T.C. Boyle Picks Three

T.C. Boyle, the author of sixteen novels (including his new book The Terranauts) and more than one hundred short stories, is a native of upstate New York, but he now spends most of his time in Santa Barbara, California. While listening to KCSB, the college radio station out of nearby UCSB, he discovered the growling voice of Xavier Dphrepaulezz, a veteran bluesy rocker who goes by the stage name Fantastic Negrito. During a recent visit to The New Yorker's offices, Boyle talked up Fantastic Negrito's latest album, "The Last Days of Oakland," and the masterful YouTube series "Every Frame a Painting" directed by Tony Zhou. Boyle also recommended the book "Winter World" by Bernd Heinrich – an author who isn't afraid to let his nature writing be gross.