In this clip, we discuss how Home acts as a "spiritual sequel" to Penelope Mortimer's The Pumpkin Eater, showcasing a more detailed portrait of the narrator's family and how it reflected mid-century British society. To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon .
McNally Editions senior editor Lucy Scholes joins the show to talk about Penelope Mortimer's dark novel of marriage and parenthood, the Pumpkin Eater. We discuss the narrator's mysterious identity, her rage at psychoanalysis, and Anne Bancroft's interpretation of her in the 1964 film adaptation. Read Lucy's piece on Mortimer here . Check out Daddy's Gone A-Hunting and The Home . Sign up for our bonus show....
In this clip, we discuss the power of words versus images and compare Colette and Clébert's notions of vagabondage. To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon .
Writer Zito Madu joins us to discuss Jean-Paul Clébert's Paris Vagabond translated from French by Donald Nicholson-Smith. In a series of vignettes, the book explores life on the streets of the city in the years following WWII. We talk about Clébert's middle-class background, analyze the photographs taken by Patrice Molinard, and consider the romanticization of "vagabonds." Order our guest's book here . And to receive extra episodes, consider becoming a patron ....
Inspired by Schattenfroh, we discuss a seminal work on the impact of printing from 1450 to 1800 written by Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin. In this clip, we explore a few of the many mysteries in the life of Johannes Gutenberg. To hear the rest, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
In this special episode, we discuss Schattenfroh with author Michael Lentz and translator Max Lawton. This novel, originally written in German, traverses centuries of history to confront a personal loss. We talk about Lentz's Catholic upbringing, Lawton's detective work, and how their collaboration reflects the narrator's imprisonment. Preorder Schattenfroh: Schattenfroh – Deep Vellum Donate to Deep Vellum: Donate Now | Deep Vellum Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384...
In this episode, Professor Lawrence Warner joins us to talk about Adam Pinkhurst, a 14th century scribe who may or may not have been cursed in a humorous poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. We explore the evidence for Pinkhurst’s identification as Chaucer’s “owne scriveyn” behind two early manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales, enjoy some impromptu Middle English recitation, and question the relationship between paleography and literary studies. To hear the full conversation, become a patron: https://www.pa...
And we're back with a new season and episode covering Angus Wilson's Anglo-Saxon Attitudes, first published in 1956. The book tells the story of an archealogical hoax and its slow revelation due to the reluctant intervention of Gerald Middleton, a depressive medieval historian. We talk about the novelist versus the historian's investigation of truth, Wilson's treatment of gay relationships, and parallels with the Bayeux Tapestry. This episode is the first in a pair about medievalism and its ambi...
On this episode of Shorts, we're talking to author Jonathan Meades and publisher John Mitchinson about the unique publishing process at Unbound. We discuss how they each became readers, Unbound's roots in the subscription model of the 17th century, Meades' magnum opus, and more. Order Empty Wigs: https://unbound.com/books/empty-wigs Join the Unbound newsletter: https://unbound.com/newsletter...
In this episode, we talk about A Tomb for Boris Davidovich by Danilo Kiš and Philip Roth's Writers from the Other Europe series from the 1970s and 80s. Listen to the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Author and critic Craig Brown joins us to discuss Kingsley Amis' novel Ending Up. The story follows a group of poverty-stricken elders as they suffer the miseries of one another's company (and their relatives) over the holidays. We talk about the limits of comic writing, Amis' penchant for irritation, and the context of 1970s England. It's our 50th NYRB Classic! Let's cut the telephone wires in celebration! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384...
Eileen Cheng-yin Chow and Wai-yee Li, both scholars and devoted readers of Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber, join us to discuss the book's final two volumes as well as their varied encounters with the text. In this clip, we talk about the controversy surrounding the novel's last 40 chapters, the author's alter ego, and the depiction of Chinese fatherhood. Hear the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384...
Mabel Taylor and Madeline Porsella of Mandylion Press join us to discuss Elizabeth Taylor's Angel, a novel first published in 1957. Angel is the story of a self-obsessed writer whose imaginary world becomes frighteningly real. We talk about her lying tendencies, fraught relationships, and intersections with history's whirligig. Check out Mandylion's books and podcast , 1-800-1800. Sign up to our patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384...
It's classical music week at Unburied Books! In this bonus episode, we talk about Joys and Sorrows by Pablo Casals, a sort-of autobiography by the great unburier of Bach's cello suites, as well as Gottfried Benn's poem "Chopin," translated from German by NYRB favorite Michael Hofmann. Read the poem here: https://www.ronnowpoetry.com/contents/benn/Chopin.html Listen to the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384...
NYRB Classics editorial director Edwin Frank returns to talk about his new book on the 20th-century novel. We discuss how he defined the category, his discoveries during research, and how being an editor has shaped his understanding. To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Peter Bush joins us to discuss his translation of Honoré de Balzac's The Lily in the Valley. We talk about the novel's unique place in the Human Comedy, its surprisingly modern ending, and the challenges of recreating Balzac's language in English. Support our show here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
In this clip from the Patreon, we debate the merits of the 1818 and 1831 versions of the novel that birthed innumerable Halloween ensembles. Listen to the full episode here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Scholar and author Ignacio Sánchez Prado joins us to discuss Clandestine in Chile written by Gabriel García Márquez and translated from Spanish by Asa Zatz. We talk about Márquez's influence on Latin American cinema, hallmarks of the crónica, and the meaning of exile to an artist. Become a patron to hear our discussion of Márquez's short story collection Strange Pilgrims: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
In this clip, Dylan and Kassia discuss the 1911 Italian silent film adaptation of Dante's Inferno, a text covered on the main show. To hear the full episode, sign up to become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Welcome to Shorts, a miniseries where we interview the publishers of new and daring work. This week we're talking to Eric Obenauf, who, along with his partner, cofounded the small, Ohio-based press Two Dollar Radio. We hear how their youthful idealism has evolved over the years, find out what kind of writing piques their interest, and discover which of their books Barry Manilow might enjoy.
In this extended teaser, we share the first three of seven "chapters" discussing one of the foremost Chinese classical novels, Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin. With over 400 characters, the novel details everyday life in the Qing dynasty as well as some of the most extraordinary scenes put to paper. It's our longest episode ever. Hear the complete version on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
We discuss Patrick Hamilton's 1947 novel The Slaves of Solitude with Spinster September creator Nora. The story concerns Miss Roach, an unmarried woman scraping through WWII on the outskirts of London. The episode covers the meaning of spinsterdom, Hamilton's black humor, and how crisis skews perspective. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
We test Dylan's theory that all stories can be classified as either an Iliad or Odyssey by going through the list of NYRB Classics that we've covered. Listen to the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Author, journalist, and critic Renata Adler joins us in person for a discussion of her novels Speedboat and Pitch Dark, both reprinted as NYRB Classics. We also talk about her career in journalism, reactions to criticism, and thoughts on persona.
In this episode, we break from our usual format and discuss a recent "literary" road trip through New England. We share our thoughts on the Moby-Dick-centrism of Herman Melville's Arrowhead and on Edith Wharton's humble writer's retreat The Mount, which could reasonably accomodate a pod of whales, not to mention Henry James, Howard Sturgis, and friends. In Lennox, we run into the owner of The Bookstore, who was recently the subject of a bittersweet documentary entitled Hello, Bookstore. To hear ...
Critic Merve Emre joins us to discuss Oğuz Atay's short story collection Waiting for the Fear, newly translated from Turkish by Ralph Hubbell. These eight stories, inflected with humor and dread, deal with characters on the margins of society. We talk about the theme of alienation, Atay's relationship to Russian literature, and why so many of the stories take the form of letters. Want to hear more Unburied Books? Sign up for our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384...
Critic Steven Moore joins us to discuss his two-volume alternative history of the novel. He refutes popular claims that the novel is a European invention and tells us why constant innovation is the form's true tradition. Hear the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 Link to pre-order The Adventures of Lady Egeria: https://sublunaryeditions.com/products/the-adventures-of-lady-egeria...
Writer and Portuguese translator Padma Viswanathan joins us to discuss her translation of São Bernardo by Graciliano Ramos. The book follows the story of Paulo Honório, an enterprising field hand who goes on to own the land where he once toiled. We talk about finding the narrator's voice, the many layers of irony, and Graciliano's political perspective. Read more about our guest's work here: https://padmaviswanathan.com/ Read one of the author's municipal reports: https://lithub.com/how-to-break...
Chinese translator Canaan Morse returns to explain how Eliot Weinberger's critical (and often cutting) analysis can help us see classical writing in new ways. Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Dylan and Kassia return to discuss Castle Gripsholm written by Kurt Tucholsky and translated from German by Michael Hofmann. The novel tells the story of "the Princess" and her lover on holiday in Sweden. It's a simple summertime fairy tale ... or is it? We talk about metafiction, love and friendship, and the book's sly critique of 1930s Germany. The Last Sane Woman review: https://therumpus.net/2024/07/16/the-archive-as-potters-field-hannah-regels-the-last-sane-woman/ NYRB Classics film adaptat...
