Conversations with Kingsley Amis

Soon after Kingsley Amis (1922-1995) published his first novel, Lucky Jim, in 1954, he became an object of literary and journalistic scrutiny. This attention would continue until his last days, four decades and forty books later. This book of interviews includes both the first and last interviews Amis gave. Celebrated by reviewers and critics for his wit and irreverence, Amis rose to the occasion whenever interviewed. His clever and common-sense views covered everything from the state of the novel and current intellectual trends to the circumstances of his domestic life. Not many writers can hold the interest of inquisitors from both Penthouse and the Economist as Amis does. English periodicals of all varieties sought out Amis for his opinions on cultures both high and low. Along the way, he also entertained literary interrogators from the Paris Review and other journals, including talks with a number of distinguished men of letters such as Clive James, Michael Barber, and John Mortimer. Thomas DePietro, a widely published book critic based in Eastchester, New York, is editor of Conversations with Don DeLillo (University Press of Mississippi).