TimesTalks: Martin Amis, Margaret Atwood, and E.L. Doctorow 

Amis is on superb form here, as usual.

Martin Amis, as always, interesting and truthful as a writer, never preachy.

Intelligent. Bold, The participants were provocateurs rather than prosy and pursy pedants. The questions from the audience more than demonstrated how involved and focused they were in the conversation.

Martin Amis, wonderful. See you in Bath on Wednesday. Greatest living writer.

Absolutely wonderful.

Refreshing.

"Joseph K in the Trial, he had a hard time but no one asked him to take his clothes off!" The wonderful E.L. Doctorow!

Am I the only person that kept fast forwarding to the Martin Amis parts?

Superb!

Thanks! :-)

(brian) witty, erudite conversations. the best type of forum. different points of view - which is what the assignment asked for - revealing strong memory, sharp focus, warm synergy. i've seen a lot of amis talking (and enjoy his learned, deferential manner) but not doctorrow or atwood. these two older writers also wear their knowledge lightly. Melville, Dr Johnson, Dreiser, Chekhov, Shakespeare and others illustrate arguments. lots of comedy, especially hearty from margaret atwood. a.o. scott keeps the ball rolling...

Is it just me, or does E.L. Doctorow sound just like Noam Chomsky?

Starts at 5:30

A.O. Scott is so uncomfortable and nervous. I feel for him. Surrounded by such heavy weight thinkers...he is giddy.

Margaret Atwood is such a badass crone. She never backs down when her well considered points are challenged or dismissed by men.

Both MAs made half-hearted attempts to fight back against the sheer boringness of the others but you would really have to care enough to hang on in there.

Not much about writing here.

this is a joke right?

Amis is wrong to say that the universe is more intelligent that we are. A universe cannot be intelligent and he's getting very close to the watchmaker analogy of William Paley, so well debunked by Richard Dawkins and co.