Steven J. Zipperstein, "Philip Roth: Stung by Life" (Yale UP, 2025)

Sep 17, 2025

Steven J. Zipperstein, a Stanford professor specializing in Jewish Culture, delves into the life and work of Philip Roth, one of America's literary giants. He reveals the tension between Roth's public persona and private struggles, highlighting his complex relationship with Jewish identity influenced by his family. Zipperstein discusses Roth's provocative themes of sexuality, particularly the concept of 'schmutz,' and how his narratives reflect deeper truths about aging and intimacy. The conversation further connects Roth's insights to contemporary political issues, showcasing his enduring relevance.

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insights

INSIGHT

Memory Versus Literary Truth

Zipperstein found a taped 1962 Yeshiva University event that contradicted Roth's memory and revealed a gap between life and his literary memory.
That gap illuminates Roth's recurring theme of rage and how he transforms personal recollection into art.

insights

INSIGHT

Biographies: Aversion and Attraction

Roth hated biography yet remained fascinated and instrumental in producing biographies about himself.
His fraught relationships with biographers (Ross Miller, Blake Bailey) exposed his anxiety about public disclosure.

insights

INSIGHT

Family As Fictional Core

Roth repeatedly built his fiction around his parents and family life, making them central to his artistic imagination.
Zipperstein stresses the complexity and centrality of these parental relationships to understand Roth's work.

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Exploring Philip Roth's Literary Legacy

01:36 • 16min

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Welcoming Fall: Cozy Spaces and Memorable Moments

18:00 • 2min

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Navigating Jewish Identity in Roth's Works

19:48 • 15min

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Philip Roth's Charisma and Literary Influence

35:08 • 9min

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Exploring 'Schmutz' in the Works of Philip Roth

44:23 • 3min

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Exploring Obsession and Power in 'The Dying Animal'

47:48 • 3min

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The Complexities of Roth's Themes

Ethics of the fathers

Ben Zion Bokser

Philip Roth: Stung by Life

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Steven J. Zipperstein

In this novel, Philip Roth narrates a journey to Israel where he encounters a man who has assumed his identity and is promoting 'Diasporism,' a reverse exodus of European Jews back to Europe. The story intertwines with the trial of John Demjanjuk, the First Intifada, and Roth's involvement in an intelligence mission for the Mossad. The book explores themes of identity, morality, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction, culminating in a deliberately anticlimactic epilogue that leaves key questions unresolved.

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• Mentioned in 2 episodes

• Mentioned in 8 episodes

The plot against America

Senator Wheeler and the Forces Behind Him

David George Plotkin

This book, written by David George Plotkin under the alias 'David George Kin,' is an exposé that targets U.S. Senator Burton K. Wheeler. Published in 1946, it led to significant controversy, including an investigation by the FBI and the House Un-American Activities Committee. The book delves into the political and social forces surrounding Wheeler's career and activities during that period.

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• Mentioned in 13 episodes

American Pastoral

Philip Roth

American Pastoral is a novel by Philip Roth that delves into the life of Seymour 'Swede' Levov, a Jewish-American businessman and former high school star athlete from Newark, New Jersey. The story, narrated by Nathan Zuckerman, unfolds at a 45th high school reunion where Zuckerman learns about the tragic events that shattered the Levov family's seemingly perfect life. The novel explores themes of the American Dream, assimilation, and the social and political upheaval of the 1960s, particularly through the actions of Swede's daughter Merry, who becomes involved in anti-war activism and commits a violent act. The book is part of Roth's American Trilogy, which also includes 'I Married a Communist' and 'The Human Stain'. It won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and is praised for its vivid character portraits and its exploration of the complexities and disillusionments of American life in the late 20th century.

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• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Nemesis

Agatha Christie

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• Mentioned in 4 episodes

The Ghost Writer

Philip Roth

The novel follows Nathan Zuckerman, a promising young writer, as he spends a night at the home of E.I. Lonoff, a renowned author. During his visit, Zuckerman becomes fascinated with Lonoff's assistant, Amy Bellette, and imagines her to be Anne Frank, leading to a series of imaginative and introspective episodes. The book explores themes of identity, literary responsibility, and the Jewish experience.

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Portnoy's Complaint

Philip Roth

Published in 1969, 'Portnoy's Complaint' is a novel by Philip Roth that follows Alex Portnoy, a 33-year-old Assistant Commissioner of Human Opportunity for the City of New York, as he recounts his life, including his childhood, family relationships, and sexual experiences, to his therapist Dr. Spielvogel. The book is known for its explicit and comedic depiction of sex, which caused controversy upon its release. It delves into themes of Jewish identity, the impact of family upbringing on personal neuroses, and the struggle between sexual desire and societal expectations. The novel is structured as a non-linear monologue, jumping between various memories and experiences that highlight Alex's conflicted feelings about his Jewish heritage and his sexual obsessions.

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Goodbye, Columbus

Philip Roth

The book follows the summer relationship between Neil Klugman, a young man from Newark, and Brenda Patimkin, a wealthy girl from the suburbs of Short Hills. The narrative highlights the tensions and suspicions arising from their different socio-economic backgrounds. Alongside the title novella, the collection includes five short stories that examine the conflicts between parents and children, and friends and neighbors within the American Jewish community. Roth's work is characterized by its explosive wit, merciless insight, and fierce compassion for its characters.

In his literary biography, Philip Roth: Stung by Life (Yale UP, 2025), Steven J. Zipperstein captures the complex life and astonishing work of Philip Roth (1933–2018), one of America’s most celebrated writers. Born in Newark, New Jersey—where his short stories and books were often set—Roth wrote with ambition and awareness of what was required to produce great literature. No writer was more dedicated to his craft, even as he was rubbing shoulders with the Kennedys and engaging in a spate of famous and infamous romances. And yet, as much as Roth wrote about sex and self, he viewed himself as socially withdrawn, living much like an “unchaste monk” (his words).

Zipperstein explores the unprecedented range of Roth’s work—from “Goodbye, Columbus” and Portnoy’s Complaint to the Pulitzer Prize–winning American Pastoral and The Plot Against America. Drawing on extensive archival materials and over one hundred interviews, including conversations with Roth about his life and work, Zipperstein provides an intimate and insightful look at one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers, placing his work in the context of his obsessions, as well as American Jewishness, freedom, and sexuality.

Interviewee: Steven J. Zipperstein is the Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture and History at Stanford University.

Host: Schneur Zalman Newfield is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Hunter College, City University of New York, and the author of Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Temple University Press). Visit him online at ZalmanNewfield.com.

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