John Irving on New England, Sexuality, and ‘In One Person’

In 1978, author John Irving rocketed to stardom with a sweeping, complex novel called “The World According to Garp.”  It featured several characters unfamiliar to most Americans, including Roberta Muldoon, the former Philadelphia Eagles tight-end living as a transsexual.  Irving often grapples with bisexuality and non-heterosexual relationships in his novels, but while a character like Roberta played a supporting role in “Garp,” Irving’s new novel, “In One Person,” details the story of Bill Abbott, a bisexual boy growing up in the Irving-esque small New England town of First Sister, Vermont.   John Irving describes “In One Person” as his most political novel since “The Cider House Rules,” an oft-banned book that became a much-protested film. He discusses his new novel, how writing about sexuality has changed since “Garp,” President Obama’s new-found support for gay marriage, and more.
You can read an excerpt of “In One Person” here.