The American novelist Don DeLillo gives an account of writing his modern masterpiece Underworld. DeLillo's 1997 novel is a deep examination of postwar America, taking in nuclear paranoia, the decline of industry, Vietnam and the Cuban missile crisis, with cameo appearances from historical figures including J Edgar Hoover and Lenny Bruce.

Speaking to James Naughtie and a group of readers, DeLillo talks about how he tapped into his Bronx upbringing to write the book, his love of baseball, and about how he is sometimes thought as prophetic, especially in terms of the world of high finance. He also touches on the US now, and how the American national identity is not as clearly describable as it once was.

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Presenter : James Naughtie
Interviewed guest : Don DeLillo
Producer : Dymphna Flynn. Show less