#35 - Robert Roper, author of Nabokov in America
June 15, 2015
Robert Roper is the author of a new book, Nabokov in America, that traces the influence of Vladimir Nabokov's 20 years living and working in the United States on what would become his best-known (and arguably best) works. Roper's books tells the story of Nabokov's flight from France as the Nazis invaded, how he traveled around the US every summer in search of butterflies, and how America fed meaning into his writing, producing works like Lolita, Pnin, and Pale Fire. In our conversation, Roper and I discussed how he came to write this book, what he learned while doing so, and his other work, including his most recent novel (set in Berkeley, where Roper lives) and his teaching.
Production assistance on this episode from Tim Dobbs, who is not responsible for all the background noise and Beatles songs you can hear behind the interview.