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Culture Critic, The Washington Post Author of "Counterpoint: A Memoir of Bach and Mourning," published by Norton, February 2020

Interview

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Manual and electric.

Who's your favorite fictional journalist?

Addison DeWitt, but I'm not proud of that. (There aren't many admirable fictional critics.)

What does it mean to be a journalist?

Being curious.

How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?

Via email.

What tools and software do you use to do your job?

JSTOR, Evernote, and all the usual social media.

What's your favorite social network?

They are all obligatory.

Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?

No.

When's the best time to pitch you?

Mornings, via email.

What's your favorite drink?

Sauerkraut juice mixed with soda water.

When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?

Cooking, playing the piano or asleep.

Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?

New York Review of Books.

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