Interview Zero

It's not very often that I can boast of a warm personal connection to a recently deceased celebrity, so please let me take a moment to vouch for the key role that Sir Frank Kermode played in my development as a writer.

No, I never had the privilege of studying under the lit-crit master. And even if I had, I very much doubt I'd taken much away from the experience—dissecting great works was never my strong suit. (Despite repeated attempts, for example, I've never gotten past page three of...