The Times described Jonathan Safran Foer’s (born 1977) ‘Tree of Codes’ as a “true work of art”. His publisher calls it a “sculptural object”. To create the book, Foer took Bruno Schulz’s novel ‘The Street of Crocodiles’ and cut out the majority of the words. Foer himself explains that by removing words, he carved out a new story. In this conversation with the Danish journalist and publicist Synne Rifbjerg, Foer tells the story behind the book – that he was called by a publisher one day, offering him a free hand to do any book he liked. Foer further explains why he used Bruno Schulz’s book as a point of departure. In the end the conversation turns toward Foer’s Jewish heritage and how – against his own will – it engraves itself in his writing.

Jonathan Safran Foer was interviewed by Synne Rifbjerg at the Louisiana Literature festival in August 2012 at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

Produced by: Kamilla Bruus
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2012

Supported by Nordea-fonden