Ark Audio

This month on the ark audio book club, we are revisiting an old flame with the new novel "The Topeka School" by Ben Lerner. Lerner’s first novel, "Leaving the Atocha Station", was the book started this crazy show so in many ways this is something of special occasion.

In The Topeka School, Adam Gordan of the Atocha stations is back and this time we are learning about his upbringing with his Psychologist parents at the eponymous research and treatment facility in the small Kansas city. Told from the perspectives of Adam, his father Jonathan and his Mother Jane, the novel is exploration both of the formation of this character and the complex historical entanglements that an upbring entails, from youthful hijinks to developmental psychology, from New york subversives to midwestern values, from the fringes of the Westboro Baptist church to the exclusive debating clubs for future politicians. The novel explores the complexities of living in our world in classic Lerner style by excavating the disjunctions of language and action the stories we produce to square the circles.

Talking about the book are long-time friend of the pod, Franek Korbanski, returning champ and Lerner scholar, Charlie Cassarino and of course, the people started the podcast all those years ago, Giovanna Alessandro and Macon Holt.

From Granta Books.

This month on the ark audio book club, the gang talk about A. M. Homes controversial novel, The End of Alice. The novel is a character study of a convicted pedophile and child murderer as he reflects over his life in prison. When he starts receiving letters from a bored college student who dreams of seducing the young boy who lives next door to her parent's house, he seizes the opportunity to bring some else into his world. However, all may not be as it seems. Not a great book. This episode features Macon Holt, Frida Hammershøy, Charlie Cassarino and your host Giovanna Alesandro.

This month on the ark audio book club, we discussed the mid-20th Century, Japanese surreal folk horror novel, "The Woman in the Dunes" by Kobo Abe. It is the story of an amateur entomologist, who is tricked by some villagers into becoming their prisoner in a giant sandpit where he must shovel sand with the eponymous woman. On the podcast this month are Macon Holt, Josephine Leviné, Emma Aggersbo, and your host is Carlie Cassarino.

This month on the ark audio book club, we discussed the debut novel from Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong, “On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous”. The novel is narrated by Little Dog, a Vietnamese refugee who grew up in the United States as a letter to his mother, who’s English comprehension is pretty limited. In the letter, he excavates his childhood, adolescent and emerging sexuality while exploring the communicative limitations of formal experimentation and beautiful writing. Discussing the novel this month are Charlie Cassarino, Sheri Helberg and Emilie Bang-Jensen with host, Macon Holt.

This month on the ark audio book club, we discuss the unhappy lives of the Grimes sisters in Richard Yates modern classic of American aspirational despair, "The Easter Parade". Featuring Emma Aggersbo Tomel Chwałek, Macon Holt and your host, Giovanna Alesandro.

In this Podcast, you will hear a wonderfully concise talk from philosopher, Todd May, the former philosophical advisor to the sitcom The Good Place, on the tricky and alluring topic of the ontology of Gillies Deleuze in his work Difference and repetition. And the illuminating Q&A that followed

I screwed up pressing the record button so it kind of starts in media res but all you really missed is some biting political satire from me and Professor May outlining just how tricky Deleuze can be to understand. The rest is intact.

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In this podcast, you will hear a presentation from the plant philosopher, Michael Marder on what plants can teach us about political organization and resistance.

And a presentation from the Danish art/philosophy and activist group, Mycelium on how they use similar but different principles in their work and the lively Q&A that followed

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This month on the ark audio book club, we dive into a work experimental affect theory fictocriticism with "The Hundreds" by the literary scholar, Lauren Berlant, and anthropologist, Kathleen Stewart. Talking about the book this month are Tomel Chwałek, Sheri Helberg and Giovanna Alesandro and your host is Macon Holt.

This month we have read “Convenience Store Woman” by Sayaka Murata, her 10th book and her first novel to be translated into English and now Danish too. The Novel to the story of Keiko, a woman out of sorts from the world who has learned not to trust her instincts. Thus she has found sanctuary from the adult world by working in a convenience story store, a place in which your every utterance come from a rule book. For 18 years this has gone fine but its starting to wear thin with the rest of her network, which she only really has to keep up appearances and pass the time while not at work. To fix this she resolves to get together with another social misfit, Shiraha, to appear more normal to the outside world. But this threatens to take her away from her beloved convenience store. Talking about the book this month are Jiri Chabera, Frida Hammershøy and of course Giovanna Alesandro. Hosted by Macon Holt.

This month on the ark audio book club the gang discuss the debut short story collection by the author of the viral hit story "Cat Person", Kristen Roupenian, "You Know You Want This". The collection is an exploration of the miscommunicated, frustrated and perverse desires the American middle class. It's funny and uncomfortable reading but does it have something new to say about this well-trodden ground? On the panel this month are Macon Holt, Charlie Cassarino, Frida Hammershøy and host Giovanna Alesandro.