2016
Don Swaim Interviews * RICHARD ADAMS
Celebrated for Watership Down
May 9, 1920-Dec 24, 2016 The great fantasy author writer was ninety-six. Watership Down was about a band of rabbits facing extinction who set out on a grand odyssey to find a new home.

Don's three-part interview with Adams: here
*

ELIE WIESEL
Eloquent Witness of the Holocaust
Sep 30, 1928-Jul 2, 2016
An Auschwitz survivor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Wiesel once said, "To remain silent and indifferent is the great sin of all."

Don interviewed Wiesel for a five-part CBS Book Beat series in 1989: listen

Don's unedited CBS Wired for Books interview: listen *

MICHAEL HERR
Novelist and Journalist
Apr 13, 1940-Jun 23, 2016 Herr (pronounced Hair) was celebrated for his fearsome novel of the Vietnam War, Dispatches, perhaps the greatest depiction ever of that disastrous war.

Don interviewed Herr on the occasion of his book Winchell, about the life and times of the controversial columnist: listen

Don's unedited CBS Wired for Books interview: listen
*

KATHERINE DUNN
Celebrated for Geek Love
Oct 24, 1945-May 11, 2016 Her best-known novel is the story of carnival workers who breed sideshow freaks, and was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Dunn spoke about Geek Love in a three-part interview: listen
*

PAT CONROY
Southern Novelist
Oct 26, 1945-Mar 4, 2016 Conroy plumbed his life and that of his family, including a sadistic father (The Great Santini), for his sprawling novels.

Don interviewed Conroy on the occasion of his book The Prince of Tides: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen
*

2015
Don Swaim Interviews
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PAUL WEST
Quirky and Prolific Novelist
Feb 23, 1930-Oct 18, 2015 West, born in Britian, educated at Oxford and Columbia, was married to the poet Diane Ackerman.

Don interviewed West about his book The Women of White Chapel and Jack the Ripper: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1990: listen *

OLIVER SACKS
Neurologist and Acclaimed Author
Jul 9, 1932-Aug 15, 2015

Don interviewed Sacks about his book Seeing Voices: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1990: listen *

E.L. DOCTOROW
American Literary Icon
Jan. 6, 1931-Jul 21, 2015

Winner of the Pen/Faulkner Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, American Book Award, and finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

Don Swaim's five-part interview with Doctorow: listen

Doctorow vies with John Updike, International PEN Congress 3/10/86: listen

Doctorow receives 1986 American Book Award: listen

Doctorow publishes classic essay about a failed president, Easthampton Star, 9/9/04: here

Doctorow booed by George W. Bush supporters at Hoftra University, Newsday, 5/24/04: here

Doctorow at home, The New York Times, 9/2/09: here

Don's unedited Wired for Books interview with Doctorow: listen

*

RUTH RENDELL
Writer of British Thrillers
Feb 17, 1930-May 2, 2015

Don interviewed Rendell about her novel Going Wrong: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1991: listen *

GUNTER GRASS
Nobel Prize-winning Author
Oct 16, 1927-Apr 13, 2015

My first direct exposure to Grass was at the International PEN International Conference in New York in 1986 where he clashed with Peru's Mario Vargas Liosa: listen

Six years later I interviewed Grass on the occasion of his novel The Call of the Toad. listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview with Grass in 1992: listen *

IVAN DOIG
Great Western Writer
Jun 27, 1939-Apr 9, 2015

Don interviewed Doig about his novel Dancing at the Rascal Fair: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1987: listen *

STAN FREBERG
Humorist & Radio Satirist
Aug 7, 1926-Apr 7, 2015

Don interviewed Freberg about his memoir It Only Hurts When I Laugh: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1989: listen *

SAMUEL CHARTERS
Jazz and Blues Historian
Aug 1, 1929-Mar. 18, 2015

Don interviewed Charters on this occasion of his book Jelly Roll Morton's Last Night: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1984: listen *

ANDRE BRINK
Great South African Author
Apr. 29, 1933-Jan. 29, 2015

Don interviewed Brink on this occasion of his book Wall of the Plague: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1985: listen *

ROD McKUEN
Poet, Songwriter, Singer
May 29, 1935-Feb. 6, 2015

Don interviewed McKuen on this occasion of his book Intervals: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen *

ROBERT STONE
Merry Prankster Turned Serious Writer
Aug. 21, 1937- Jan 10, 2015

I interviewed Stone twice during my CBS days. His novel Dog Soldiers, which won the National Book Award in 1975, was made into an only fair movie retitled Who'll Stop the Rain with Nick Nolte. Stone was a member of Ken Kesey's notorious Merry Pranksters. When I asked Stone about it -- it's in one of the interviews -- he replied, "Who doesn't like a party?"

three-part Book Beat broadcast 5-5-86: listen

five-part Book Beat broadcast 5-18-92: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen

unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1992: listen