Front of Book

I neglected to inquire whether the question was posed in private, perhaps on the phone during a pre-interview, or in front of the audience. It could have happened either place. When I mentioned Mr. Holdengräber to a woman who’d recently attended one of his performances, which he describes as “cognitive theater,” she marveled at his ability to make the exchange seem not one heard by the audience so much as overheard, as if they were being allowed to eavesdrop on a private conversation (if she told me who the speaker was that evening I’ve forgotten).

“Not that I’m unaware there’s an audience,” Mr. Holdengräber explained. “But I’m immersed in the person and searching for the Platonic ideal of the best conversation.”

Charmingly Full of Chutzpah