It's interesting that these Air Force guys were asking Heller about literary structure, psychology, memory, rather than his WWII combat experience and how that impacted his career.
This is hilarious. Joseph Heller explaining his creative approach to writing Catch 22, an anti war - anti military novel, to an enthusiastic audience of military personnel.
Wish the audio was better. The interview was rescued decades after it was conducted. Originally, it was recorded on one-inch studio tape then transferred to VHS, then to DVD. The orignal and VHS recordings have both been lost. Some filtering was done the DVD video, but a lot of sound quality cannot be recovered, at least with the resources we have.
Yes, that's when it was. Thanks for mentioning the LA Times article. Fred Kiley always had a keen sense for irony and satire, and he became an expert on Catch 22. The OED cites Fred in its entry on Catch 22.
@@WlajournalOnGoogle Hi! I'm doing research on Heller currently and have watched and read tons of his interviews (including this one of course - and thank you for uploading it, it's great). I don't think this is the same interview from 1986 though. Heller looks much too young - in '86 he would have been 63 and just recovered from Guillain-Barré syndrome which left his lower lip slightly paralyzed. It seems fine here. The LA Times article describes him as 'white-haired,' he has wisps of white here for sure but not to the point of being labeled for it, I don't think. In fact, if you look at the dust jacket for 'No Laughing Matter,' which came out in the same year, '86, he looks significantly older than he does here - with full white hair to boot. The fashion doesn’t really look late 80’s either, more mid to late 70’s (?). Around the 24 minute mark Kiley (I think it's Kiley) says his students thought the book was written just a year or two prior because of its resemblance to the Vietnam War - I doubt anyone would have said that in 1986, some eleven years after the war ended. The article also makes great note of the size of the room, as in just how many people were there - 900! I don't think 900 people were in attendance here. Plus the article says they watched the movie adaptation beforehand, now of course this could have happened in this interview but I just doesn't seem like something that happened there at that time. Last thing, in Tracy Daugherty's biography of Heller, he describes the authors new outlook on life after Guillain-Barré as someone who always wants to take in the moment (and be appreciated), which Heller himself says in the article but I don't think he's adopted that mindset in this interview quite yet. I only write this because I'm procrastinating in writing my thesis on Heller...sorry.
@@Charlie.Stratford Thanks for your comment. I'll see what I can do get some authoritative answers for you. One thing I can say with certaintly is that this recording was not done in a large lecture hall. It was produced in a TV studio, and the audience would have been very limited. The studio is located on the second floor of Fairchild Hall, the academic building at the Air Force Academy.
@@billnewmiller4376 Ah, that's interesting to know. Thank you. I only just realized that I'm going to have to cite this interview and I'd like to know the date so I'll have to do some digging myself.
He doesn't even take a second to think about what he's saying...
he's a pure Genius.
The hair. The accent. The lavender turtleneck. What a champ.
This book is changing my life
I could listen to Heller all day long.
💚 thanks 22 billion times Joseph 💚
Love when he’s talking about the title and he says “‘Catch’ ends with a choking mouthful of consonants”
I have to say, that was one Heller-van interview
It's interesting that these Air Force guys were asking Heller about literary structure, psychology, memory, rather than his WWII combat experience and how that impacted his career.
This is hilarious. Joseph Heller explaining his creative approach to writing Catch 22, an anti war - anti military novel, to an enthusiastic audience of military personnel.
Exactly 😂 but heller is an ex military so he has a pass
Know thy enemy
Those military personnel want to learn the most effective methods of trying to get out of any future crazy, 'corporate' flying missions too ;)
What's funny about mocking the military, a s s whole.
@@bneale read the book and find out
Interesting to get Heller's take on his own novel, _Catch 22._
He's smart.
This book help me avoid the draft in 1970. Long story but its a Alice's Restaurant story!
I want to hear it!
As in 'you can get anything you want'...?
Primarily known for Catch-22, Joseph Heller had a lot more to say.
With respects to the Conversation starting @ 20:30....JFK got killed on 11-22.
Great talk…too bad the audio is so bad.
Wish the audio was better. The interview was rescued decades after it was conducted. Originally, it was recorded on one-inch studio tape then transferred to VHS, then to DVD. The orignal and VHS recordings have both been lost. Some filtering was done the DVD video, but a lot of sound quality cannot be recovered, at least with the resources we have.
@@WlajournalOnGoogle Oh please, do you really expect us to believe all these people fit in a one-inch studio?
@@KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin We used the shrink ray developed by Bell Labs during WWII.
early October, 1986? (per the LA Times article)
Yes, that's when it was. Thanks for mentioning the LA Times article. Fred Kiley always had a keen sense for irony and satire, and he became an expert on Catch 22. The OED cites Fred in its entry on Catch 22.
Good man.
@@WlajournalOnGoogle Hi! I'm doing research on Heller currently and have watched and read tons of his interviews (including this one of course - and thank you for uploading it, it's great). I don't think this is the same interview from 1986 though. Heller looks much too young - in '86 he would have been 63 and just recovered from Guillain-Barré syndrome which left his lower lip slightly paralyzed. It seems fine here. The LA Times article describes him as 'white-haired,' he has wisps of white here for sure but not to the point of being labeled for it, I don't think. In fact, if you look at the dust jacket for 'No Laughing Matter,' which came out in the same year, '86, he looks significantly older than he does here - with full white hair to boot. The fashion doesn’t really look late 80’s either, more mid to late 70’s (?). Around the 24 minute mark Kiley (I think it's Kiley) says his students thought the book was written just a year or two prior because of its resemblance to the Vietnam War - I doubt anyone would have said that in 1986, some eleven years after the war ended. The article also makes great note of the size of the room, as in just how many people were there - 900! I don't think 900 people were in attendance here. Plus the article says they watched the movie adaptation beforehand, now of course this could have happened in this interview but I just doesn't seem like something that happened there at that time. Last thing, in Tracy Daugherty's biography of Heller, he describes the authors new outlook on life after Guillain-Barré as someone who always wants to take in the moment (and be appreciated), which Heller himself says in the article but I don't think he's adopted that mindset in this interview quite yet. I only write this because I'm procrastinating in writing my thesis on Heller...sorry.
@@Charlie.Stratford Thanks for your comment. I'll see what I can do get some authoritative answers for you. One thing I can say with certaintly is that this recording was not done in a large lecture hall. It was produced in a TV studio, and the audience would have been very limited. The studio is located on the second floor of Fairchild Hall, the academic building at the Air Force Academy.
@@billnewmiller4376 Ah, that's interesting to know. Thank you. I only just realized that I'm going to have to cite this interview and I'd like to know the date so I'll have to do some digging myself.
Joseph Heller looks like Bob Dylan.
Yeah, and Richard Gere.
Whoa. Here anyway, he really does.
Who knew Clint Eastwood was a novelist?
Read the book several times over the years and never once picked up on the -de Coverly = God/Old man = Satan imagery. Goddamn.
Catch 22 is by far the worst book I’ve ever tried to read