'Amazing Grapes' was Pulitzer-winning illustrator Jules Feiffer's final book

NPR's Book of the Day

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Arts, Books

4.2 • 671 Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jules Feiffer, illustrator of The Phantom Tollbooth, died last week at age 95. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and cartoonist began drawing and writing for a living when he was 17. And just last year, Feiffer came out with his first graphic novel for middle grade readers. That book, Amazing Grapes, kicks off with a father's departure, which sets in motion a series of adventures across dimensions for his three children. In today's episode, we revisit a conversation between Feiffer and NPR's Scott Simon about how play became more central to the author's life as he grew older and the importance of "getting away with it."

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. I remember being in elementary school when my teacher assigned the class, Norton Jester's 1961 classic novel, The Phantom Toll Booth. And I remember thinking the cover was so weird. Like, what was the deal with this big dog with a clock on him? And I'm flipping through the book
0:21.5	and there are all these other weird and strange illustrations. It turns out the book was weird,
0:27.6	but what made it stand out were those illustrations by Jules Fifer, who died last week in his home
0:33.1	in upstate New York. He was 95 years old. And Pierre Scott, Simon actually spoke with him last year
0:38.8	about his book, Amazing Grapes, his first graphic novel for middle school readers. Think about that.
0:43.9	He was 95 and still doing firsts. Fiverr talks about what was keeping him inspired at such an
0:50.0	advanced age after the break. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:57.7	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
1:02.2	On our new show, Sources and Methods.
1:04.3	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people
1:07.6	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:11.9	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:16.7	Let's begin with a song,
1:20.3	Amazing grapes, how sweet to eat one bite, how can it be?
1:31.7	Ooh, that song.
1:33.9	Sung better to be sure is at the center of a new graphic novel for middle grade readers.
1:38.9	Amazing Grapes is by the great Jules Fifer, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and illustrator of the Phantom Toll Booth.
1:48.5	Jules Fyfer has been drawing and writing for a living since he was 17 years old.
1:55.7	He is now 95 and joins us from his home in upstate New York.
2:00.3	Jules, thanks so much for being with us.
2:02.3	That's my pleasure.
2:03.8	Why write a story for this age group when you're in this current age group?
	...

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