Explore the life of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novelist, often referred to as the greatest living American writer. In candid interviews, Philip Roth discusses intimate aspects of his life and art as he has never done before: his unliterary upbringing in Newark, New Jersey, his writing process, the inspiration behind his most famous novels, and the many controversies he stirred throughout his career. With 31 books to his credit, including Goodbye, Columbus; Portnoy’s Complaint; Sabbath’s Theater; American Pastoral; and The Human Stain, Roth practically invented the genre of factual-fictional autobiography and commands ownership of the Jewish-American novel. Interviewees include Mia Farrow, Jonathan Franzen and Nicole Krauss.
"Philip Roth: Unmasked" on American Experience airs on Friday, March 29th at 9:00 p.m.