Episode 59 with The Standout Crime Fiction Writer and Creator of Countless Compelling Characters, Tod Goldberg

Show Notes and Links to Tod Goldberg’s Work and Allusions/Texts from Episode 59

 

      On Episode 59, Pete talks with Tod Goldberg about his influences, his literary family, and his incredible run of commercially-successful and critically-acclaimed crime fiction. The two discuss all kinds of fun topics, from the singular settings that are part of his writing-The Salton Sea, Palm Springs, among others-Tod’s research for such compelling and sometimes-despicable characters, crime fiction as a genre, and themes fleshed out in Tod’s work. Much of the conversation revolves around Tod’s most-recent publication, the stellar short story collection, The Low Desert.

Also, Pete toes the line between just-the-right-number and too many Godfather/Mario Puzo references.

TOD GOLDBERG is the author of more than a dozen books, including Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize; The House of Secrets, which he coauthored with Brad Meltzer; and the crime-tinged novels Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Fake Liar Cheat, plus five novels in the popular Burn Notice series. He is also the author of the story collection Simplify, a 2006 finalist for the SCIBA Award for Fiction and winner of the Other Voices Short Story Collection Prize, and Other Resort Cities. His essays, journalism, and criticism have appeared in many publications, including the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, Las Vegas Weekly, and Best American Essays, among many others, and have won five Nevada Press Association Awards. He lives in Indio, California, where he directs the Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Riverside.

 

Buy The Low Desert by Tod Goldberg

 

Buy any of Tod Goldberg’s Work Here!

 

Los Angeles Times Book Review of The Low Desert

 

Starred Review of The Low Desert from Publishers Weekly

 

Tod Goldberg’s Burn Notice Book Series

At about 4:35, Tod talks about the differences in publishing a book during the pandemic, as well as the future of the traditional book tour 

 

At about 6:25, Tod talks about his childhood relationship with the written word and his family business of writing

 

At about 9:25, Tod talks about writing that has given him “chills at will”-The Maltese Falcon, “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich, and “The Concord Hymn” by Ralph Emerson are mentioned (Tod recites the Emerson at 9:15-impressive!)

 

At about 12:35, Tod talks about how his childhood dyslexia affected his learning style and the effects of the time period on his later life, including the ways in which he still sees the connection between sound and rhythm 

 

At about 15:20, Tod talks about how he saw writing as a path forward in his formative years, including Ms. Kaine, his teacher, giving him great encouragement and alternative assignments that helped him to improve his skills

 

At about 19:30, Tod talks about his early novels and the success that came particularly with his second novel, Living Dead Girl

 

At about 21:15, Pete talks about Mario Puzo’s balancing act between commerce and art and the assumption by many that he had to have had a background in Mafia life to have written about it so expertly; Tod then discusses his research into/relationship with the often scary and immoral/amoral characters of his books, including the formative experience of watching a horrific boxing match that ended in a death and the sordid history of Palm Springs

 

At about 25:40, Tod meditates on whether or not being labeled a “crime writer” is appropriate/desired for him, and uses Dennis Lehane’s history as a crime novelist as a an example of the genre’s freedom

 

At about 26:40, Tod shouts out the incredible book by Steph Cha, Your House Will Pay, and its connection to genre

 

At about 29:40, Tod and Pete discuss the way in which Tod “populates a universe” with repeat characters in his various books

 

At about 31:00, Tod discusses the importance of the place in his work, including The Salton Sea

and its interesting history 

 

At about 36:25, Tod and Pete talk about themes of identity and new beginnings/redemption, particularly through the character of Morris, Blake Webster (“Goon Number #4”-written in response to an entreaty by the great Lawrence Block), and Jacob Soboroff

 

At about 42:20, Tod explains how the story “The Spare” serves as a pivot point for the Cupertine saga

 

At about 44:40, Pete and Tod talk about the ironically beautiful last scene of “The Spare,” and its similarities to podcast godfather Tobias Wolff’s “Bullet in the Brain” and how the author creates feelings of empathy for characters you wouldn’t normally feel for

 

At about 46:15, Tod discusses the pivotal and memorable character of Tanya in Low Desert and the ordinariness of evil, as seen in his short story collection and in the contemporary world

 

At about 50:25, Tod discusses themes of faith and fate in his writing and what/who 

 

At about 55:20, Tod and Pete discuss themes of death and morality and “the world passing us by”

 

At about 59:55, Tod introduces and reads the story “Palm Springs”-page 73 of The Low Desert

 

At about 1:04:40, Tod talks about future projects, including Gangsterland, the tv version,

 

At about 1:05:35, Tod talks about his April 2021 appearance at The LA Times Book Festival-video can be found here

 

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