The novelist Philip Roth announced today that a sandwich he ate last week, a turkey one with lettuce and tomato on wheat, would be his last. Roths retirement from sandwich eating, announced in an interview with a Dutch literary magazine, came as a surprise to the worlds of publishing and sandwiches. In the interview, Roth attempted to soft-pedal the reasons behind his startling decision, saying only, I had my first sandwich when I was three or four. Thats almost eighty years ago. Thats a lot of sandwiches. The response to Mr. Roths renunciation of sandwiches was skeptical, with some readers of the interview questioning whether the acclaimed novelist had not left the door open a crack to sandwiches in his future. When asked by his Dutch interviewer if he had sworn off deli meats, Roth said, I could see a situation at a buffet where theyd have those mini slices of rye bread, and Id make an open-faced thingy with roast beef and maybe a pickle or whatnot. But thats not the same thing as a sandwich. As if to quell any misunderstanding, on Tuesday afternoon Roth issued the following statement through his publisher: Not only have I had my last sandwich, I have made my final public statement about sandwiches. Photograph by Jenny Anderson/Getty. 