A Moment with “O, Africa!” author Andrew Lewis Conn
Andrew Lewis Conn’s second work of fiction, O, Africa!, follows Jewish twins Izzy and Micah Grand, two upcoming filmmakers in 1920s New York. Amidst the chaotic blend of silent films, race relations and sexual exploits, the brothers are forced to take a trip to Africa to save their careers--and lives. Both Kirkus Reviews and The New York Times Book Review have praised Conn’s witty writing style, and Jewish author Gary Shteyngart called the book "a strange, cool, hilarious and oddly moving masterpiece." Moment spoke with Conn about his latest work, released last month.—Deborah Altman
How did the idea for the novel come about?
The real seed of inspiration came from a one-line reference to the Korda brothers in a magazine article. The article was about someone who was compiling a vault of B roll footage about 9/11 and the magazine mentioned...