Elise Bell—arts writer and broadcaster (The Guardian, Dazed, Kinfolk, It’s Nice That, Prospect; BBC Radio 4 & LBC)—joins Esme and Karine to talk reading lives, erotic art, and the books that crack us open. Fresh from the Venice Biennale (and gearing up for groupie duty), Elise traces her path from Tabloid Art History to Erotic Art: An Opinionated Guide (Hoxton Mini Press): why “erotic” is broader—and stranger—than we think, writing accessibly without the jargon, and why feeling belongs in criticism. We dive into saints, shibari, a very provocative lamb, the future of arts writing, day jobs vs. creative work, and the joys of libraries. Along the way: the gut-punch power of Max Porter’s Grief Is the Thing with Feathers and the urgency of Carl Cattermole’s Prison: A Survival Guide.

All the Books Mentioned in this epsiode:

• Prison: A Survival Guide – Carl Cattermole
• Black and British – David Olusoga
• The Furrows – Namwali Serpell
• Grief Is the Thing with Feathers – Max Porter
• Women in Love – D. H. Lawrence
• The Door – Magda Szabó
• Getting Lost – Annie Ernaux
• Germinal – Émile Zola
• The Man Who Cried I Am – John A. Williams

Follow Elise: @aliceybell. Follow us: @whatareyoureadingnowpod.

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