Remembering Roth

In "Remembering Roth," James Atlas reflects on his unique friendship with literary icon Philip Roth, which began with a congratulatory letter following Atlas’s first biography. Their bond deepened through years of mutual support, shared writing experiences, and explorations of the solitary life of a writer. However, tensions arose when Atlas wrote a complex biography of Roth's literary hero, Saul Bellow, leading to a temporary estrangement. Ultimately, as Roth's life drew to a close, both men contemplated Atlas writing about Roth, culminating in this touching homage to a profound relationship.