Colum McCann on Writers on Writing, KUCI-FM

Colum McCann's latest, Apeirogon, is inspired by the real-life relationship between two men — Bassam Aramin (a Palestinian) and Rami Elhanan (an Israeli)—both of whom lost young daughters in the Middle East conflict. Part nonfiction, part imagination, the book weaves history, science, music, art, nature, and politics to bring depth and complexity to these characters' lives and their girls' deaths. McCann joins Marrie Stone to talk about the novel, its complex structure, how he uses subconscious associations to create texture and depth, his literary obsessions, using real life people to spin his fiction, and much more. Download audio.   (Broadcast date: March 4, 2020)