He likes Russian bear hats and martinis and collects watches. Gary Shteyngart came to this country from Russia when he was 7 and grew up in Queens, New York. Gary says he was bullied in the schoolyard because he spoke with a thick accent and dressed funny. He also writes funny books. He wrote his first comic novel at the age of 5. Gary’s latest work is called Our Country Friends. It’s about a group of people who live together during the pandemic. The New York Times called the book a perfect novel for these times and all times. We talk about his 1967 Rolex GMT, a circumcision that went wrong and what the world looks like from the eyes of Gary Shteyngart.