First hour: The authors of the new collaborative novel, "Fourteen Days," on their work and the state of the literary world
Second hour: Beatlemania and 60th anniversary of the Beatles' first live TV performance in the U.S.
When a group of some of the nation’s best-known authors embarked on a project during the pandemic, it helped launch a new literary genre: the collaborative novel. Co-edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston, “Fourteen Days” tells the story of a handful of New York City residents who gather each evening on the rooftop of their Manhattan apartment building during the first two weeks of the pandemic lockdown. Each has a tale to share. This hour, we talk with three of the 36 authors who contributed to the project – as well as two local literary experts – about the new genre and about how writers have been affected by the pandemic, school and library book bans, AI, and more. Our guests:
- Douglas Preston, co-editor and author of “Fourteen Days” and president of the Authors Guild
- Tess Gerritsen, co-author of “Fourteen Days”
- Roxana Robinson, co-author of “Fourteen Days” and former president of the Authors Guild
- Kyle Semmel, writer and literary translator
- Chad Post, publisher for Open Letter Press
Then in our second hour, 60 years ago today, the Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time. Two days later, the group made its live American television debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” with 70 million Americans tuning in from home. This hour, we discuss how Beatlemania helped shape American music and culture. Our guests:
- John Covach, director of the Institute for Popular Music and professor of music in the Arthur Satz Department of Music at the University of Rochester, and professor of theory at the Eastman School of Music
- Lisa Fybush, Beatles collector and host of “The Tragical History Tour” on Rochester Free Radio
- Dave Kane, host of “Breakfast with the Beatles” on The Route
