Will Self at Humber Mouth, 2007. Wikimedia, Walnut Whippet.
1. Will Self, Authors at Google, November 09, 2007. This video is very engaging and funny. Self discusses his somewhat performance based nonfiction work, "Psycho-Geography." It's a collection of essays that are driven humorously and incisively while unified by a very strong and relevant concept: how we continue to be spatially remapped by modernity through choices in architecture, commerce, and the technologies of transport. Self deadpans observational humor with gags that point to the ways in which we participate in psychologically divorcing ourselves from the very physical realities that we occupy. He justifiably but also fruitfully cites Debord, commands a brief history of transport, and captivatingly dusts off terms such as 'eutechnical,' a word he all defines, spells, and teaches you to pronounce. After a thorough contextual introduction he feels comfortable enough to select something to read, which is actually the perfect selection for the occasion, and is also remarkably well performed. will-self.com.
2. Martin Amis on Tony Blair, November 2007. This is a video of Amis doing what he also does well which is performing his journalistic self. Rarely a disappointment, his non-fiction prose retains its signature lucidity and well-tempered psychological metrics but it also features the added benefit of knowing roughly where he's going before he takes you there. Furthermore, you get the reassurance that his subject is grounded in some concrete reality shared by all, leaving his wits to the task of disassembling, rather. The music is nice. I would be interested in seeing more. www.martinamisweb.com.
3. Philip Roth. On his super stardom. Check out part 2 as well. Here Roth and Ben Taylor discuss "Indignation."
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