LxL Author Talks Series - Episode 01 - Adam Levin

[@absurdistoxymoron]

This series sounds so promising. Look forwarding to listening to the whole episode. Easily the best BookTube channel

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Very, very kind of you to say!

[@armandof6453]

Chris, your abilities as a reader continue to astound. And you also make for a great interviewer. This was a very interesting watch. Looking forward to further entries in this series.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Very kind of you to say. Thank you so much for the affirmation and encouragement. More to come, for sure!

[@americanbrunch3611]

100% was unaware of Adam Levin until Chris covered him on the channel some time ago. Since then, I’ve read all his work and this interview feels full circle. Also came across a copy of Novel Explosives in the wild! Well done, Chris. Keep going for us nerds

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Ahhhhh, how wonderful on all counts! High five!

[@bluupadoop]

What a treat! So close to my finishing catching up on his most recent releases too, quite serendipitous. Thanks to both of you for being so wonderful 👍

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I love literary serendipity! All best!

[@tommarsh5083]

This was so enjoyable - you're a brilliant interviewer and I'm looking forward to more from this series!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thank you so much for the feedback and encouragement! The next episode will be on July 14.

[@joseramirez-hh2sw]

What an introduction hype is real

[@LeafbyLeaf]

It was a great time!

[@brockeldon444]

Hell yeah. Smoke that dart, Adam! Such a great, cozy discussion. I can't wait for more of these. I've read Adam's books but never seen an interview. Very personable. Great talk, guys 👍

[@TheWorldWithintheWord]

Great chat! Read Levin for the first time last year with Mount Chicago. Reckon I want to get through both The Instructions and Bubblegum before this year's out.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much! I also highly recommend his short fiction collected in _Hot Pink_ !

[@akeeperofsheep]

This is great! I discovered Adam Levin from your video covering his work, and he's become one of my all time favorite writers. Great questions! Thank you so much for this.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

What a joy to have aided in your discovery!

[@printerdontwork]

Probably the best way ever to promote an author. Love it Chris

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much for the affirmation!

[@Booksandchess]

I read Bubblegum on your recommendation a year ago and it shot up my favorite books list. Can’t wait for this new edition of The Instructions! Love this interview and cannot wait for more of these. Levin is a favorite author of mine already. Seems like Vollmann is inevitable now too…surely!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

So thrilled you took a chance on _Bubblegum_ and connected with it! Vollmann doesn't connect to the internet, so I'd have to either do it over the telephone or...fly to Sacramento!

[@Booksandchess]

@@LeafbyLeaf I thought the same thing about the internet hurdle. But an audio interview would still be excellent (even if it isn’t as conducive to this video format). Regardless, I look forward to your next interview whoever it will be! Your questions were very thoughtful and fun.

[@MYMOTHERISAFISH-ci2ts]

Next would be an interview with Pynchon

[@LeafbyLeaf]

That would be unreal. I'd just sit there tongue-tied while he rambled on about nanoprocessors in space and its affect on laundry detergent or something.

[@MYMOTHERISAFISH-ci2ts]

@@LeafbyLeaf or obscure 90's b films and their impact on the us judiciary.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

XD

[@rooruffneck]

This is great. On so many levels. I hope that Evan Dara's work can somehow find its way into Leaf by Leaf.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Almost all of my reading of Dara predates the channel, but I do have a video on _PROVISIONAL BIOGRAPHY OF MOSE EAKINS_ : kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6rPlIKcZsZmqNE

[@rooruffneck]

@@LeafbyLeaf Thanks for the link!

[@B4CKWARDS_CH4RM]

Looking forward to any other conversations with authors you can have! Levin seems like such a great guy and conversationalist, the perfect person to talk to starting off the series. Definitely will have to check out his work.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I couldn't agree more. Adam was the perfect person with whom to kick this off. So much fun to talk to. Amazingly cool and down to earth guy. And one heck of a writer!

[@fuzzyheadhcy7930]

My first exposure to Levin’s work was Bubblegum, which was just so different from so many of the other books being put out right now that I had to start looking into his other books. Amazing video as always

[@rooruffneck]

Ah, Bubblegum. Those letters from mom. They killed and rebuilt me.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I am so thrilled to discover all of you who connected with _Bubblegum_ !

[@ubik2388]

I'm always down for an Adam Levin interview. I hope we can expect more interviews on the channel in the future.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

That's the plan!

[@estebanmejia3473]

Wow, this new series is exciting!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thank you!

[@jacquesciesla2550]

Fasinating conversation! Thanks for introducing me to Adam's work, Chris!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

My pleasure!

[@JD-td8kl]

See if you can get Mircea Cartarescu on!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

That would be WILD! Who knows, though...

[@ethang.miller4861]

This is perfect timing, I just stumbled upon bubblegum at a book store in Chicago and started and I am blown away so far.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Honestly, I think _Bubblegum_ is my favorite Levin so far. Outstanding work of imaginative literature.

[@MaximTendu]

It took me a couple of days to watch this interview, but it was totally worth it. You're becoming the spiritual successor of Michael Silverblatt, only blonder.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

That is an enormous (and funny) compliment! Honestly, though, he will never have a successor.

[@jameshumphries7272]

This is absolutely amazing Chris. Thank you. Looking forward to so many more.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much for all the encouragement!

[@dehiscence]

Wow, this has to be one of my favorite author interviews. Haven’t listened to enough Silverblatt to make a fair comparison, but this was really engaging even though I never read Levin prior to this.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thank you so very much! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!

[@marcelhidalgo1076]

I've noticed a lot of books are getting compared to Sebald now too.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Funny how these waves and phases ebb and flow. I can tell you that _The Instructions_ is nothing like Sebald. :)

[@ann-marieodonnell6102]

Wonderful way to spend my Friday afternoon. Looking forward to this. I first read The Instructions after your video on it. I borrowed from the library so I would love my own copy to sit alongside his other books.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much! Hoe you enjoy(ed) it!

[@jamesyouwere]

The Instructions was the first book I read last year, and my favorite. All year long, nothing topped it for me.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

It's a great book, indeed!

[@harleyduck]

I scored Bubblegum on a discount rack a while ago, this might just be the impetus to crack open that gigantic pink rectangle.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Haha, yes, it is _the_ pink rectangle of literature.

[@marcelhidalgo1076]

So glad you're doing this... I've wanted BTF to do this for awhile

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I would love to see a similar series on BTF, too!

[@dehiscence]

The wait was definitely worth it

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Very kind!

[@ana-anatomiadolivro-2244]

This series is going to be amazing!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@brianclary8205]

This looks like it will be worth the wait. Thanks Chris!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Hope you enjoy it! All best!

[@meyersmegafictionalmusings7692]

What a cool idea Chris! Looking forward to more!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thank you, thank you!

[@thefullshelf1877]

Loved this!! Can’t wait to watch more of this series.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@tommiller6853]

What a treat! Was stoked to see this pop up.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@ELECDUBMETAL]

Yes, Jesse Ball -- that would be a great choice for an conversation. He will bring to your (our) community a different - more european, more philosophicall - flavour. Also, the way he writes will blow your mind (for example: he wrote his "Autoportrait" in 24h straight). He's a great writer - in the vein of Kafka, Ágota Kristóf or Daniil Kharms - and a especially interesting human being!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I am very interested in his work, especially _Autoportrait_ since it was inspired by Levé. Thanks!

[@tedfowler2293]

This series is gonna be great

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@JBB31787]

Great job, Chris!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@maxkproductions]

this is gonna be such a good series!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks!

[@andrewmatthews9753]

This is awesome looking forward to more

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@Ematched]

Bro! This is wonderful.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@LukeSpiegler]

Heard you're getting Pynchon for episode two

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Still waiting to hear back from Melanie Jackson ;)

[@HugaHoodie95]

One thing I would love to hear is about how a writer who is like Levin, in the sense that they enjoy the sentence-by-sentence formal play of constructing language organically, can write their first book without having 8 or 9 hours a day? Do they stick with short fiction and poetry until fortune gives them a turn and maybe allows them the hourage to try their hand at novels? Anything on this would be helpful. I write 3 hours 5am-8am before setting off for my 9-5, but i'm expecting a child so i anticipate I'll do 0-1 hour a day for the next year at least....

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I will pass your question along to Adam and circle back if/when he responds.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

As promised, here's Adam's reply to your comment: " I often DID have 8 or 9 hours a day, usually 5-7. The way I did it was to a) take about nine years to do it, b) arrange my adjuncting schedule such that i had a couple weekdays off per week, c) give up on the idea of earning more money than i needed to eat, drink coffee, and pay rent, and d) go out at night once every couple weeks at most. I don't think I could do that again. I was in my twenties and early thirties and didn't have health insurance most of the time, but wasn't afraid of that, and it turned out, very luckily, that I didn't need to be afraid of that, but I nonetheless should have been. That is: one should have health insurance. I fear this answer is a downer so far, but your subscriber, if they're really waking up to write 5AM-8AM every day will always end up fine. Doing that kinda thing likely means she has no choice but to keep doing that kind of thing, and I believe that's the biggest deal of all. 0 hours a day, I think, should be avoided at all costs, but maybe that's just me. Whenever I'm really pressed for time in the morning (it doesn't happen that much; I'm childless), I make sure to give myself at least twenty minutes to LOOK at what I'm working on. If I don't do that, I'm lost for awhile. Having said all of that, I know that George Saunders wrote much of his first collection during stolen quarter-hours at work and at home (he had two babies there), and that collection, CIVILWARLAND IN BAD DECLINE, is one of the all-time great collections, so...I have hope for your subscriber!"

[@HugaHoodie95]

@@LeafbyLeaf Wow. I just want to say Chris thank you so much for passing the question on -- and also thank you for all the work you do. I've taken many great recommendations from your channel! Thanks so much for your response Adam. I know you must be very busy, so please don't think my extended response demands another reply of your own -- I just want to honour the thoughtfulness of your comment with one of mine in return. I work from home 3 days per week and occasionally try to sneak in 15 mins work on one of the numerous short stories my eyes have gone bloodshot staring at. It's refreshing to hear that Saunders did something similar -- I love his work, and I'm inspired to see that great pieces like that can be created even when taxed for time. The 5-8 thing is something I try to remain consistent with, although i should have clarified that recently I've had to fit reading into this time so that I can be with my partner in the evenings, which is also when I cook her dinner and clean the house (usually we'd split it but she's pregnant atm). I've been trying to tinker around with sentences in my head during chore time (though not during partner time ofc), although I'm someone who prefers to think on paper. Either way -- I still have three hours, so I can try to make the best of that. The thing about taking 20 mins or so to look at whatever you're working on is really helpful to hear -- I'm often in a rush in life, and in those situations I'm usually guilty of sitting there paralysed wondering how best to make up the time that's slipping away from me. Just sitting down and writing/reading work for 20 minutes would definitely make for a better use of that time than panicking about the loss of it would, so that advice is duly noted. Totally agree on the socialising and money things -- I'll work to earn whatever my daughter needs but I have no aspirations for wealth or luxury - just enough to be safe and secure; and I socialise 0-1 times per week, which I prefer. Thanks once again -- your reply has given me a lot of hope and has solidified my conviction to carry on and do whatever i can whenever i can.

[@misquotedbuffalo7125]

Woo hoo I broke my finger so I have to Type this with my tongue. My phone is unclean As well

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Somehow this comment is so right.

[@cilliansands6166]

You're so cool. Also, I'm sitting next to my brand new copy of Bubblegum; thank you for selling me (another) book.

[@pynchonsez]

Spoil it for me: any hints as to upcoming/in-progress Levin works?

[@jackwalter5970]

Fantastic!

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Thanks so much!

[@michaelchen6017]

Epic. Still chasing that Bubblegum high

[@lazycalc2533]

Book almost made me quit reading tbh

[@rooruffneck]

@@lazycalc2533 Those letters from Mom. Holy fuck.

[@lazycalc2533]

@@rooruffneck Without question one of the most boring books I have ever read. Nothing about the Curio’s ever interested me. There was some good writing in the first 100 pages, but the rest felt like an eternity of dread to get through.

[@rooruffneck]

@@lazycalc2533 One thing I love: for every deeply loved book, we must have wonderful readers who can't stand it. This is a law that I embrace. And, as Levin says, he knows that in three years, it could flip. In either direction, I'd add.

[@lazycalc2533]

@@rooruffneck “For every deeply loved book” surely cannot be in relation to Bubblegum. Maybe authors such as Pynchon, Proust, DFW, etc. Is it not fair to say it’s an objectively shitty book?

[@brianclary8205]

That was either like 60 minutes in acid or dateline on meth, I cannot decide

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Hahahahah! Well played!

[@jonasStinziano]

Awesome

[@LeafbyLeaf]

thanks!

[@polarboiyeahz]

Wow

[@LeafbyLeaf]

thanks!

[@jamesgwarrior1981]

Bought “Bubblegum,” cause of Leaf By Leaf.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

I am thrilled to hear that. It's such a special book to me. But also one that I fear will not be appreciated by many people.

[@jamesgwarrior1981]

@@LeafbyLeaf in my experience, it’s those underappreciated or challenging works that turn out to be personally fulfilling.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Same here!

[@marcelhidalgo1076]

I love how much he smokes

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Yes! Just rippin one cig after another. Only his character Belt Magnet smokes more than he does.

[@infinitemia]

hell yeah

[@LeafbyLeaf]

high five!

[@williamgass9242]

Damn he doesn't like kraznahorkai?

[@LeafbyLeaf]

He just hasn’t come around yet. 😉

[@alexgdsu7785]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

[@LeafbyLeaf]

YES!

[@jlm08e]

Go get Pynchon.

[@LeafbyLeaf]

Hold my book!