Titlepage Coming Soon

When I was a young, nerdy teenager, I never missed Bernard Pivot‘s Apostrophes, the famed French chat show about literature. It was informed but not stuffy, and Pivot really did read the 3 or 4 books that were discussed each fortnight (imagine that!). I never understood why there wasn’t something similar in the States. I like Charlie Rose, but his PBS show is usually a one-on-one interview with no opportunity for discussion among different writers of the same genre. But now comes word that Daniel Menaker, former editor at the New Yorker and at Random House, is going to start an online TV show called Titlepage.

“Titlepage” will combine elements of “Apostrophes,” a popular French literary program; “The Charlie Rose Show” on public television; and “Dinner for Five,” in which a group of actors discussed their craft, on the Independent Film Channel.

I am so excited about this. I hope the show is good.