first question asked in Pig Latin. (MP3)

255. Paul Schrader: The renowned screenwriter talks with us about his latest film, Adam Resurrected, where we attempt to corroborate Peter Biskind’s claims about Schrader bringing a loaded gun to studio meetings, ask Schrader about having esteemed actors pretend to be dogs, and get a very gloomy pronouncement about the current state of the film industry. (MP3)

254. Nacho Vigalondo: The friendly and energetic director of Timecrimes talks with us about the advantages of working outside the Hollywood system, explains how he “found the monster” within his feature film debut, and reveals how a number of unplanned ideas created further ambiguities within his film. (MP3)

253. Christopher Plummer: As an actor, Plummer scarcely needs any introductions. But he talks with us about his life, his career, and his memoir, In Spite of Myself, offering numerous thoughts on Shakespeare, William Shatner, and why the legendary radio writer Arch Oboler couldn’t hack theatre. (MP3)

252. 2008 National Book Awards: Our Young, Roving Correspondent offers reports from the floor of this year’s needlessly swank ceremony. Interviews include NBA winners Annette Gordon-Reed and Mark Doty. There are thoughts on how one wrestles with Walt Whitman and efforts to determine why Candace Bushnell is at the ceremony. (MP3)

251. Alex Beckstead: In this intensely journalistic and provocative interview with independent filmmaker Alex Beckstead, we talk with Beckstead about his documentary, Paperback Dreams and the current state of independent bookstores. Was Andy Ross simply a bad businessman? Or have today’s independent bookstores failed to account for the needs of today’s consumers? And to what degree is community and a countercultural environment essential to an independent bookstore? (MP3)

250. Alison Bechdel II: The wonderful Alison Bechdel returns to Bat Segundo to talk about Dykes to Watch Out For, the groundbreaking comic strip that presented the titular dykes as regular people. We discuss Bechdel’s influences, probe into the future of cartooning, and ask whether Bechdel has some artistic responsibility to break her hiatus in light of recent developments in California. (MP3)

249. Porochista Khakpour: The author of Sons and Other Flammable Objects talks with us while doodling, but this doesn’t distract her from discussing the burdens of universality, David Foster Wallace, and how 9/11 has transformed contemporary fiction. (MP3)

248. David Rees: The man behind Get Your War On discusses his unexpected success lambasting the Bush Administration (and other assorted topics) through clip art. We likewise uncover a bureaucratic plot by the U.S. government to control the white space used by cartoonists. (MP3)

247. David Heatley: The graphic novelist David Heatley discusses his remarkably candid memoir, My Brain is Hanging Upside Down, and Heatley, in turn, answers remarkably candid questions from Our Young, Roving Correspondent about how far one should go in personal comics, paneling, political correctness, and the appropriate number of Ns one should include in a grunt. (MP3)

246. Alec Foege: In a lengthy interview, Alec Foege discusses his book, Right of the Dial, detailing the many ways in which ClearChannel has kept a tight control on the American radio industry and the scope of free expression itself. (MP3)

245. Neal Stephenson: Neal Stephenson is the author of many long and intriguing novels. We talk with him about Anathem, determining the ideal number of people to sit around a dinner table, plunging into Godel and Husserl, dredging up My Dinner with Andre, and finding out the necessary ingredients to spin a heady yarn. (MP3)

244. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: If you’re a snob, you might call Kiyoshi Kurosawa a reformed horror film director. If you’re not, you might view his latest film, Tokyo Sonata as a natural development in a very interesting career. With the aid of a very helpful translator, Kurosawa talks about some of Sonata’s themes and confesses his fear of being compared to Ozu. (MP3)

243. Charlie Kaufman: The Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind talks with us about his directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York. We quibble with how to define ideas, talk Beckett, and delve into some of the existential inspirations behind Kaufman’s heady motion picture. (MP3)

242. Pale Young Gentlemen: Michael Reisenauer — the dashing young songwriter of the Madison, Wisconsin band Pale Young Gentlemen — reveals just what it takes to be an independent musician these days, performing melodic rock on the road with a good deal of unwieldy string instruments. But he also reveals his creative intuition, as well as the unexpected origin of a particular percussive sound on “The Crook of My Good Arm.” (MP3)

241. Megan Hustad: As the economy continued to slide into oblivion in late 2008, it made a good deal of sense to talk with the author of How to Be Useful in these gloomy times. What we didn’t anticipate were tangents into the prisoner’s dilemma, game theory, and the Machiavellian form of social cooperation . (MP3)

240. Marilynne Robinson: In a rare audio interview, the much-celebrated novelist behind Housekeeping and Gilead discusses her most recent book, Home. We learn Robinson’s take on the parable of the prodigal son, talk about Marxism a bit, and discuss a good deal of food — particularly, Robinson’s love of toast. (MP3)

239. Jerzy Skolimowski: Our coverage of the New York Film Festival continues with Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski, who discusses Four Nights with Anna, the first film he’s made in seventeen years. Skolimowski also talks with us about his painting career, the “easy money” in acting, and collaborating with Roman Polanski on the Knife in the Water script. (MP3)

238. Mike Leigh: The renowned British filmmaker behind Naked, Secrets & Lies, and Life is Sweet talks about his latest film, Happy-Go-Lucky, accuses Our Young, Roving Correspondent of being “a fundamental, unreconstituted top-rate intellectual,” and gets fesity yet precise over his films. (MP3)

237. Bonnie Tyler: You might know her as the singer behind such FM ballads as “Vernal Equinox of the Mind” and “Holding Out for a Supervillain” (although we’re not certain we entirely have the titles right), but did you know that Bonnie Tyler was a bawdy joke teller and very much into archaic technology? We didn’t either. In this far reaching interview, we discuss everything from the origins of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” to the state of the music industry. (MP3)

236. Markos Moulitsas: The man behind the progressive website, The Daily Kos, talks with us about his new book, Taking on the System. But fireworks ensue once the subject turns to reporting rumors and conjecture as journalism. (MP3)

235. Daniel Levitin: Former music producer and cognitive theorist Daniel Levitin talks with us about the six types that every song can be categorized in. But what of songs, such as Metallica playing at Abu Ghraib, played outside their initial intention? (MP3)

234. Courtney Humphries: The author of Superdove explains the origins, interpretations, and man scientific experiments involving pigeons, and even gives us a few indications on what pigeons taste like. These urban birds may have been B.F. Skinner’s folly, but we unferret a few clues as to why they still retain their scientific enigma. (MP3)

233. Brent Spiner: He may be known as the guy who played an android whose name rhymed with “potata,” but Spiner makes his case to us as a song man, talks about his struggling years as an actor, and discusses wrestling, Rutger Hauer, and a number of extraordinary claims. (MP3)

232. Sarah Manguso: The noted poet and author of Two Kinds of Decay discusses a variety of literary topics and principles of writing. She even offers us a new way of referring to paragraphs and dwells on the subject of paranoia. (MP3)

231. Paul Auster: On the occasion of his latest novel, Man in the Dark, we met with Paul Auster at his Park Slope home to discuss a dizzyingly array of subjects. We even ask Auster about the ongoing concern for money within his novels. (MP3)

230. Jenny Davidson: YA novels remain championed by some and trivialized and scorned by others. We talk with the author of The Explosionist and explore a considerable array of current arguments and opinions related to these many controversies, while also pinpointing what it takes to write a novel of ideas for younger readers. (MP3)

229. Ross Raisin: Debut novelist Ross Raisin discusses God’s Own Country, but not without a considerable digression into Yorkshire dialect and the role that stylized language has in shaping perspective. (MP3)

228. Ethan Canin: In his most recent novel, America America, Canin juxtaposes two Americas: one predicated on politics and the other on sincerity. This interview, conducted at a very early hour in the morning, has Canin and Our Young, Roving Correspondent ponder didacticism, the crazed physical behavior of Lyndon B. Johnson, and the current state of politics. (MP3)

227. Kathryn Harrison: Harrison investigated a murder in her book, While They Slept. But when an author becomes involved with those who survive a terrible crime, where is the ethical line drawn? (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

226. Mike Edison: He was the editor and publisher of High Times. He played in bands. He wrote erotic novels. And when writing his memoir, he named names. The author of I Have Fun Everywhere I Go talks with us about why he dissed so many people in his book, among many other subjects. (MP3)

225. Peter David: With a twelve-year run on the Hulk and numerous other writing credits, Peter David may be one of the most prolific comic book writers working today. He discusses his novel, Tigerheart, and explains why just about every form of writing is derivative. (MP3)

224. Sen. Mike Gravel and Joe Lauria: The two authors of A Political Odyssey discuss the rise of the American military industrial complex, with the former 2008 Democratic presidential candidate revealing why he appeared in a conceptual campaign commercial and hung out with Obama Girl. (MP3)

223. Faye Flam: The former Philadelphia Inquirer sex columnist discusses her book, The Score, touching upon gender distinctions, science, and why so many guys spend thousands of dollars on dating seminars. We get some answers. We maintain some mysteries. (MP3)

222. Nam Le: The author of The Boat discusses the many settings he places his short stories in and why some folks in the literary community are having difficulty accepting his eclectic range. (MP3)

221. Grandmaster Flash and Karen Abbott: We talk with living legend Grandmaster Flash and uncover details about how the DJing landscape has changed over the past thirty years. We also talk with Sin in the Second City author Karen Abbott about the Everleigh sisters and Chicago bordellos in the early 20th century. (MP3)

220. Mark Kurlansky: Mark Kurlasnsky is a reporter and microhistorian who knows a good deal about Gloucester, fish, and many other subjects. We get into the nitty-gritty of Gloucester, discuss the ethical implications of fishing technologies, and even manage to talk about the Luminists. (MP3)

219. Thomas M. Disch: In his last face-to-face interview recorded just ten days before his unfortunate suicide, the legendary poet and speculative fiction writer Thomas M. Disch discusses death, literary posterity, and Philip K. Dick. (MP3)

218. Andre Dubus II: This rather wild interview with the author of The Garden of Last Days not only features an interruption by a hotel catering manger, but includes a startling theory by Our Correspondent about the meaning of beverages within Dubus’s novels. (MP3)

217. Rachel Shukert: What’s it like to grow up Jewish in Nebraska? Shukert, the author of Have You No Shame?, provides some ideas on this and many more subjects. We talk with her about what it means to write truthfully, where the boundaries are between public and private perception, and even get her to confess to a few unexpected early crushes. (MP3)

216. Mort Walker: In this somewhat controversial interview, we talk with the creator of Beetle Bailey about the origins of his characters, the shrinking space of newspaper comics, and why Walker hasn’t referenced Iraq or included women soldiers in his comic strip. (MP3)

215. Christian Bauman: This conversation with In Hoboken writer Christian Bauman resulted in Bauman and Our Correspondent getting kicked out of a diner. Is In Hoboken a folk novel or a rock ‘n roll novel? And how does one negotiate economic realities within fiction? (MP3)

214. Ralph Bakshi: Legendary animator Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic) dishes dirt on a good deal of topics: the role of music in his films, why he gave Thomas Kinkade his first big break, and whether America as we know it is dead. (MP3)

213. Steven Greenhouse: Steven Greenhouse, a labor reporter for The New York Times and the author of The Big Squeeze, discusses labor issues and the many societal factors that have led to the worker’s reduced stature over the past few decades. But can the blame be laid entirely upon businesses? (MP3)

212. Fiona Maazel: Yes, Virginia, there is a superplague novel in which everybody doesn’t die! Fiona Maazel, former managing editor of The Paris Review, discusses the distinctions of her take on the topic, Last, Last Chance, amidst noisy grinders and occasional surveillance. (MP3)

211. Ed Park: We uncover the quiet exuberance of Ed Park, an editor at The Believer and the author of Personal Days. The conversation segues into B.S. Johnson, Park’s unfinished novels, Harry Matthews, Harry Stephen Keeler, and many other excitable subjects! (MP3)

210. Cynthia Ozick: A few days before her 80th birthday, living legend Cynthia Ozick is startled to learn that there’s more to her fiction than she realizes. But this doesn’t stop her from expressing enthusiasm about Lionel Trilling and many other literary topics. (MP3)

209. Sloane Crosley: We talk with essayist Sloane Crosley, the author of I Was Told There’d Be Cake, and demonstrate that there’s more to Crosley than shiny hair. (MP3)

208. Tobias Wolff: The celebrated writer discusses (and sometimes avoids discussing) his latest short story collection, Our Story Begins. We delve into some of the science and circumstances of how Wolff writes his stories. Various theories are offered to Wolff, with bemused and insightful responses. (MP3)

207. David Hajdu: We discuss Hajdu’s latest biography, The Ten-Cent Plague, examining the early 20th century era of comics and the legislative and cultural forces that worked against these writers and artists. There’s also a lengthy discussion on how Hajdu located his subjects and organized his findings. (MP3)

206. Sarah Hall: In this comprehensive, nearly 70-minute interview with Booker Prize finalist Sarah Hall, Hall discusses the common characteristics and narrative development in her first three novels, with a particular emphasis on her dystopic novel, Daughters of the North/The Carhullan Army. (MP3)

205. Errol Morris: The Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker discusses Standard Operating Procedure and delineates the sensory differences between many forms of images and the audience judgment that comes from such distinctions.(MP3)

204. New York ComicCon 2008: Floor coverage of New York ComicCon 2008 touches upon a variety of strange subjects, including how Duncan exploits yo-yo players, the naughtiness of Archie, and the obscenity trial of Mike Diana. Includes interviews with Jeffrey Brown, Scott McCloud, and Kyle Baker. (Some interviews conducted by Eric Rosenfield.) (MP3)

203. Chen Shi-Zheng & Liu Ye: The actor and director of Dark Matter discuss the intricacies of performing a scene with Meryl Streep and how the Gang Lu school shooting translated into narrative. (MP3)

202. Brad & John Hennegan: The filmmakers behind the documentary, First Saturday in May, discuss the Kentucky Derby, horse racing, and how they set about covering all this madness. (MP3)

201. Mark Sarvas: The man behind The Elegant Variation talks shop about his debut novel, Harry, Revised and also addresses Our Young, Roving Correspondent’s concern for a bizarre bit of erection-based prose. (MP3)

200. Nicholson Baker: In this very special 75-minute podcast, author Nicholson Baker outlines how he came across an alternative perspective for World War II with Human Smoke. He also discusses his aborted musical career and the very specific concern for detail found within his novels. (MP3)

199. Richard Price: Richard Price talks about writing Lush Life, the gentrification of New York, and explains his involvement writing the Michael Jackson video, “Bad.” (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

198. Jennifer Weiner II: The lovely Jennifer Weiner returns to talk about the books of Cannie Shapiro. But something unexpected occurs. We not only reveal that Weiner is a closet Trekkie, but we try to encourage her to get in touch with her inner geek. (MP3)

197. Michio Kaku: Sometimes, it takes an especially smart string theory physicist to sort out whether phasers, force fields, and the Death Star are physical possibilities. We talk with Physics of the Impossible author Michio Kaku about why newspapers continue to believe in perpetual motion machines and the relationship between science fiction and science fact. (MP3)

196. Jennifer 8. Lee: The author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles goes into great length about the cultural history of Chinese restaurants. (MP3)

195. Elizabeth Crane II: We learn many things in our second conversation with Elizabeth Crane: she likes exclamation marks, she’s shaken off the DFW yoke, and she’s quite happy! (MP3)

194. Lydia Millet II: Reunions continue when Lydia Millet returns to our program to talk about How the Dead Dream. (MP3)

193. Marshall Klimasewiski II: In a live conversation at McNally Robinson, Our Young, Roving Correspondent finally meets up with the LBC nominee, talking at length about his short story collection, Tyrants, and his troubling fixation upon balding characters. (MP3)

192. Mimi Weddell & Jyll Johnstone: Mimi Weddell is 93 years old, but she’s still going strong as a film actress. We talk with her and filmmaker Jyll Johnstone about the documentary, Hats Off. (MP3)

191. Jeffrey Ford II: Edgar winner Jeffrey Ford returns to our program in an alcohol-enhanced but no less thought provoking discussion about The Shadow Year and his inverted take on the great American novel. (MP3)

190. Bill Plympton: The legendary Oscar-winning animator Bill Plympton is often forgotten in his native country. We talk with Plympton about the wild motifs in his work and what it means to stay alive as an independent animator. (MP3)

189. Will Leitch: We talk with Deadspin.com blogger Will Leitch about his sports polemic, God Save the Fan, and get particularly controversial about Leitch’s controversial claims. (MP3)

188. Terry Sanders: The Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker talks about Fighting for Life, his investigation into the military doctors now practicing amidst constrained conditions in Iraq. (MP3)

187. Stephen Chow and Jiao Xu: Our first bilingual podcast involves a discussion with the filmmaker and star of CJ7. We learn how the constraints of making a family film caused Chow to rethink his approach to poverty. (MP3)

186. Wayne Shannon: His sardonic commentaries on the evening news made him a broadcasting legend in the 1970s and the 1980s. But today, his contributions are largely forgotten. Until now. In this unexpectedly emotional interview, Wayne Shannon reveals how the artistic was tied very close to the personal. (MP3)

185. Chip Kidd: Noted book designer Chip Kidd is also a novelist, and he discusses The Learners, his sequel to The Cheese Monkeys. We also learn how the book’s schismatic design caused a few grumblings from lawyers. (MP3)

184. Paulo Morelli: Brazilian cinema remains alive and hopping, and we talk with the director of City of Men about his approach with actors and how he maintained his authenticity in examining the favelas of Rio. (MP3)

183. Samantha Hunt: We talk Samantha Hunt about Nikola Tesla and how she pursued her sense of wonder about science in her novel, The Invention of Everything Else. Is the age of autodidact inventors and self-made pursuers of passion now at an end? (MP3)

182. The Signal: In quite possibly one of our strangest conversations ever, we talk with various cast and crew members of the independent horror film, The Signal, about “nascent colonialism,” the origins of Terminus, and whether or not independent horror is one of the last cinematic millieus for visceral expression. (MP3)

181. Toby Barlow: How does an ad man go about shifting gears to write a free verse novel about werewolves? The author of Sharp Teeth discusses this conundrum and other interesting ambiguities. (MP3)

180. Steve Erickson: The great postmodernist novelist Steve Erickson adopted a more traditional narrative structure for his latest novel, Zeroville. But we discuss many of the phantasmagorical ambiguities within this book, while simultaneously discovering a few answers about the way that Erickson’s subconscious works. (MP3)

179. Charles Baxter: In our final installment of the “Charles B Trilogy,” we discuss The Soul Thief with novelist Charles Baxter and do our best not to reveal the ending. (MP3)

178. Charles Bock: Charles Bock took eleven years to write his debut novel, Beautiful Children. We find out why. (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

177. Charles Burns: The writer and illustrator behind the graphic novel, Black Hole, talks about how personal experience translates into cultural commentary. (MP3)

176. Eran Kolirin: Israeli filmmaker Eran Kolirin talks about his film The Band’s Visit and confesses why he’s drawn so strongly to simple and static shots. (MP3)

175. Adam Langer: What are the pitfalls in placing a novel in such a specific New York neighborhood? We find out in our lively discussion with Ellington Boulevard author Adam Langer. (MP3)

174. A.L. Kennedy: A.L. Kennedy talks on a wide range of topics shortly after winning the Costa Prize for Day. (MP3)

173. Best Sex Writing 2008: A roundtable discussion at an Alphabet City pizzeria with five contributors to The Best Sex Writing 2008 anthology. (MP3)

172. Jami Attenberg: The author of The Kept Man talks with us about topographical narrative as it pertains to charting Williamsburg and reveals how personal experience may or may not tie into fiction writing. (MP3)

171. Sue Miller: This lively interview with Sue Miller (in relation to her novel, The Senator’s Wife), includes a good deal of banter about character names, food metaphors, and the remarkable doodles that Miller affixes to her early drafts. (MP3)

170. Amy Bloom: Amy Bloom discusses her novel, Away. (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

169. 2007 National Book Awards: Experimental journalism was conducted at the 2007 National Book Awards. Interviews include Sherman Alexie, Fran Lebowitz, Joshua Ferris, Christopher Hitchens, and a rather unusual encounter with Jonathan Franzen. (MP3)

Shows from 2007

168. David Rakoff, Part Two: In the second part of our interview with essayist David Rakoff (author of Fraud), things get more candid as we discuss the nature of writing and how to carry on as a writer without repeating yourself. (MP3)

167. David Rakoff, Part One: In the first of a two-part interview with essayist David Rakoff (author of Fraud), Rakoff discusses the differences between written text, oral text, and spoken text. He was also kind enough to offer Our Young, Roving Correspondent some cookies. (MP3)

166. Dave White: The author behind the mystery novel When One Man Dies sits down with Our Young, Roving Correspondent for a quite silly conversation, in which the two men somehow misspell “Jack Daniel’s.” (MP3)

165. Howard Jacobson: The author of Kalooki Nights discusses Jewish identity and has a rather bizarre objection about sandals that has to be heard to be believed. (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

164. Peter Fernandez & Corinne Orr: In this vivacious conversation, we talk with the two voiceover actors behind Speed Racer about old-time radio, anime, and clarify the abrupt voiceover transition during the third season of Star Blazers. (MP3)

163. Jess Walter: The 2006 National Book Award fiction finalist stops by to discuss The Zero and the challenges of writing a 9/11 allegorical novel. (MP3)

162. Ken Kalfus: The 2006 National Book Award fiction finalist and author of A Disorder Peculiar to the Country discusses sentences, black comedy, and is a bit uncomfortable in comparing himself even remotely to Shakespeare. (MP3)

161. Stewart O’Nan: We talk with the esteemed novelist about Last Night at the Lobster, working-class fiction, and the unexpected vagaries of the publishing industry. (MP3)

160. Will Self: Will Self discusses The Book of Dave and Psychogeography, among a wide array of topics that include walking 25-30 miles a day, J.G. Ballard, George Michael, and a challenge Self puts forth to Our Young, Roving Correspondent concerning the dérive. (MP3)

159. Garth Risk Hallberg: In a very odd conversation, we talk with author Garth Risk Hallberg about A Field Guide to the North America, book design, and many strange topics. Mr. Hallberg’s streetcred and hostility towards Geos is pursued by Our Young, Roving Correspondent. (MP3)

158. Yannick Murphy: Yannick Murphy returns to Segundo to talk about Signed, Mata Hari, a novel on the famous spy told using multiple perspectives. (MP3)

157. Roy Kesey & Dan Wickett: We talk with All Over author Roy Kesey and Dzanc Books publisher Dan Wickett about Kesey’s work and the future of independent publishing. (MP3)

156. Andrea Barrett : MacArthur fellowship recipient Andrea Barrett stops by to discuss The Air We Breathe, pre-World War I environments, and science and literature. (MP3)

155. Tom McCarthy, Part Two: Our two-part interview with Remainder author Tom McCarthy continues with many esoteric artistic references. (MP3)

154. Tom McCarthy, Part One: The first of our two-part interview with Remainder author Tom McCarthy. (MP3)

153. Ursula Hegi: Ursula Hegi discusses The Worst Thing I’ve Done. (MP3)

152. Richard Russo: In a conversation with many laughs, Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo discusses Bridge of Sighs and looking at things through “the wrong end of the telescope.” (MP3)

151. Oliver Sacks: The noted neurologist talks about Musicophilia. (MP3)

150. James Lipton: The man behind Inside the Actors Studio lets down his guard to discuss his life and his work. (MP3)

149. David Michaelis: In a hard-hitting interview, biographer David Michaelis answers questions about Schulz and Peanuts and responds to the controversial charges from the Schulz family. (MP3)

148. Naomi Wolf: The author of The Beauty Myth discusses The End of America and is shocked to learn about Andrew Meyer YouTube remixes. (MP3)

147. Steven Pinker: In this heady conversation, noted cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers a number of questions about phrases, languages, and other topics pertaining to The Stuff of Thought. (MP3)

146. Danica McKellar: This controversial interview with the Wonder Years actress andMath Doesn’t Suck author has McKellar being asked about some of her assumptions about feminism. (MP3)

145. Jeff Parker: The author of Ovenman talks about working-class fiction. (MP3)

144. David Peace: The author of Tokyo Year Zero. (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

143. Katha Pollitt: The noted feminist discusses her memoir Learning to Drive. Includes a lengthy aside on web stalking. (MP3)

142. Brian Francis Slattery: The author of Spaceman Blues discusses ebullient prose and goes nuts about the subjunctive. (MP3)

141. Chimamanda Adichie: The author of Half of a Yellow Sun. (MP3)

140. Naomi Klein: This provocative interview with Shock Doctrine author Naomi Klein has Our Young, Roving Correspondent sparring with Klein over assumptive thinking. (MP3)

139. George Saunders: Author of The Braindead Megaphone in a candid interview about his nonfiction. Includes a discussion on “Borat: The Memo.” (MP3)

138. Rupert Thomson II, Part Two: (MP3): The second of our two-part conversation with Rupert Thomson pertaining to Death of a Murderer.

137. Rupert Thomson II, Part One: The first of our two-part conversation with Rupert Thomson pertaining to Death of a Murderer. (MP3)

136. Antoine Wilson: Author of The Interloper. (MP3)

135. Gabe Kaplan: The Welcome Back, Kotter actor discusses just how seriously some people take email pranks. (MP3)

134. Marianne Wiggins: Author of The Shadow Catcher. (MP3)

133. William Gibson: “Warmy blanky” is just one of the magical phrases that the cyberpunk author is obsessed with in this discussion concerning Spook Country. (MP3)

132. Matthew Sharpe and Megan Sullivan: In this Litblog Co-Op podcast, the author of Jamestown discusses his linguistic experiments. (MP3)

131. Kate Christensen: The last podcast in our “Kate” series of late 2007. The effusive comic writer discusses The Great Man. (MP3)

130. Katharine Weber and Levi Asher: In this Litblog Co-Op podcast, Katharine Weber discusses Triangle. (MP3)

129. Katie Roiphe: One of our most controversial interviews. A conversation on Uncommon Arrangements. (MP3)

128. Katherine Taylor and Mindy Schneider: The first in our “Kate” series of podcasts in late 2007, this podcast features Rules for Saying Goodbye author Katherine Taylor discussing the chick lit double standard and Not a Happy Camper author Mindy Schneider about going ot Jewish summer camp in the 1970s. (MP3)

127. Michelle Richmond: Author of The Year of Fog. (MP3)

126. Alternative Press Expo 2007, Part Three: Our three-part podcast of APE 2007 comes to a close with more crazed reports from the floor from Our Young, Roving Correspondent. (MP3)

125. Alternative Press Expo 2007, Part Two: The second part in our APE 2007 coverage, with reports from the floor from Our Young, Roving Correspondent. (MP3)

124. Alternative Press Expo 2007, Part One: The first of three parts in our APE 2007 coverage. (MP3)

123. Steven Hall: Author of The Raw Shark Texts. (MP3)

122. Richard Flanagan: The Tasmanian author of The Unknown Terrorist. (MP3)

121. Gary Shteyngart: The author of Absurdistan. (MP3)

120. Berkeley Breathed, Part Two: The second of our revealing two part interview with Bloom County/Opus cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. (MP3)

119. Berkeley Breathed, Part One: The first of our revealing two part interview with Bloom County/Opus cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. (MP3)

118. Austin Grossman: The author of Soon I Will Be Invincible. (Interview conducted by Sarah Weinman.) (MP3)

117. Scarlett Thomas: A rare interview with the author of The End of Mr. Y. (MP3)

116. Alan DeNiro & Carolyn Kellogg: The Litblog Co-Op finalist discusses Skinny Dipping in the Lake of the Dead. (Interview conducted by Carolyn Kellogg.) (MP3)

115. A.M. Homes II: A.M. Homes returns to our program to discuss The Mistress’s Daughter. (MP3)

114. Marshall Klimasewiski & C. Max Magee: Litblog Co-Op podcast. The author of The Cottagers. (MP3)

113. Mark Binelli & Jessica Stockton: Litblog Co-Op podcast. The author of Sacco and Vanzetti Must Die. (MP3)

112. Lionel Shriver: The author of The Post-Birthday World. (MP3)

111. John Sheppard: The author of Small Town Punk. (MP3)

110. Tao Lin: The young author discusses Eeeee Eee Eeee. (MP3)

109. William T. Vollmann II: Vollmann returns to Segundo to discuss Poor People. (MP3)

108. Ken Alder: A conversation with Ken Alder about lie detectors. (MP3)

107. Arlene Goldbard: Goldbard discusses the notion of creative community. (MP3)

106. Ellen Klages: The author of Portable Childhoods. (MP3)

105. China Miéville: Noted New Weird author discusses Un Lun Dun. (MP3)

104. Charlie Anders & Annalee Newitz: The dynamic duo behind She’s Such a Geek discuss women and technology. (MP3)

103. Ron Jeremy: The famed porn star discusses his biography and has choice words to say about a journalist. (MP3)

102. Jane Ganahl: Author of Naked on the Page discusses finding love as a middle-aged woman. (MP3)

101. Martin Amis: Author of House of Meetings. (MP3)

100. David Lynch: The noted filmmaker discusses Transcendental Meditation and reveals whether or not he understands his films. (MP3)

99. Tayari Jones: Author of The Untelling. (MP3)

98. Charlie Huston: Mystery author. (MP3)

97. Ngugi wa Thiong’o & Carrie A.A. Frye: In this Litblog Co-Op podcast, the famed Nigerian author discusses Wizard of the Crow. (MP3)

96. Neal Pollack: He may be an Alternadad, but how does Pollack reconcile this new image with his previous satirical career? (MP3)

95. Heidi Julavits: Believer editor and author of The Uses of Enchantment clarifies her “anti-snark” essay. (MP3)

94. Stephen Graham Jones & Scott McKenzie: Litblog Co-Op podcast. Author of Demon Theory. (Interview conducted by Carolyn Kellogg.) (MP3)

93. Nick Mamatas: Author of Under My Roof. (MP3)

92. Christopher Moore: The comic novelist discusses You Suck, San Francisco topography, vampires, and the pressures of being a writer. (MP3)

91. Valerie Trueblood & Anne Fernald: Litblog Co-Op podcast. Interview with Seven Loves author. (MP3)

90. Richard Ford: The esteemed author of Lay of the Land gets a little testy over certain interpretations of his work. (MP3)

Shows from 2006

89. Nina Hartley: The adult film actress offers her views on good sex. (MP3)

88. Amy Sedaris: The famed Strangers with Candy comedienne talks about I Like You. (MP3)

87. Simon Winchester: A discussion of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Just don’t call him a journalist. (MP3)

86. Claire Messud: Author of The Emperor’s Children. (MP3)

85. Kate Atkinson: Author of One Good Turn. (MP3)

84. Francine Prose: Author of Reading Like a Writer. (MP3)

83. Joe Meno, Todd Taylor, Todd Dills & Bucky Sinister: During a crazy 2006 tour through the West Coast, Our Young, Roving Correspondent caught up with numerous adrenaline-charged, sleep-deprived writers. Includes a lengthy discussion of The Boy Detective Fails. (MP3)

82. Kelly Link: The celebrated fantasy writer discusses her short stories. (MP3)

81. Mary Gaitskill: Author of Veronica. (MP3)

80. Edward P. Jones: Author of The Known World. (MP3)

79. Mark Z. Danielewski: Discussion of Only Revolutions. Features one of the most exuberant moments in the history of The Bat Segundo Show. (MP3)

78. Richard Dawkins: the author of The God Delusion discusses atheism and has his assumptions challenged in a very personal manner by Our Young, Roving Correspondent. (MP3)

77. Sam Savage: Litblog Co-Op podcast. Conversation in Madison, Wisconsin with the author of Firmin. (MP3)

76. Scott Smith: Author of The Ruins. (MP3)

75. George Ilsley & Matt Cheney: Litblog Co-Op podcast. Author of ManBug. (Interview conducted by Carolyn Kellogg.) (MP3)

74. Sidney Thompson & Jeff Bryant: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

73. Joe Eszterhas: The infamous screenwriter discusses how to make it in Hollywood. (MP3)

72. Nora Ephron: The famed writer and filmmaker discusses I Feel Bad About My Neck. (MP3)

71. Bouchercon 2006: Coverage of mystery convention. (MP3)

70. T.C. Boyle II: T.C. Boyle returns to Segundo to discuss Talk Talk. (MP3)

69. Annalee Newitz: Author of Pretend We’re Dead. (MP3)

68. Tommy Chong: One half of Cheech & Chong discusses his remarkable drug arrest and dishes dirt on comedy and his former partner. (MP3)

67. Pamela Ribon: Author, blogger, screenwriter. (MP3)

66. Daniel Handler: The man behind Lemony Snicket discusses his adult fiction. (MP3)

65. Julia Glass: Author of The Whole World Over. (MP3)

64. Victor Navasky: The publisher of The Nation discusses his life’s work and what it’s like to run an opinion journal that loses money. (MP3)

63. Alison Bechdel: Author of Fun Home. (MP3)

62. Carl Sheeler: Political candidate Carl Sheeler contacted The Bat Segundo Show asking for an interview. And who were we to deny him? Unfortunately, Sheeler didn’t care for our questions and accused Our Young, Roving Correspondent of being a Republican. (MP3)

61. Hillary Carlip & Annabelle Gurwitch: Authors of Queen of the Oddball and Fired. (MP3)

60. Robert Birnbaum: In a Boston cemetery, Our Young, Roving Correspondent talks with the prolific literary journalist. (MP3)

59. Jeff VanderMeer: New Weird fantasy author VanderMeer discusses his work, mushrooms, and taxonomies. (MP3)

58. A.M. Homes: The first of our conversations with provocative writer A.M. Homes. This conversation concerns itself with This Book Will Save Your Life. (MP3)

57. Jonathan Safran Foer: Author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. (MP3)

56. Dan Green & Michael Martone: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

55. David Mitchell II, Part Two: The second part our Black Swan Green discussion. (MP3)

54. David Mitchell II, Part One: Our first Segundo guest returns to discuss Black Swan Green in the first of a two-part conversation. (MP3)

53. Michael Orthofer & Betsy Wing: Litblog Co-Op podcast. Discussion with translator Betsy Wing. (MP3)

52. Dan Wickett & Kellie Wells: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

51. OGIC, Scott Esposito & Edie Meidav: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

50. John Updike: The famed author talks about Terrorist and is asked questions about his fiery BEA 2006 speech. (MP3)

49. Dave King: Author of The Ha-Ha. (MP3)

48. Colson Whitehead: Author of Apex Hides the Hurt. (MP3)

47. Hal Niedzviecki: The Canadian cultural commentator has a bone to pick with the “special” qualities of our society. (MP3)

46. BEA 2006 Part 4: The final part of our floor reports from BEA 2006. (MP3)

45. BEA 2006 Part 3: More floor reports from BEA 2006. (MP3)

44. Derik Badman & Jordan Stump: Litblog Co-Op podcast. Discussion with translator Jordan Stump. (MP3)

43. BEA 2006 Part 2: The second part of floor reports from BookExpo American 2006. (MP3)

42. BEA 2006 Part 1: The first part of floor reports from BookExpo America 2006. (MP3)

41. Carrie A.A. Frye & Yannick Muprhy: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

40. Dean Haspiel & Harvey Pekar: We talk with graphic novel legend Harvey Pekar and illustrator Dean Haspiel, who has illustrated much of Pekar’s work. (MP3)

39. The May Queen Panel: A late-night discussion at a hotel bar with several contributors to The May Queen about life as a woman in your thirties. (MP3)

38. Kassia Kroszer & Gina Frangello: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

37. Sarah Waters: The author of The Night Watch. (MP3)

36. Jeffrey Ford & Gwenda Bond: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

35. Sheila Heti & Mark Sarvas: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

34. Tom Tomorrow: The cartoonist behind Our Modern World. (MP3)

33. Alex Robinson: The third part of our APE 2006 coverage. This is a live panel conducted with Box Office Poison/Tricked author Alex Robinson. (MP3)

32. Alternative Press Expo #2: More floor reports from Alternative Press Expo 2006. (MP3)

31. Alternative Press Expo #1: The first part of our APE 2006 coverage, featuring floor reports from Our Young, Roving Correspondent. (MP3)

30. Erica Jong: The woman behind the “zipless fuck” talks about life, poetry, and Seducing the Demon. (MP3)

29. Jay McInerney: The Bright Lights, Big City author discusses The Good Life. (MP3)

28. Dana Spiotta: Author of Eat the Document. (MP3)

27. Ron Hogan: Author of The Stewardess is Flying the Plane. (MP3)

26. William T. Vollmann: The noted novelist discusses Copernicus and Europe Central. (MP3)

25. Jonathan Ames II: Jonathan Ames returns to Segundo to discuss his nonfiction writing. (MP3)

24. Liz Perle: Author of Money: A Memoir discusses women’s relationship with money. (MP3)

23. Kirstin Allio & Dan Wickett: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

22. Megan Sullivan, Rupert Thomson, Scott Esposito & Edward Falco: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

21. Ander Monson, Elizabeth Crane, Sam Jones & C. Max Magee: Litblog Co-Op podcast. (MP3)

20. Dave Barry: This very odd interview with the noted humorist also includes an unexpected skirmish with a smug Chronicle reporter. (MP3)

19. Jay Ryan: The Chicago poster artist discusses his craft. (MP3)

18. Chris Elliott: The man associated with David Letterman and Get a Life discusses his debut novel, The Shroud of the Thwacker. (MP3)

17. Mark Ames: The author of Going Postal discusses office massacres and revolution. (MP3)

Shows from 2005

16. Aimee Bender: The Los Angeles author discusses Willful Creatures. (MP3)

15. Octavia Butler: In one of her final interviews before her death, the MacArthur fellowship author discusses Fledgling. (MP3)

14. Jennifer Weiner: The famed chick lit author talks Goodnight Nobody. (MP3)

13. Lizzie Skurnick & Wendy Lesser: Interviews with poet/litblogger Lizzie Skurnick and Threepenny Review editor Wendy Lesser. (MP3)

12. Lydia Millet: Author of Oh Pure and Radiant Heart. (MP3)

11. Laila Lalami, Scott Esposito, Beth Wadell & Tito Perez: Our first roundtable podcast features a number of litbloggers assembling at Scott Esposito’s house discussing Laila Lalami’s Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits with the author herself! (MP3)

10. T.C. Boyle: Our first lively conversation with the prolific novelist T.C. Boyle has Our Young, Roving Correspondent asking the man questions on three hours of sleep. (MP3)

9. Laura Joplin: What’s it like being the sister of Janis Joplin? Despite a rather noisy coffee grinder in the background, Joplin offers some insight into the famed singer. (MP3)

8. Bret Easton Ellis: Ellis, the author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho, talks about Lunar Park and offers some forthright remarks on “being a wuss.” (MP3)

7. Periel Aschenbrand: Aschenbrand, the fiery force behind Body as Billboard, discusses her t-shirt empire and her book, The Only Bush I Trust Is My Own. (MP3)

6. Norman Solomon: The controversial journalist discusses War Made Easy and the relationship between the American media and war policy. (MP3)

5. Paula Kamen: Kamen discusses All in My Head, her memoir and study of chronic headaches. (MP3)

4. Amanda Filipacchi & Kevin Smokler: Two interviews in one show! Filipacchi discusses Love Creeps and the nature of exuberant writing, while Smokler (editor of Bookmark Now) ponders the future of books in an uncertain digital era. (MP3)

3. Jonathan Ames: While touring for the paperback of Wake Up, Sir, Jonathan Ames is rather surprised by the “French critic” questions asked of him. (MP3)

2. Dennis Loy Johnson, Valerie Merians & David Kipen: At BEA 2005, Our Young, Roving Correspondent tracks down the folks behind Melville House and discusses screenwriting with the effusive David Kipen. (MP3)

1. David Mitchell: The show that started it all. David Mitchell discusses Cloud Atlas with Our Young, Roving Correspondent, who was rather green at this point in the program. (MP3)