Philip Roth is Coming... to PBS

A life of low expectations makes the rare pleasant surprises that much more enjoyable, so I'm not expecting much from the upcoming PBS American Masters documentary on Philip Roth. (Premiering March 29, 2013; check local listings.) But even if it doesn't do more than scratch the Rothian surface, the prospect of any American TV network giving prime airtime to a writer of literary fiction is cause for celebration, fireworks, block parties, samba in the streets. (One bad sign: the PBS webpage describes Roth as "reclusive." He's not, he never has been, and he probably never will be. The fact that this documentary exists attests to that. Likewise the fact that he has been interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air. Recluses don't talk to Terry.)