Great Regulars: John Updike: You know, I worked hard at that sentence,

because I was trying, you know, having challenged myself to say, "What did I think I was doing?" I then had to find the phrases for it.

But I've always had, I think, even before I began to publish, this notion that the ordinary middle-class life was enough to write about, that there was enough drama, interest, relevance, importance, poetry in it.

from Jeffrey Brown: PBS: Newshour: Acclaimed American Author John Updike Dies at Age 76

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[John Updike] knew every corner of the museum; several times, as we waited for the cameras and lights to be set up and later, he said: "C'mon, let me show you something special." Then I was taken on a private tour by a man who'd spent a great deal of time looking at and thinking about art--his essays and art criticism attest to his keen knowledge and curiosity.

I should also add that Updike was, of course, a celebrity at the museum--perhaps its best known "regular"--and the museum was kind enough to cordon off one of its grandest rooms for us to do our interview.

from Jeffrey Brown: PBS: Newshour: Art Beat: A Setting Fitting for a Master

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