As we gear up for what’s sure to be a memorable conversation next week at ALOUD between writers George Saunders and Bernard Cooper, we’re still ruminating on a conversation between another dynamic pairing last fall. On Thursday, November 8, 2012, Daniel Mendelsohn (Waiting for the Barbarians) and Jonathan Lethem (The Ecstasy of Influence) met for the first time to commiserate over the blessings and curses of the contemporary essay form. If you missed this fascinating conversation on craft, you can watch the video below. Stay up-to-date on all the latest videos by signing-up to follow ALOUD’s Vimeo channel.

Catch other recently added videos of ALOUD favorites like Anne Lamott, and Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman on the ALOUDla Vimeo channel.