William Gaddis in Conversation

From 1986: William Gaddis in Conversation with Malcolm Bradbury.
Apologies for the poor(-ish) quality; I'm not a technical fellow, and this interview is only available on VHS. Hopefully you'll be able to hear the interview well enough.

• Category

  Education

[JayGatsbyOdysseus]

Why was Gaddis not in WWII? He was born in 1922. This was a great year of birth for witers. I think Vonnegut, Mailer, Steinbeck, Heller, and John Updike were all born in this year but I am not sure. I am sure that Vonnegut and Mailer were in WWII.

[DireKwanzaaquences]

Gaddis graduated from high school in 1941, and then attended Harvard, where he Lampooned rather than bayonetted.

[JayGatsbyOdysseus]

So, he graduates in the spring of '41 then there is Pearl Habor and we enter WWII. Why was Gaddis not in WWII?

[DireKwanzaaquences]

A little research shows he was exempted from service for medical reasons, though I've not been able to track down the nature of the condition.

Incidentally, of the five writers you mentioned originally, only Kurt Vonnegut was born in 1922. The others were born in 1923, 1902, 1923, and 1932, respectively.

[wasteyelo1]

Is Recognitions out of print or something? Surely not. I ask because I can't find it any where for less the £11. I realise I probably sound like a right cheapskate but, times is hard. :-)

[DireKwanzaaquences]

Dalkey Archive just put out a new edition a short time ago (with a fine introduction by William Gass), which is widely available here in the U.S., but perhaps less so abroad. Bookfinder dotcom will help you find the cheapest available options of both new and used copies internationally, though there are fewer copies out there than one would think. I'd strongly suggest saving up and splurging though-- well worth it!

[grsvfdsvgvr1]

This interview represents all that is good about youtube. Thanks a lot for posting.

[Chad Felix]

thanks for this!

[Garmct]

There was a great deal of talk about facing reality. By 1986 , everyone, even my 4 year old daughter, knew that cigarettes killed. We're they both so despondent that they didn't care ? Or were they ignoring the obvious? Also Gaddis was surprisinly inarticulate for someone who was know for the length of his novels.

[MJB0625]

Heller was in World War II. Updike was twelve when the war ended.

[Ryan Ortega]

Ha! A Crimson Man, I believe.

[sirsurfalot2012]

Thanks for uploading. The audio can be heard clearly and picture is fine. Very interesting.

[sirsurfalot2012]

He influenced Pynchon they say which would make him one of the majors in that feat alone wouldn't it?

[suledrake]

Exactly! I've seen so many amazing interviews with artists on here. Frankly, it's an education.