In this 1988 interview with Don Swaim, Hugh Nissenson discusses his book The Elephant and My Jewish Problem: Short Stories and Journals. The book is a collection of stories he wrote in his twenties and thirties about his Jewish parents and other stories of Nazi persecution of Jews.

Listen to the Hugh Nissenson interview with Don Swaim,December 9, 1988
(36 min. 15 sec.)

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Hugh Nissenson, author of The Tree of Life, The Song of the Earth, and My Own Ground, begins by stating that it is in his opinion that it will not be long until an African-American writer will achieve the writing status of someone like Mark Twain. He moves on to talk about different aspects of the English language and how all forms of religion fascinate him. Shortly before the tape ends, he begins talking about the book reviews of Sophie's Choice.

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For many years most of the best writers of the English language found their way to Don Swaim's CBS Radio studio in New York. Wired for Books is proud to webcast these interviews in RealAudio.