Novelist Amit Chaudhuri joins us for a wide-ranging conversation as his first three books (A Strange and Sublime Address, Afternoon Raag, and Freedom Song) are republished as NYRB Classics. We talk about his uneasy relationship with the realist novel, the literary market's distortions of value, and the role place plays in his creative project.

To hear the full episode, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

In this brief clip, publisher Kate Macdonald shares the story of writer T. H. White's most beloved dog, Brownie. In the full episode, we talk about Sylvia Townsend Warner's approach to biography, White's Arthurian cycle, and the unglamorous side of being an author.

To listen, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

We are joined by author Helen Macdonald to discuss T. H. White's The Goshawk, originally published in 1951. In this conversation, we talk about the devotion required to train a hawk, what one learns during the process, and how White's book haunted our guest.

For more on White's biography, join us on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Writer Patrick Preziosi rejoins the show to talk about an Italian favorite: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Leopard. In this clip, we talk about the Sicilian prince's strange path to publication and how his other short works illuminate this masterpiece. Listen to the full episode to hear our thoughts on Visconti's film adaptation, Lampedusa's prose, and what it's like to read the novel in Sicily.

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Writer Bijan Stephen joins us to discuss David R. Bunch's short story collection Moderan. In Moderan, people replace their "soft parts" with metal and devote their lives to making war. We talk about Bunch's satire of the international order, his wildly innovative use of language, and his commitment to depicting a utopian hellscape.

Read Bijan's article on Moderan here: https://dirt.fyi/article/2022/06/the-future-is-moderan

Check out Chris Lee's fantastic travelogue: https://chrisleefrancis.com/books/eastwards-and-far/

And, as always, we would love to have you over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Poet and writer Alina Stefanescu joins us to discuss her own pantheon of "tortured poets" in the wake of a pop star's adoption of the phrase.

Check out Alina's writing here: https://www.alinastefanescuwriter.com/

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After mentioning the book in our Mary Olivier episode, writer and librarian Nancy Pearl returns to discuss Ruth Adam's I'm Not Complaining, one of her favorite Virago Modern Classics. In this clip, Nancy talks about the novel's unique angle on the Great Depression.

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Writer and co-host of the Vollmannia podcast Ryan Alexander joins us to discuss Moravagine, first published in 1926. The novel was written by Blaise Cendrars (given name: Frédéric-Louis Sauser) and translated from French by Alan Brown. The plot involves a monstrous criminal who, once released from a mental hospital, goes on a worldwide killing spree before returning to Europe to fight in World War I. We talk about the book's unique representation of violence, its social commentary on misogyny and antisemitism, and the false promises of progress.

Check out Ryan's excellent show here: https://vollmannia.buzzsprout.com/

And, for two more book-related episodes a month, our Patreon is a steal: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Enjoy this clip from our bonus episode covering Celia Dale's sinister novel A Spring of Love with culture critic Andrew Male. The book is being reprinted by Daunt Books in September and is available for pre-order now.

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In this bonus episode, we speak with writer and editor Anthony Garrett about Atmospheric Quarterly, the new literary magazine he co-founded. Read it here: https://www.atmosphericquarterly.com/