When the Trickster Goes A-Pokin'

Hey Everybody! Check out This Video.

The very presence of two of the most esteemed American writers of all time, both who made their livings on social criticism, on the second-most iconic talk show of all time, is mindboggling. Yes, this was after Cavett made his switch to public television, a medium far better suited to Cheever and Updike than ABC, but I think you see my point.


What I find the most interesting is the mutual desire, the need, both of them reveal to move out of New York City. Despite their hatred of all things suburban (if you didn't yet pick that up, read Bullet Park. Chilling, truly.), they must return there, for it is their nexus. i suppose it speaks to the idea of comfort and home, and to the conceit that criticism is okay when you are understanding of your subject.

Steven King defines three types of writers: Those that are so bad they have no hope, those that are good enough to forge a career (he puts himself in this group), and those that are so good that they either are driven to misery by their own frustrations with their limits, or even their abilities. I came across this theory immediately after watching this video, and saw some parallels. Updike, certainly a brilliant writer, is laconic, social, eloquent. He is also humble and engaging, which are two words so far from Cheever that they're practically wearing a cowboy hat and kicking him in the face. It's in his turning away from Cavett, his obnoxious New England accent, and his unwillingness to discuss virtually anything that shows how profoundly uncomfortable he is with his place in society and literature. It's safe to assume that his mind is long lost at this point on self-definition and other matters.