Philip Roth and David Remnick getting personal (2001)

Philip Roth, turning 70 in 2003, granted a rare BBC interview to David Remnick of The New Yorker, marking a shift from his usual aversion to interviews. Remnick, a devoted admirer who had read Roth's work obsessively since youth, cultivated a complex decade-long partnership with the celebrated author that revealed dynamics of literary power, fandom, and the transactional nature of journalism. Their collaboration produced extensive material for The New Yorker and involved Roth in efforts to shape his legacy and defend fellow writers' reputations.