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Philip Roth in the Curious Case of the Dog and the Poisoned Hamburger

Last night French channel 5 showed a new interview with Philip Roth filmed especially for the French release of his novel “Exit Ghost” (Exit le fantôme). Which is available to watch here and which they report here.

In it, Roth is complimented on his vast, sunny, quiet Manhattan apartment, whereupon he complains to the French interviewer: “There’s a dog upstairs that barks. I’d like to give it a kick or some poisoned hamburger.” (Il y a un chien qui jappe au-dessus. J’aimerais lui donner un coup de pied ou un hamburger empoisonné.)

Sad that he still hasn’t won the Nobel Prize for Literature but not that surprising in the end, then, Roth didn’t win the Nobel Prize for Peace. Although, with the award going this year to Barack Obama for evoking unconditional love from the whole of western Europe, the criteria for that prize seem to be in a transitional phase.

Hat tip and more to Benjamin Ivry.

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