One of the best English-language short-story collections ever written.

In 1981, Paul Bowles sat for a wide-ranging interview with the Paris Review, discussing his life and career. During the Q&A, the great writer spoke about the effect he felt television had on storytelling. I don’t agree with him, but it’s a point that’s long been debated. An excerpt:

“Paris Review: Are you still taping storytellers you meet in cafés [in Morocco]?

Paul Bowles: There aren’t any more. All that’s completely changed. There’s a big difference just between the sixties and seventies. For instance, in the sixties people still sat in cafés with a sebsi [pipe] and told stories and occasionally plucked an oud or a guimbri. Now practically every café has a television. The seats are arranged differently and no one tells any stories. They can’t because the television is going. No one thinks of stories. If the eye is going to be occupied by a flickering image, the brain doesn’t feel a lack. It’s a great cultural loss. It’s done away with both the oral tradition of storytelling and whatever café music there was.”