Caption: Robert Olen Butler
Robert Olen Butler 

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler on "Hell"

Series: New Letters on the Air
From: New Letters on the Air
Length: 00:28:56

Writer Robert Olen Butler discusses writing "from where you dream," which he says too many writers are guilty of not doing. He reads from his dream-like short story collections SEVERANCE and INTERCOURSE, as well as his newest novel, HELL. Read the full description.

Butler_robert_small Pulitzer Prize-winning short story writer, Robert Olen Butler follows his recent story collections,  Intercourse and Severance, with his novel,  Hell. Making humorous bows to Dante and Virgil, Butler follows a TV newsman on his pursuit of a breaking story about Satan through this underworld inhabited with characters ranging from Henry the VIII’s Anne Boleyn to Humphrey Bogart. He reads from the book and also talks about his views on the creative process, which are included in his non-fiction book, From Where You Dream.

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Piece Description

Pulitzer Prize-winning short story writer, Robert Olen Butler follows his recent story collections,  Intercourse and Severance, with his novel,  Hell. Making humorous bows to Dante and Virgil, Butler follows a TV newsman on his pursuit of a breaking story about Satan through this underworld inhabited with characters ranging from Henry the VIII’s Anne Boleyn to Humphrey Bogart. He reads from the book and also talks about his views on the creative process, which are included in his non-fiction book, From Where You Dream.

Broadcast History

Uplinked to PRSS' Content Depot on 9/4/2009 for broadcast on public radio stations.

Timing and Cues

UPLINK DATE: 09/04/2009
PROGRAM LENGTH: 29:00 minutes
INCUE: (music) "Robert Olen Butler began his literary career..."
OUTCUE: "...Thanks for listening to New Letters on the Air."

Spoken promo: Next time on New Letters on the Air... Fiction writer Robert Olen Butler talks about the dangers of approaching writing as an intellectual pursuit rather than finding inspiration “from where you dream.” He reads from his own dream-like works that take on serious situations with deadly comedy. Robert Olen Butler, next time on New Letters on the Air...

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
Ishikari Lore Kevin MacLeod Royalty Free Music. incompetech.com 00:00
Skye Cuillan Kevin MacLeod Royalty Free Music. incompetech.com 00:00
Some Amount of Evil Kevin MacLeod Royalty Free Music. incompetech.com 00:00
Feels Like Home Studio Cutz Acoustic Brew. Studio Cutz Production Library 00:30
Passing Time Studio Cutz Light & Bright II. Studio Cutz Production Library 00:00

Additional Credits

New Letters on the Air is a production of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the quarterly literary magazine NEW LETTERS. Partial financial support also comes from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

Related Website

http://www.newletters.org/radio