Multimedia

Tom Wolfe Gets Back to Blood

– Documentary, 2012.
Summary: Tom Wolfe, legendary author and satirist, spent five years researching his novel, Back to Blood, in Miami. This film follows him through the best and worst of Miami, a sultry, exotic crossroads teeming with immigrant ambition, opulent wealth and… More

Tom Wolfe on Uncommon Knowledge

– Hoover Institution, YouTube, July 23, 2013.
Summary: This week on Uncommon Knowledge author Tom Wolfe discusses the ideas and inspirations for Back to Blood, a story of decadence and the new America. In the book , Wolfe paints a story of a decaying culture enduring constant uncertainty. Heroes are… More

Tom Wolfe, Dinner Keynote, NAS 2013 Conference

– National Association of Scholars, YouTube, May 2, 2013.
Tom Wolfe, author, presents the Dinner Keynote Address at the 2013 NAS Conference. May 2, 2013, Harvard Club, New York City.

Tom Wolfe on Reporting Everything

– Daily Beast, YouTube, January 4, 2013.
Tom Wolfe remembers what bothered him most in his writing on a gang bang from “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.”

Tom Wolfe on Modern Art

– Washington & Lee University, YouTube, October 11, 2011.
Washington and Lee University alumnus Tom Wolfe presented a lecture on Modern Art during the 60th reunion of his class, the Class of 1951, held on the campus in September 2011.

2010 National Book Awards

– C-SPAN, November 17, 2010.
Speech given by Wolfe upon receiving the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters given by the National Book Foundation.

The Word According to Tom Wolfe

– Hoover Institution, YouTube, September 25, 2008.
Summary: Peter Robinson engages Americas master novelist in a conversation that ranges from the death of the American novel to the charming aristocracy that seeks to dictate literary standards to the intersection of culture and the latest findings in… More

TIME Interviews Tom Wolfe

– Time, YouTube, September 5, 2008.
Summary: Tom Wolfe has been upending the literary world with societal critiques and wild punctuation for almost half a century.

Tom Wolfe on Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg

– PBS, December 27, 2007 (transcript).
WATTENBERG: Hello, I’m Ben Wattenberg. Our guest today is the distinguished American author and journalist, Tom Wolfe. NARRATOR: For over 40 years, Tom Wolfe has challenged the way Americans look at themselves. From hippies to heroes, his funny and… More

Tom Wolfe on the Colbert Report

– The Colbert Report, April 26, 2007.
Summary: Stephen disagrees with new journalism because he believes people want entertaining journalism, not factual journalism. (5:48)

What’s Southern Today?

– C-SPAN, North Carolina Festival of the Book, April 29, 2006.
“Tom Wolfe presented a lecture titled, ‘What’s Southern Today?’ He argued that Southern Americans have a much more common-sense approach to life than other Americans. He recounted his experiences growing up in Richmond, Virginia and… More

Washington & Lee University Commencement Address

– C-SPAN, Washington & Lee University, June 2, 2005.
“Tom Wolfe gave the commencement address to the graduates of Washington and Lee University, his alma mater. He talked about facing the challenges of the future, society and popular culture, as well as his observations on public and private… More

In Depth with Tom Wolfe

– C-SPAN, BookTV, December 5, 2004.
Summary: Tom Wolfe talked about his life and career as an author of both fiction and nonfiction. He responded to audience telephone calls, faxes, and electronic mail. Two video clips were shown of Mr. Wolfe’s New York City home. Five minutes of… More

Tom Wolfe on America’s Cities

– C-SPAN, lecture at Brown University, April 14, 2002.
“Mr. Wolfe discussed the spirit and strength of America’s cities, particularly New York City in the aftermath of September 11. Among the issues he addressed were the role of artists in cities, urban development, and ethnic diversity.”… More

Journalism and the Modern Novel

– C-SPAN, lecture at Yale University, April 21, 2001.
At Yale University’s Tercentenary Celebration, author Tom Wolfe discussed the notions of journalism and the modern novel. Mr. Wolfe talked about his years in graduate school and his eventual transition into the world of newspaper reporting. He… More

The New Urban Paradigm

– C-SPAN, keynote address at Manhattan Institute conference on urban reform, June 21, 1999.

Marshall McLuhan Lecture

– C-SPAN, lecture at Fordham University, February 25, 2009.
Summary: Mr. Wolfe talked about Marshall McLuhan and his groundbreaking theories on mass media. He also responded to questions from members of the audience. This was the first annual Marshall McLuhan Lecture at Fordham University.

Marshall McLuhan Lecture

– C-SPAN, lecture at Fordham University, February 25, 1999.
Mr. Wolfe talked about Marshall McLuhan and his groundbreaking theories on mass media. – C-SPAN

Firing Line with William F. Buckley “Tom Wolfe and His Critics”

– Firing Line, YouTube, January 19, 1999.
Guest: Tom Wolfe Summary: Tom Wolfe had just published his first novel in 11 years, “A Man in Full,” to significant, but not universal, acclaim. Amongst the negative review were ones by John Updike and Norman Mailer because, according to Wolfe, “if this… More

Tom Wolfe on Charlie Rose

– Charlie Rose, November 19, 1996.
Summary: A conversation with novelist Tom Wolfe about his writings on the future of technology.

End of the Century

– C-SPAN, lecture at Brown University, April 17, 1996.
Mr. Wolfe, who is working on his latest novel, The Mayflies, spoke about the intellectual environment in the United States since 1945. He emphasized that the two main influences on the spirit of this age were material prosperity and a fundamental… More

Arts in New York

– C-SPAN, lecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 19, 1995.
Mr. Wolfe spoke about the status of the arts in New York in the late 20th century. He emphasized that New York is a huge mecca for struggling, unknown artists of various kinds. He also examined how their art does not relate to New York City. –… More

Crime and Morality in the 1990s

– C-SPAN, address to the Radio and Television News Directors Association, November 15, 1994.
Mr. Wolfe discussed crime and morality in the 1990s, focusing on the differences between this decade and the last.  – C-SPAN

Remarks by Tom Wolfe

– Remarks at the American Society for Newspaper Editors, C-SPAN, April 6, 1990.
Summary: In an often humorous address, Wolfe shares his observations on journalism and public affairs today. He is author of a recent best seller, Bonfire of the Vanities.

Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. “Radical Chic”

– Firing Line, YouTube, December 17, 1970.
Summary: Tom Wolfe–one of the leading exponents of New Journalism–was now, with his white suits and his dramatic manner, becoming a prominent public figure. “Radical Chic,” describing Leonard Bernstein’s party for the Black… More