© 2024 Louisville Public Media

Public Files:
89.3 WFPL · 90.5 WUOL-FM · 91.9 WFPK

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact info@lpm.org or call 502-814-6500
89.3 WFPL News | 90.5 WUOL Classical 91.9 WFPK Music | KyCIR Investigations
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Stream: News Music Classical

Roy Blount Jr. On Language And 'Saving Room For Pie'

Joan Griswold

Roy Blount Jr. has written 23 books and hundreds of articles over the years. He's won over countless fans with his writing and appearances on NPR’s “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!" He'll be in Louisville Tuesday for the Lillian O. Seligman Forum Series.

Blount sat down to speak with me about his writing, his fascination with words, and even his turn as a rock star with his band Rock Bottom Remainders. You can listen to our conversation in the audio player above.

On words and food:

"Yeah I think that southern culture, in general, is very oral. Involves and gets the mouth fully committed. And words and food and imagination tend to get threaded together into a beautiful, sometimes beautiful expression."

On language:

“I truly believe the best words, the most effective, expressive words involve pleasurable or at least significant mouth movements and movements of the tongue.”

On the state of the publishing industry:

“Every day I get notified by some pirate that my book is available for free. It’s getting harder and harder for an author to make a living. Same thing that happened to the music business is happening to the book business and at least musicians can go on the road and get paid to perform, but authors only go on the road to sell people their books."

Blount's latest book is called "Save Room for Pie: Food Songs and Chewy Ruminations." He'll appear in Louisville on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Lillian O. Seligman Forum Series. More information can be found here.

Tags
Bill Burton is the Morning Edition host for LPM. Email Bill at bburton@lpm.org.

Can we count on your support?

Louisville Public Media depends on donations from members – generous people like you – for the majority of our funding. You can help make the next story possible with a donation of $10 or $20. We'll put your gift to work providing news and music for our diverse community.