
John Lithgow on the Controversial Authors Roald Dahl and J. K. Rowling
From The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker
March 27, 2026 · 28 min
About this episode
John Lithgow discusses the complexities of separating the art from the artist in relation to Roald Dahl and J. K. Rowling.
The actor, who stars in the new Broadway production “Giant,” about Dahl’s fraught legacy, discusses whether we can separate the art from the artist.
People in this episode
Guest: John Lithgow
Topics covered
- art vs artist
- literature
- controversial authors
- Broadway
- cultural legacy
Keywords
- John Lithgow
- Roald Dahl
- J. K. Rowling
- Giant
- artistic legacy
- controversy
- Broadway
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Giant
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