This week Alex and Wesley invite Juliet Litman to read from the Q&A that appeared this week on the New York Times’s T magazine blog. They occasionally interrupt the reading to unpack such statements as “There’re no novels that I like to read so I write my own novels, and then I read them again, and it’s the best thing” and speculate about how two affluent children arrive at this view of the world.

Next, it’s on to Sonic Highways, in which the Foo Fighters travel to eight American cities for an exploration of each location’s musical scene. It’s a fan’s odyssey that’s supposed to inspire an emotional rock album. Alex gets to explore his complicated feelings about the band’s frontman, Dave Grohl, who receives directing credit and conducts interviews with important musicians.

Also: Don’t forget. The next book club title is A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. That’s for the December 2 episode.

Listen to the podcast here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix_9T6ecKSQ

Here are links to topics discussed in this week’s show.

Jaden and Willow Smith

“Jaden and Willow Smith on Prana Energy, Time and Why School is Overrated,” T Magazine blog, November 17, 2014

“Lightning Round: Willow and Jaden Smith’s Completely Bats-​-​t ‘T’ Magazine Interview Contains the Secrets of the Universe,” Grantland, November 18, 2014

“5,” Willow and Jaden Smith, live at the Fader Fort, 2014

“Whip My Hair,” Willow Smith, music video, 2010

Sonic Highways

Sonic Highways, 2014, HBO

“More Songs About Buildings: Foo Fighters’ ‘Sonic Highways’ and Dave Grohl’s Lifelong Search for Inspirational Architecture,” Grantland, November 10, 2014

“Composing with Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters,” 60 Minutes Overtime, October 26, 2014

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