Matthías Johannessen, one of the most prolific Icelandic writers of the twentieth century, has written eighteen volumes of poetry, four novels, four collections of short stories, and several plays. He has also written and published collections of articles about literature, visual arts, and other cultural matters; travel books, biographies, and books with interviews; and several collections of interviews that had previously appeared in the daily newspaper Morgunbladid. Among the main subjects of his interviews are such Icelandic writers as Halldór Laxness, Þórbergur Þórdarson, Tómas Gudmundsson, and Steinn Steinarr; composer Páll Ísólfsson; and artist Louisa Matthíasdóttir, who lived in the United States for most of her life and was Matthías's cousin and friend. As Matthías is a keen observer of human nature, these interviews throw an...