Philip Roth’s Preemptive Disclaimer

Lest his new novel suggest anything else, Philip Roth would like you to know that he’s feeling just fine, and he’s invited some photographers to snap a few shots to prove the point. “The reason for Mr. Roth’s pre-emptive photographic strike is that ‘Everyman’ is a book about mortality. It begins in a graveyard and ends on the operating table. And Mr. Roth is hoping that the pictorial evidence on the book’s jacket will stave off autobiographical interpretations.”