John Le Carré was born David Cornwell in Poole, Dorsetshire, England in 1931. Le Carré is a spy-novel master; Graham Greene once called his 1963 bestselling book "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" the best spy novel he had ever read. Le Carré actually was a spy in the 1950s, though he denied this in 1993; for a while he considered joining a monastery.
Exclusive readings and interviews from the Paris Review
Instead, since 1961, Le Carré has written 17 novels. Among his best are "The Looking Glass War," "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," "The Honorable Schoolboy" and "Smiley's People."
In this interview with George Plimpton, Le Carré reveals why he changed his name, his time working in the intelligence service during the Cold War and why he's a total bore.
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T-Love: "Long Way Back" Female rapper T-Love revisits hip-hop's golden era
with playful, politically progressive lyrics over tight beats and jazzy riffs. By Celeste Dawn Mitchell
Watchers: "To the Rooftops" This Chicago art-punk quintet supplies a sophisticated blend of funk rhythms, synthesized strings and crunchy guitar slices. By Rob Young
Antipop Consortium vs. Matthew Shipp Two outstanding releases in the avant-jazz Blue Series, plus the solo debut by APC rapper Beans, take hip-hop/jazz fusion to new places. By Ehren Gresehover
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John Le Carré
