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NOVEL NOVELS

Program 11-06-12-A

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Is Jennifer Egan's book, "A Visit from the Goon Squad," a novel or is it a series of entangled stories? It's a fair question because this polyphonic narrative covers a lot of territory – from satire to tragedy told from a wide range of characters' points of view. And one chapter takes the form of a PowerPoint Presentation. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, Egan talks about her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, as we explore novel novels.

SEGMENT 1:

Experimental novels didn't start with James Joyce, or even Cervantes. They go back to the beginning of civilization. Jennifer Egan's new novel is called "A Visit from the Goon Squad," and it's received the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2011 Pulitzer Prize. Jennifer Egan tells Steve Paulson all about her polyphonic narrative.

SEGMENT 2:

Steven Moore has written several books on modern literature. His latest is a massive treatment called "The Novel: An Alternative History, Beginnings to 1600." Moore tells Steve Paulson there is a rich history of experimental fiction.

SEGMENT 3:

Novelist Christopher Miller's debut novel "Sudden Noises from Inanimate Objects" has been called "funny, sinister, and endlessly inventive." He tells Jim Fleming about the novel, which takes the form of liner notes for a box set by a fictional musician. Miller is also the author of "The Cardboard Universe: A Guide to the World of Phoebus K. Dank." Jeff Bursey is a Canadian author and reviewer whose new book is called "Verbatim: A Novel." It's set in a fictional province and presented in the form of the "Hansard," (sort of the Canadian equivalent of the Congressional Record.)

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 11-06-12-A.

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Books & CDs:

Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad (Anchor Books)
Christopher Miller, Sudden Noises from Inanimate Objects: A Novel in Liner Notes (Mariner Books)
Christopher Miller, The Cardboard Universe: A Guide to the World of Phoebus K. Dank (Harper Perennial)
Jeff Bursey, Verbatim: A Novel (Enfield & Wizenty)
Steven Moore, The Novel: An Alternative History: Beginnings to 1600 (Continuum)

Websites:

• JENNIFER EGAN UNEDITED INTERVIEW
• Jennifer Egan
  http://jenniferegan.com/
  "A Visit from the Goon Squad "PowerPoint presentation http://jenniferegan.com/books
  
• -- Steven Moore
  http://www.stevenmoore.info/
  
• -- Christopher Miller
  http://tinyurl.com/3wjtrpn
  http://tinyurl.com/3g2j6np
  
• -- Jeff Bursey
  http://www.jeffbursey.com/
  

Music:

• -- Music heard during Jennifer Egan interview:
  -- "Closing Time"/Semisonic
  from the CD, "Feeling Strangely Fine" (Geffen Records)
  
• -- Music heard after Jennifer Egan interview:
  -- "Pick Up the Pieces"/AWB
  from the CD, "Rock Instrumental Classics, Volume 3: The Seventies" (Rhino)
  
• -- Music heard after Steven Moore interview:
  -- "So Now Then"/Jon Brion
  from the CD, "Magnolia: Original Motion Picture Score" (Reprise Records)
  
• -- Music heard during Christopher Miller interview:
  -- "Imaginary Landscape"/John Cage
  from the CD, "Forbidden Planets: Music from the Pioneers of Electronic Sound" (Chrome Dreams)
  -- "Kinderszenen, Opus 15: 1. Von Fremden Landern Und Menschen"/Vladimir Horowitz from the CD, "Schumann: Kinderszenen & Kreisleriana" (Deutsche Grammophon)
  -- "Etudes Australes, First Part, Volume 1, Etude II/Claudio Crismani from the CD, "John Cage: Etudes australes" (Realsound)
  
• -- Music heard after Christopher Miller interview:
  -- "Liquid Spear Waltz"/Michael Andrews
  from the CD, "Donnie Darko: Music from the Original Motion Picture Score" (Enjoy Records)
  
• -- Music heard after Jeff Bursey interview:
  -- "The Artifact & Living"/Michael Andrews from the CD, "Donnie Darko: Music from the Original Motion Picture Score" (Enjoy Records)

Distribution dates: week of 06/12/2011 - hour 1 click HERE for timings and cues

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