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John Jeremiah Sullivan Talks 'Pulphead' And The South's Tragic Spell

John Jeremiah Sullivan is the southern editor of The Paris Review. He is one of the best magazine writers alive. He’s written about the blues, The Real World, the end-time for man brought on by animal onslaught—and a good many things in between. His new book “Pulphead” is a collection of the colorful, mind-bending, and literary essays that have made him famous.

I love living in Memphis, but I'm not from the city. I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I spent many hours at a highly tender age listening to NPR as my parents crisscrossed that city in their car, running errands. I don't amuse myself by musing about the purity of destiny, but I have seriously wondered how different my life would be if my parents preferred classic rock instead of Car Talk.