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Book description

Andy Kaufman defied explanation. Between 1978 and 1979, acclaimed novelist and New Yorker short story writer Julie Hecht attempted to arrange an interview with him, hoping to discover how he came to do what he did. The one-hour interview turned into innumerable surreal meetings and phone conversations with her subject; but she couldn't always tell when his act was on. Whether driving recklessly on icy roads or drawing the author unawares into his schemes and Dada-esque pranks on unsuspecting waiters and college students, Andy Kaufman never seemed to separate himself from his stage personality -- or personalities. Was This Man a Genius? is the culmination of a series of bizarre, frequently hilarious meetings. In describing them, Hecht, herself a master of wit and observation, illuminates the enigma of Andy Kaufman's work and life. "Julie Hecht may come closer to seeing the real Andy than any journalist; the journey here is as rewarding as the destination." -- Newsday Julie Hecht is the author of Happy Trails to You: Stories, The Unprofessionals; Was This Man a Genius?: Talks with Andy Kaufman; and Do the Windows Open? Her stories have been published in Harper's and The New Yorker. She has won an O. Henry Prize and received a Guggenheim Fellowship. She lives on the east end of Long Island in winter and Massachusetts in summer and fall.