World of books, world of memories

Here it is, my 500th weekly column for this newspaper. Additionally the Book Nook show I host for WYSO Public Radio began 20 years ago. Books captivate me. These milestones inspired reflections. Immersion in the world of books has led to memorable experiences:

One day I got a phone call at WYSO. A famous author I have interviewed numerous times was driving from New Orleans to Chicago. She wanted to stop in Yellow Springs to introduce me to Bill, her companion. She thought that Bill and I might just get along. She was right. Bill has become a great friend of mine.

Ten years ago I was getting ready to spend three weeks in Lithuania, the land of my ancestors. First I went to visit my friend Bill in Chicago. Bill asked me to ride along as he picked up his friend, the oral historian Studs Terkel, at the airport. We ended up at the Terkel residence where Studs mixed us cocktails and inscribed copies of his books for this utterly starstruck book reviewer.

I brought my shortwave radio along to Lithuania. While listening to the BBC World Service I heard that the president of Lithuania was going be impeached that very day.

I called National Public Radio and filed a report which ran that evening on All Things Considered.

My friend Bill took me to a book signing with the actor Gene Hackman.

Afterwards Hackman invited us out for some cocktails. At one point Hackman asked me what I thought about a particular novel by Cormac McCarthy. Astonished to be asked, I was speechless.

I received a guided tour of Los Angeles from the crime writer Robert Crais. We ended up at a party for the crime writer Michael Connelly. At the party there were crime writers everywhere.

There have been tough interviews. One in particular made me nervous. It was the most difficult interview for me. Several years later I posed one more question to this writer. She said yes. I have been married to Amy for nearly 16 years.

At Book Expo in Washington, D.C., Bill got us into a party thrown by the New Yorker magazine. It was the hottest party around. I found myself in conversation with David Remnick, the editor of the New Yorker. I was actually able to speak this time.

There was a party in Beverly Hills at the home of Larry King. Yes, that Larry King. It was a party for the billionaire Ted Turner to mark the release of Ted’s memoir. Larry King never spoke to me. Ted Turner was very talkative.

I did a live radio interview with Whitley Streiber. He described being abducted by aliens. After the interview ended I asked listeners to pledge their financial support for WYSO. The phone rang. A listener told me that she had enjoyed the interview and wished to make a donation.

Two days later her check for $50,000 arrived in the mail. I’m grateful to all the book lovers who read my columns and listen to my interviews.