May 3, 2008 | Morgan Library & Museum | New York City

With Ian McEwan & Steven Pinker

Discussed: conversation and the rules of engagement; the treatment of underlings; mutual knowledge vs. innuendo; “seeing one’s etchings”; ritual and primitive emotion; transacting intimate relationships in words; rage and desire in Joyce’s “The Dead”; misunderstandings in The Odyssey; and Bartleby the Scrivener as the most annoying man in the world.

 LISTEN
• Entire conversation (53:57)

PHOTO GALLERY
• View the photo gallery on Flickr

From the PEN Blogs

• Molly McQuade:
One of the boons of any gathering is the unforeseen sidelong outbursts of other people's remarks. No one can predict these. [More]