Paul interviews writer, scholar, and archival expert Julija Šukys, author of Siberian Exile: Blood, War, and a Granddaughter’s Reckoning. Part way through this project, Šukys received documents that pointed to her grandfather’s possible complicity in Holocaust-era war crimes. Their conversation traces this major discovery and how it changed her work-in-progress. They also discuss the need to find the right form for your book, the allure of archival research, and the power of short, sharp essay-like books.

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Discussed On This Episode:

• Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson
• Dear Memory, by Victoria Chang
• Ongoingness by Sarah Manguso
• Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde

Buy the Book

Siberian Exile: Blood, War, and a Granddaughter’s Reckoning is available from University of Nebraska Press | Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Credits

This episode was edited and produced by Chérie Newman at Magpie Audio Productions. Theme music is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com