The Roth Explosion: Confessions of a Writer

A remarkably intimate portrait of the great American writer Philip Roth, whose books swing between solemnity and insane comedy. Roth was born in New Jersey in 1933, the son of Yiddish-speaking parents. He allows the internal contradictions of his life to become his subjects, exploring the impact of growing up in "a strictly Jewish milieu" within a broader America context. He talks about his attempts to escape (as in the controversial "Portnoy’s Complaint") and discusses his resulting feelings of guilt. He speaks with candor about his relationship with actress Claire Bloom.

Born in Berlin. Apprentice, later critic and editor of the arts section of Spandauer Volksblatt. Thereafter she wrote for radio (critic and essayist of 60-minute-reports and profiles) and for newspapers (Frankfurter Rundschau, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Weltwoche, FAZ). Since 1974, Maerker has completed 45 documentary films for ARD-TV and ZDF-TV. She specializes in cinema, literature, and profiles. Authors of books on cinema (most recently "Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller," Rowohlt-Berlin). Screenplays (including "Die Schweizermacher") and radio plays. Maerker is a member of several governmental film funding institutions and has worked with the International Filmfestival Berlin since 1979. She travels and lectures (mostly on cinema) for the Goethe Institute in the USA, Canada, South East Asia, New Zealand. She has been a guest lecturer at universities in the USA and South East Asia. She lives in Berlin and elsewhere.