Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning The Sympathizer and its sequel The Committed, joins esteemed scholar Colleen Lye of UC-Berkeley for a candid discussion about the Asian-American novel and the role of literature and theory in radical social movements. Colleen is drawn to the mix of philosophy and suspense in Viet’s workContinue reading "2.7 The Novel of Revolutionary Ideas: Viet Thanh Nguyen and Colleen Lye (AV)"

Caryl Phillips, professor of English at Yale, world-renowned and prize-winning novelist (from The Final Passage to 2018’s A View of the Empire at Sunset) shares his thoughts on transplantation, on performance, on race, even on sports. Joining him here are John and the wonderful comparatist Corina Stan, educated in Romania, Germany, France and the US, authorContinue reading "2.5 Stitching the Past to the Present: Caryl Phillips speaks with Corina Stan (JP)"

Acclaimed novelist Kamila Shamsie joins esteemed Oxford scholar Ankhi Mukherjee for a wide-ranging discussion of literature and politics. Ankhi raises the unique challenges facing postcolonial and specifically Muslim writers in the wake of 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan, including the pressure to become commentators in times of crisis (our episode was recorded in AugustContinue reading "2.4 In Medias Res: Kamila Shamsie and Ankhi Mukherjee (AV)"

Novels, she says, should provide a “vision of life” rather than a “fascinated horror” of it.

"Who do we, as writers, choose not to leave behind?"

"The novel wraps itself around you like a cocoon.”

Our two hosts play guest, and dive into the season’s high and lowlights, starting with the role humor played on the show. We also talk through the affordances of the “virtual” studio as opposed to the brick and mortar one where John recorded podcasts in “the before time.” Literary critics that we are, we can’tContinue reading "1.9 Season Wrap: Aarthi and John Reflect and Ruminate"