Gary Shteyngart Discusses His New Book, 'Little Failure'

Gary Shteyngart, author of the beloved dystopian novel Super Sad True Love Story, has released a memoir about his life as an immigrant from Russia. Much of the book relates the lives of Shteyngart's parents, who are haunted by dark memories during the Siege of Leningrad.

The title of the memoir, Little Failure, refers to an epithet his parents bestowed him with after graduating college (along with "Snotty"); the nickname is meant to be loving, not insulting. That didn't stop the author from making a hilarious trailer for his book, starring himself and James Franco, in which the pair bicker over their competing release dates, and Gary's memoir ends up failing miserably.

Shteyngart's wit, showcased in this and another trailer he released for Super Sad True Love Story, is also on display in his writing, and in the above interview with HuffPost Live.

When asked how he knows James Franco, Shteyngart says, "I met him at Columbia University... he was one of my students. You're not supposed to kiss your students but, I just couldn't help myself."