I need your help, dear reader!

Last night, in a pique of curiosity and admiration (emboldened by attending a poetry reading by Mary Oliver earlier in the evening, no doubt), I emailed Richard Powers, author of The Time of Our Singing, to request a phone interview – that I had a few questions for him. Powers just won a 2006 National Book Award for his most recent book, The Echo Maker.

I recently chose his remarkable book about race as the first selection for my new diversity book group, the "Bridging Differences Book Club," meeting for the first time this Monday evening, April 2nd and the first Monday of each month following.

The Time of Our Singing is just flat out brilliant. He is just flat out brilliant. As my own Mr Brilliant said as he read it last night, every sentence is one of those that lesser novelists live their whole lives to include even a few of in their books. After having read it, I’ve started reading all of his novels in chronological order. That’s how brilliant he is. The last (and only other) person I did that for was Canadian novelist Carol Shields. I’m not counting William Gaddis, because that just goes without saying; that’s a given.

Man, he’s smart. I even got over my "what’s so great about them?" attitude about his winning a MacArthur "genius" award, a feeling fueled solely (I’m big enough to admit it) by jealousy each year when someone else (i.e., NOT ME) is chosen. In his case, there is no jealousy, just plain admiration, respect, awe. Like a friend said about reading Charles Hampden Turner’s brilliant book, "Maps of the Mind," Charles = genius, Me = bug.

I could say the same for Richard Powers. He = genius. Me = bug.

I never expected to hear from him, much less no more than 12 hours later, with a very gracious note inviting me to call. "I’m honored and very gratified to learn that your book club will be reading my novel. In fact, it’s hard for me to think of anything more rewarding for a writer. I hope that things go well with the session, and that there is something of value in the book for all the members of your reading group. Please feel free to call me at your convenience," he wrote, in part. 

What a gracious response from someone who gets asked for interviews a lot and who, it seems, doesn’t grant very many of them. All the more reason to read his books.

This is more exciting than the time I interviewed Stevie Wonder in my pajamas.

And now to the help I need – and quickly. I’d like to tape (now *there’s* a word that reveals my age) my phone interview with him, if he agrees. How can I do that? Any thoughts? Ideas? Recommendations? Just imagine that you are coaching your old aunt from Latvia who has an armoire full of 8-tracks, having never quite caught on to the cassette tape revolution.