Colum McCann; then, public apologies

Guests: Colum McCann, Edwin Battistella

 In Letters to a Young Writer, COLUM McCANN says “don’t write what you know. Write toward what you want to know.” The Dublin-born author has won much acclaim for his ten books, including a National Book Award for his novel, Let the Great World Spin.  But Letters draws more on his work as a teacher, seeking to inspire young authors to conjure a passion for writing and for living an unconventional life.  He joins Marty this hour to discuss some of the lessons that he lays out, and how he learned them throughout his career.  Then, we talk to linguist EDWIN BATTISTELLA about public apologies – which have been a bit in vogue lately following high-profile gaffes from Pepsi, United Airlines, and the White House Press Secretary.