Jonathan Lethem
In conversation with Michael Tolkin, novelist and screenwriter
The protagonist of Lethem's romantic farce - set among members of an aspiring rock band in L.A. - works at the Complaint Line, listening to anonymous callers air random grievances. A funny and affectionate send-up of the alternative band scene, the city of Los Angeles, and the entire genre of romantic comedy.
Jonathan Lethem is the author of six novels, including the bestsellers The Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is also the author of two short story collections, Men and Cartoons, and The Wall of the Sky, the Wall of the Eye, and a collection of essays, The Disappointment Artist. He’s a recent recipient of a MacArthur Award. He lives in Brooklyn, on the street where he grew up… but for his new novel, he strays from his hometown to our hometown (about which he cheerfully admits to knowing nothing) to recount the near-fame experience of an alternative rock band.
Unless otherwise indicated, ALOUD programs take place at the Los Angeles Central Library's Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071.
