Conversations with Susan Sontag (Literary Conversations)
Poague has collected more than 20 interviews with Sontag, beginning with a 1969 conversation with Edwin Newman and moving on up through the decades. This chronological structure charts the progression of Sontag's books, the evolution of her viewpoints, and her rise in stature from a brash young critic mocking radical chic to a cancer survivor pondering the cultural dimensions of disease inIllness as Metaphor(1978). Sontag, preferring philosophy to biography, asked that genuine interviews rather than mere profiles be selected for this collection, but what is most exciting about these vibrant and intellectual dialogues is Sontag's curiosity and vitality and the glimpses we get into her life. Sontag's erudition and brilliance may be intimidating, but her passion for thought and language is invigorating and inspiring. And it's a pleasure to hear her speak about her education; admit, in an animatedRolling Stoneinterview with Jonathan Cott in 1978, that rock and roll liberated her from a sterile academic life; and describe her love of film and theater and ongoing involvement with great works of literature.Donna Seaman--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.