Philip Roth and John Grisham Interviews Fabricated by Italian Journalist

An Italian journalist appears to have fabricated an interview with famed novelist Philip Roth, creating imaginary quotes bashing President Barack Obama‘s presidential performance.

This week’s Talk of the Town has the scoop, outlining how another Italian journalist asked Roth (pictured, via Nancy Crampton) about his comments during an interview–discovering that journalist Tommaso Debenedetti had fabricated an entire interview with the novelist. Roth’s fiction is loaded with fictional versions of himself, and he embarked on a literary investigation–discovering that the journalist had also fabricated an interview with John Grisham.

Here’s more from the crazy story: “Although Roth and Grisham have never met, they joined forces through their agents and contacted an Italian lawyer, who felt that they had a good case. ‘I am exploring my possible remedies,’ Grisham said, ‘with plans to file an action.’ But Roth has decided not to sue. ‘It would take two years, and multiple trips to Italy,’ he said. ‘It would distract me from my writing, and, worst of all, I would have to obsess about it.’”

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