Author Dave Eggers on Contrapposto: Art, Friendship, and a Lifetime of Creativity (06-07-26)

About this episode

Dave Eggers discusses his new novel Contrapposto, exploring themes of art, friendship, and creativity.

On this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes artist and designer turned best-selling author, Dave Eggers, for a conversation about his new novel, Contrapposto . Known for bestselling and critically acclaimed works, including his groundbreaking debut, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius , and What Is the What, Eggers joins the program to explore the inspiration behind Contrapposto , a sweeping story that follows the lifelong friendship of Cricket Dib and Olympia Argyros across six decades of art, ambition, creativity, and personal transformation. During our conversation, Eggers discusses the novel’s unique title—borrowed from the classical artistic technique that creates balance through asymmetry, and how his own background as a visual artist helped shape the story. As Eggers explained, " think of a statue of Michelangelo balancing on one foot." He also reflects on themes of friendship, aging, creativity, and the often-absurd nature of the art world. Later, in our conversation, Eggers shares his passion for educational opportunity and literacy through organizations he helped establish and support, including ScholarMatch , which helps first-generation college students from…

People in this episode

Host: Phil Tower

Guest: Dave Eggers

Topics covered

• art
• friendship
• creativity
• literacy
• personal transformation
• education

Keywords

• Dave Eggers
• Contrapposto
• art
• friendship
• literacy
• education
• Southeast Michigan

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ScholarMatch, 826michigan

Books & works: Contrapposto, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, What Is the What

Places: Traverse City, Southeast Michigan

More episodes of West Michigan Weekend (A Public Affairs Program from iHeartradio)

• The Future of Higher Education in Michigan: A Conversation with WMU President Russ Kavalhuna (06-14-26) · June 13, 2026 · 29 min
• Morphine and Malts: Natasha Warren's Journey Through Her Father's Cancer, Caregiving, and Letting Go (06-07-26) · June 6, 2026 · 14 min
• Championship Fields & Economic Yields: The Future of West Michigan Sports Tourism (05-31-26) · May 30, 2026 · 17 min
• The bigLITTLE Legacy: How the Laing Brothers Built a Hand-Crafted Michigan Wine Brand (05-31-26) · May 30, 2026 · 12 min
• Attorney Tom Sinas On The Positive Impact of The Annual Lids for Kids Bike Helmet Giveaway (05-24-26) · May 23, 2026 · 15 min
• Healing Trauma Through Neuroscience: Chip & Lisa St. Clair on the St. Clair Butterfly Foundation (05-24-26) · May 23, 2026 · 14 min