Bum-Bum, Elephant, Hot Sausage, and Sportcoat. Just a few of the characters created by the brilliant mind of James McBride, for his latest novel, Deacon King Kong. A soulful conversation with Mitchell Kaplan, with a little jazz piano on the side, courtesy of McBride. Yes, he is also an accomplished musician.

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This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded between New Jersey and Brooklyn. Subscribe now on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts!

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James McBride is an accomplished musician and the author of the National Book Award-winning novel The Good Lord Bird, the bestselling American classic The Color of Water, the novels Song Yet Sung and Miracle at St. Anna, the story collection Five-Carat Soul, and Kill ‘Em and Leave, a biography of James Brown. The recipient of a National Humanities Medal, McBride is also a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University.

The Literary Life

The Literary Life

Mitchell Kaplan has been a bookseller and has owned the independent bookstores Books & Books for over 35 years. Enter the Literary Life where every week you’ll hear candid conversations with Mitchell and his guests, including Dave Cullen, Min Jin Lee, Lisa Lucas, Tayari Jones, Tina Brown, and Pete Souza.