The Bat Segundo Show was a long-running cultural radio program devoted to quirky and very thorough long-form interviews with contemporary authors, idiosyncratic thinkers, and other assorted artists. Guests included David Lynch, Octavia Butler, John Waters, John Updike, Stephen Fry, Marilynne Robinson, Karen Russell, Weird Al Yankovic, Robert A. Caro, and more than 500 others. There was also a program called Follow Your Ears, which was a thematic investigative counterpart, in which I pursued a specific subject through several angles. The entire archive of what I did from 2005 to 2014 is included here.
David Mitchell is most recently the author of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. He previously appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #1 — the very program that started it all — along with a two-part podcast from 2006 (Show #54 and Show #55). Condition of Mr. Segundo: Annoyed by hotel security. Author: David […]
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MoreAdam Ross recently appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #349. Mr. Ross is most recently the author of Mr. Peanut. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Caught within the vertiginous sensation of a Mobius strip. Author: Adam Ross Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Ross: I think that what keeps us going day in and day […]
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MoreKen Russell is the director of such films as The Devils, Women in Love, Tommy, The Music Lovers, and Altered States. Beginning today, Russell’s films will be playing at the Film Society of Lincoln Center for one week (many of which are unavailable on video), where Russell himself will be appearing each evening. Considerable thanks […]
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MoreSally Potter is the writer and director of the 1992 film Orlando, adapted from the Virginia Woolf novel, which opens in re-release on July 23, 2010. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Hoping to live forever or die trying. Guest: Sally Potter Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: One interesting aspect about Orlando, from my […]
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MoreJennifer Weiner is most recently the author of Fly Away Home. Ms. Weiner previously appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #198 and The Bat Segundo Show #14. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Hoping to be frightened by The Motherland sometime soon. Author: Jennifer Weiner Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: It seems to me […]
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MoreDan Chaon is most recently the author of Await Your Reply. [PROGRAM NOTES: This conversation, conducted in May, was almost lost when a Seagate drive bit the dust. Considerable gratitude to data recovery specialist Wayman Ng, who managed to resuscitate this conversation from the grave. My apologies also to the very kind and patient Dan […]
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MoreDan Ariely is most recently the author of The Upside of Irrationality. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Looking about for Dichter’s egg. Author: Dan Ariely Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: The question is whether or not there is some kind of maximum threshold. An escalation of that one item that makes something unique […]
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MoreMarcy Dermansky is most recently the author of Bad Marie. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Misidentifying French landmarks and attempting to make peace with copy editors in sketchy motel rooms. Author: Marcy Dermansky Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: I want to touch upon coincidence. Because it does create possibly a problem for a […]
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MoreJohn Waters is most recently the author of Role Models. (Considerable gratitude to Wayman Ng, who resuscitated this conversation from the data grave.) Condition of Mr. Segundo: Comparing himself to unspecified reference groups in Mertonian social situations. Author: John Waters Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: You observe that listening to what Tennessee […]
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MoreReed Cowan appeared on The Bat Segundo Show #341. Mr. Cowan is most recently the director of 8: The Mormon Proposition, which opens in numerous theaters on June 18, 2010. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Conducting investigations on Dick Van Pattern’s possible Mormon connections. Guest: Reed Cowan Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: I […]
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MoreGary Rivlin is most recently the author of Broke USA: From Pawnshop to Poverty, Inc. — How the Working Poor Became Big Business. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Considering the advances of a seductive loan shark. Author: Gary Rivlin Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Rivlin: One in every five customers is taking twenty or […]
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MoreKathryn Schulz is most recently the author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Feeling wrong about whether or not he’s right. Author: Kathryn Schulz Subjects Discussed: [List forthcoming] EXCERPT FROM SHOW: Correspondent: I wanted to first of all start off with Thomas Kuhn, who you bring up a […]
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