Podcast appearances and mentions of Alexandra Kleeman

Notes and Links to Ben Purkert's Work      For Episode 239, Pete welcomes Ben Purkert, and the two discuss, among other topics, his awakening to wonderful literature and his early poetry and formation as a writer, Robin Williams' indelible mark on Ben's writerly development, Ben's short but eventful time working at an ad agency, Mad Men, and profane poetry, as well salient themes in his book like masculinity, religious and personal identities, one's possibly-unreliable perspective, reinvention, and ideas of art versus commerce.      Ben Purkert's debut novel, The Men Can't Be Saved, was named one of Vanity Fair's Top 20 Books of 2023. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Slate, The Wall Street Journal, Poetry, Kenyon Review, and he's been featured by NPR, Esquire, and The Boston Globe. He is also the author of the poetry collection, For the Love of Endings. He holds degrees from Harvard and NYU, where he was a New York Times Fellow. He teaches in the Sarah Lawrence College MFA program.   Buy The Men Can't Be Saved     Washington Post Review of The Men Can't Be Saved   Review of The Men Can't Be Saved Review in Esquire   At about 1:30, Ben recounts his story of meeting Martin Scorcese recently At about 2:40, Congrats to n+1 mag! At about 3:30, Ben talks about his early relationship with the written word At about 5:30, Ben expresses his admiration for Robin Williams and how Williams was a “word guy” who led Ben to fiction At about 8:00-Set Shot! Ben drops a poignant Louise Gluck quote and talks about writing and teaching inspiration from Dead Poets Society At about 10:25, Ben talks about the writers/writing that “flipped the switch” for him, including Ben Lerner At about 12:30, Ben cites Alexandra Kleeman and Andrés Barba (A Luminous Republic) as some of his favorite contemporary writers At about 14:30, Pete and Ben discuss the book's seeds in Ben's work in advertising and the cultural phenomenon that was Mad Men, as well as the book as “grounded”/allegorical  At about 18:55, Pete asks Ben about the significance of his epigraphs At about 21:15, The two discuss who might play the famous older man from the successful ad at the opening of The Men Can't Be Saved  At about 22:10, Ben reads from the beginning of the book At about 24:30, Ben talks about spending so much time on the book's first page as he and Pete discuss a possible unreliable narrator in Seth At about 26:40, The book's exposition is recounted, including background of the ad agency At about 28:10, Ben speaks to Pete's supposition that Seth has some Patrick Bateman in him At about 30:00, More plot is outlined, and characters like “Moon,” a pivotal character, is discussed  At about 31:30, Ben reflects on men's health accounts and other accounts within advertising and how “branding”  At about 33:15, Seth's Birthright trip and his work/life balance (or lack thereof) are examined  At about 36:45, Seth's hearing about the city of Acre and ideas of fresh starts are discussed, especially with regard to a new job At about 37:40, Ben talks about ideas of Seth reflecting on, or not, his sense of himself and his Jewish identity At about 39:00, Ramzy and Seth and their routine and relationship is discussed  At about 42:20, The two discuss the character of Moon and ideas of masculinity and homophobia and homoeroticism within and without the book At about 45:20, Ben talks about why he enjoyed writing a pivotal fight scene and the mechanics of same At about 47:00, Ben tells an interesting story that gives background on the hilarious, X-rated poem written by Moon in the book-shout out Jessie Stephens and Uncle Fred!  At about 48:30, The two discuss sexual harassment and toxic masculinity in the book and within the ad agency At about 49:30, The two discuss Seth's faith journey and Jewish identity as epitomized through two quotes and Jewishness as seen through a connection at the Chabad House-Ben references an essay he wrote about the comfort/community offered At about 53:45, Pete notes the skill with which Ben's work does not deal in absolutes At about 55:20, Ben talks about exciting future projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership! Look out for my interview with Ghassan Zeineddine soon.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 240 with Marcela Fuentes. Marcela is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and essayist; her debut novel MALAS was published on June 4 and has been named June's Good Morning America Book Club Pick.  The episode will go live on June 25.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman is the next book up in our eco module, and it continues our run of bleak looks at our near-future. we discuss the book's structure (and its 3-4 main focuses) and how it kind of bails on a bunch of stuff in an interesting way. we talk about the perspective shifts (and whether or not they work), the unique elements that nora offers as a child, and whether or not celebrities are more interesting than “normal” people. shreds compares this novel to kleeman's other writing as well as to don delillo. we talk about the real-world insanity of buying bottled water. we talk about ozark and how to adapt this novel — and what might get cut. reading list for season nine land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang the overstory by richard powers something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman barn 8 by deb olin unferth fever dream by samanta schweblin square wave by mark de silva the glacier by jeff wood the man with the compound eyes by wu ming-yi the deluge by stephen markley drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk

In today's flashback, an outtake from Episode 732, my conversation with author Alexandra Kleeman. The episode first aired on October 13, 2021. Kleeman is the author of the novel Something New Under the Sun (Hogarth Press). Her other books include the story collection Intimations and the debutnovel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine, which was a New York Times Editor's Choice. Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope, Conjunctions, and Guernica, among other publications, and her other writing has appeared in Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Tin House, n+1, and The Guardian. Her work has received fellowships and support from Bread Loaf, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. She is the winner of the Berlin Prize and the Bard Fiction Prize, and was a Rome Prize Literature Fellow at the American Academy in Rome. She lives in Staten Island and teaches at the New School. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  TikTok Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An original and hilarious satire of both our political culture and those who rage against it, The Book of Ayn (Catapult, 2023) follows a writer from New York to Los Angeles to Lesbos as she searches for artistic and spiritual fulfillment in radical selfishness, altruism, and ego-death. After writing a satirical novel that The New York Times calls classist, Anna is shunned by the literary establishment and, in her hurt, radicalized by the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Determined to follow Rand's theory of rational selfishness, Anna alienates herself from the scene and eventually her friends and family. Finally, in true Randian style, she abandons everyone for the boundless horizons of Los Angeles, hoping to make a TV show about her beloved muse. Things look better in Hollywood--until the money starts running out, and with it Anna's faith in the virtue of selfishness. When a death in the family sends her running back to New York and then spiraling at her mother's house, Anna is offered a different kind of opportunity. A chance to kill the ego causing her pain at a mysterious commune on the island of Lesbos. The second half of Anna's odyssey finds her exploring a very different kind of freedom - communal love, communal toilets - and a new perspective on Ayn Rand that could bring Anna back home to herself. "A gimlet-eyed satirist of the cultural morasses and political impasses of our times" (Alexandra Kleeman), Lexi Freiman speaks in The Book of Ayn not only to a particular millennial loneliness, but also to a timeless existential predicament: the strangeness, absurdity, and hilarity of seeking meaning in the modern world. Lexi Freiman is the author of the novel Inappropriation, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. She is a graduate of Columbia's MFA in fiction and worked as fiction editor at George Braziller for five years. She also writes for television. Recommended Books: Jordan Castro, The Novelist Herve Guibert, Crazy for Vincent  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An original and hilarious satire of both our political culture and those who rage against it, The Book of Ayn (Catapult, 2023) follows a writer from New York to Los Angeles to Lesbos as she searches for artistic and spiritual fulfillment in radical selfishness, altruism, and ego-death. After writing a satirical novel that The New York Times calls classist, Anna is shunned by the literary establishment and, in her hurt, radicalized by the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Determined to follow Rand's theory of rational selfishness, Anna alienates herself from the scene and eventually her friends and family. Finally, in true Randian style, she abandons everyone for the boundless horizons of Los Angeles, hoping to make a TV show about her beloved muse. Things look better in Hollywood--until the money starts running out, and with it Anna's faith in the virtue of selfishness. When a death in the family sends her running back to New York and then spiraling at her mother's house, Anna is offered a different kind of opportunity. A chance to kill the ego causing her pain at a mysterious commune on the island of Lesbos. The second half of Anna's odyssey finds her exploring a very different kind of freedom - communal love, communal toilets - and a new perspective on Ayn Rand that could bring Anna back home to herself. "A gimlet-eyed satirist of the cultural morasses and political impasses of our times" (Alexandra Kleeman), Lexi Freiman speaks in The Book of Ayn not only to a particular millennial loneliness, but also to a timeless existential predicament: the strangeness, absurdity, and hilarity of seeking meaning in the modern world. Lexi Freiman is the author of the novel Inappropriation, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. She is a graduate of Columbia's MFA in fiction and worked as fiction editor at George Braziller for five years. She also writes for television. Recommended Books: Jordan Castro, The Novelist Herve Guibert, Crazy for Vincent  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

An original and hilarious satire of both our political culture and those who rage against it, The Book of Ayn (Catapult, 2023) follows a writer from New York to Los Angeles to Lesbos as she searches for artistic and spiritual fulfillment in radical selfishness, altruism, and ego-death. After writing a satirical novel that The New York Times calls classist, Anna is shunned by the literary establishment and, in her hurt, radicalized by the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Determined to follow Rand's theory of rational selfishness, Anna alienates herself from the scene and eventually her friends and family. Finally, in true Randian style, she abandons everyone for the boundless horizons of Los Angeles, hoping to make a TV show about her beloved muse. Things look better in Hollywood--until the money starts running out, and with it Anna's faith in the virtue of selfishness. When a death in the family sends her running back to New York and then spiraling at her mother's house, Anna is offered a different kind of opportunity. A chance to kill the ego causing her pain at a mysterious commune on the island of Lesbos. The second half of Anna's odyssey finds her exploring a very different kind of freedom - communal love, communal toilets - and a new perspective on Ayn Rand that could bring Anna back home to herself. "A gimlet-eyed satirist of the cultural morasses and political impasses of our times" (Alexandra Kleeman), Lexi Freiman speaks in The Book of Ayn not only to a particular millennial loneliness, but also to a timeless existential predicament: the strangeness, absurdity, and hilarity of seeking meaning in the modern world. Lexi Freiman is the author of the novel Inappropriation, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. She is a graduate of Columbia's MFA in fiction and worked as fiction editor at George Braziller for five years. She also writes for television. Recommended Books: Jordan Castro, The Novelist Herve Guibert, Crazy for Vincent  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

An original and hilarious satire of both our political culture and those who rage against it, The Book of Ayn (Catapult, 2023) follows a writer from New York to Los Angeles to Lesbos as she searches for artistic and spiritual fulfillment in radical selfishness, altruism, and ego-death. After writing a satirical novel that The New York Times calls classist, Anna is shunned by the literary establishment and, in her hurt, radicalized by the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Determined to follow Rand's theory of rational selfishness, Anna alienates herself from the scene and eventually her friends and family. Finally, in true Randian style, she abandons everyone for the boundless horizons of Los Angeles, hoping to make a TV show about her beloved muse. Things look better in Hollywood--until the money starts running out, and with it Anna's faith in the virtue of selfishness. When a death in the family sends her running back to New York and then spiraling at her mother's house, Anna is offered a different kind of opportunity. A chance to kill the ego causing her pain at a mysterious commune on the island of Lesbos. The second half of Anna's odyssey finds her exploring a very different kind of freedom - communal love, communal toilets - and a new perspective on Ayn Rand that could bring Anna back home to herself. "A gimlet-eyed satirist of the cultural morasses and political impasses of our times" (Alexandra Kleeman), Lexi Freiman speaks in The Book of Ayn not only to a particular millennial loneliness, but also to a timeless existential predicament: the strangeness, absurdity, and hilarity of seeking meaning in the modern world. Lexi Freiman is the author of the novel Inappropriation, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Miles Franklin Award. She is a graduate of Columbia's MFA in fiction and worked as fiction editor at George Braziller for five years. She also writes for television. Recommended Books: Jordan Castro, The Novelist Herve Guibert, Crazy for Vincent  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

I libri che vi proporrò oggi richiamano i lati più misteriosi, a volte più oscuri, a volte più cupi delle nostre esistenze; non sempre riusciamo a guardare alla vita con serenità o spensieratezza, ed è in questi momenti che iniziano a seguirci alcune ombre. Ombre come quelle descritte nei seguenti libri: - L'ombra che mi cammina accanto, di Barroux; - La notte dell'incanto, di Stephen Millhauser; - Il corpo che vuoi, di Alexandra Kleeman; - La tomba senza nome, di Mary Shelley. Il podcast è indipendente e autoprodotto, quindi ogni contributo fa la differenza: supportalo con un caffè virtuale su Ko-fi! ko-fi.com/zonalettura Puoi anche acquistare i libri che consiglio direttamente da questa lista, che contiene gli 80 libri più belli che ho letto negli ultimi anni: amazon.it/shop/zonalettura Scrivimi su Instagram per commenti, idee e proposte: instagram.com/zonalettura/ Se apprezzi il podcast, lasciami una recensione o qualche stellina! Foto di Gabriele Taormina Musica: Acoustic Blues e Saloon Rag, di Jason Shaw, da https://audionautix.com Rendezvous, di Shane Ivers, da https://www.silvermansound.com

Jennifer Morrison sits down with author Alexandra Kleeman. Having missed the NYPL Young Lions Award Ceremony to teach a class, Alexandra discusses having to survive a blackout over several days at the college with her students, an eerie introduction to discussing her novel, Something New Under the Sun. One of the “best books” of The New York Times Book Review, Time, and Los Angeles Times, Alexandra's novel transports us to the not-too-distant future where we follow Patrick, a novelist, to Hollywood to oversee the film adaptation of his book. Void of the glamour he expected with drought, wildfires and corporate corruption abound, he teams up with the starlet of the film to investigate this darker side of Hollywood. Living in Los Angeles as a child and fascinated with the contrasts of the city and nature within, Alexandra and Jennifer discuss how today's current environmental emergencies influenced her writing, how we tend to cope, and if we can prevent her story from becoming a reality in our future.

Episode 174 Notes and Links to Allegra Hyde's Work       On Episode 174 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Allegra Hyde, and the two discuss, among other things, her lifelong love of reading and love for librarians (like her mom!) and libraries, her varied reading and writing genres, inspirations for her dazzling and inventive worldbuilding, dark humor, the main throughline of her story collection, ideas of climate change, “global weirding,” action and inaction, encroaching technology, misogyny and patriarch with regard to climate issues, and why she has hope for our world.      Allegra Hyde is the author of ELEUTHERIA, which was named a "Best Book of 2022" by The New Yorker. She is also the author of the story collection, OF THIS NEW WORLD, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award. Her second story collection, THE LAST CATASTROPHE, is out in the world as of today, March 28, published by Vintage.    A recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, Hyde's writing has also been anthologized in Best American Travel Writing, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. Her stories, essays, and humor pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, American Short Fiction, BOMB, and many other venues.    Hyde has received fellowships and grants from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, The Elizabeth George Foundation, the Lucas Artist Residency Program, the Jentel Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright Commission, and elsewhere.    She currently teaches at Oberlin College.     Buy The Last Catastrophe   Allegra Hyde's Webpage   Our Culture Mag Profile of Allegra Hyde and The Last Catastrophe     At about 7:10, Pete compliments The Last Catastrophe, referring to Allegra's work as “prophet[ic],” and Allegra talks about her mindset with her book now entering the world   At about 9:15, Allegra talks about her childhood relationships with the library, reading, and writing; she shouts out her love for The Chronicles of Narnia and audiobooks in general   At about 10:45, Pete wonders about any childhood experiences that may have steered Allegra to particular types of reading    At about 12:10, Pete highlights a particular story from the collection that is indicative of Allegra's skill with worldbuilding; she explains her approach to worldbuilding   At about 14:10, Allegra describes the “privilege” in doing authorial research and she and Pete shout out librarians and decry the recent spate of book banning   At about 15:40, Pete asks Allegra about who/what she is reading these days; she highlights Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon and Thornton Wilder   At about 17:15, Pete references the book's blurb as “dazzling and inventive” (Alexandra Kleeman) and Allegra describes her approach in writing one of those “dazzling” stories   At about 18:55, Allegra defines “retrofuturism,” and she describes how it was guiding her in these stories; she points out her story “Democracy in América” as an example   At about 20:15, Allegra characterizes the throughline of her short story connection, defining and expounding upon the term “Global Weirding”   At about 23:05, Pete cites an important and evocative opening line of the collection and asks Allegra about the line's larger meaning and if it served as a catalyst   At about 24:45, Pete and Allegra discuss the plot and significance of the story “Mobilization”   At about 27:55, Pete references a joke from Marc Maron and inaction on climate change/global weirdness; Allegra highlights the need to approach the crisis from a communal lens   At about 29:20, Pete refers to grass and drought issues and its connection to wealth and    At about 30:05, Pete quotes from the book and he and Allegra discuss ideas of optimism and pessimism regarding the future, particularly with regard to climate change/global weirdness   At about 32:35, Pete references the story “Zoo Suicides” and Allegra speaks to the story's intent and how it was “after” Donald Barthelme and Dana Diehl   At about 35:00, The two discuss the power of the dark humor in the book, and Allegra discusses the story “Afterglow” and its connections to global weirding and a more individual story of grief   At about 38:45, Allegra discusses the gender identity of the narrator of “Democracy in América” and talk about issues particular to America, especially as seen from outside the US   At about 40:55, Allegra describes the process of “Consignment,” which speaks to ideas of consumerism and an American obsession with youth and beauty, from the above story   At about 42:25, Commodification and issues of wealth inequality are discussed with regards to her story collection, especially with regards to how wealth and global weirding are so closely linked   At about 44:40, Pete highlights “The Future is a Click Away” as a standout story and he and Allegra discuss “The Algorithm” in the story as almost “mythical” and “god-like”   At about 47:30, “Cougar” is discussed as another story that deals with encroaching technology, and Allegra talks about “merg[ing] real pieces from her life with research and imagination   At about 49:40, “Endangered” and its statements on the state of art and artists, as well as captivity and endangerment in today's world, is discussed    At about 52:30, Misogyny and what Allegra calls “the mysterious nature of ‘Chevalier' ” are discussed, as well as ideas of invisibilia, both by the world at large and by the narrator of the story, who may be more directed by love than she would let on   At about 56:00, Allegra connects her stories to patriarchy and global weirding   At about 58:00, Pete and Allegra discuss legislative action and other ways in which women and other oppressed groups are being ignored and degraded    At about 58:55, Allegra explains why she “chafe[s]” against her writing being described as “satirical”    At about 59:30, Pete laugh over the absurd and awesome story involving a woman    At about 1:00:25, Allegra explains how she finds cause for optimism despite some often dark topics that populate the world and her work   At about 1:03:15, Allegra shouts out her upcoming tour dates, and shouts out Ben Franklin/Mindfair Books as one of many places to buy her book   At about 1:04:35, Allegra highlights her exciting upcoming project-there are caves involved!    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.

Yiyun Li has garnered legions of fans with her unsparing prose, writing extensively about her own struggles with depression and suicidality.Her latest novel, “The Book of Goose,” is no different, sharing the same quality that has made Ms. Li something of a beacon to those suffering beneath unbearable emotional weight.Alexandra Kleeman, also a novelist, meets Ms. Li to discover the secrets of her charm, her experience of growing up in China and her writing process.This story was written by Alexandra Kleeman and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

La puntata è la versione podcast dello speciale America Contro in onda in diretta nell'ambito di Live In, l'evento organizzato da Sky Tg24 a Firenze. Ospiti di Federico Leoni, la scrittrice americana Alexandra Kleeman e il vicedirettore del Post Francesco Costa.

Harold McGee's 1984 book On Food and Cooking—revised extensively in 2004—changed modern cuisine, inspiring the molecular gastronomy of Ferran Adrià as well as the weeknight creations of humble home cooks everywhere. McGee's latest book, Nose Dive, is a companion encyclopedia to On Food and Cooking, and it focuses on the most overlooked of our senses: smell. When we bring a fresh oyster or a glass of wine to our lips, what makes us detect minerality or grassiness? When did the molecules that we smell first appear? What happens to these volatile molecules when we transform our food, whether through cooking, fermentation, or some other process? Listen to McGee explain this universe of smells—which he dubs “the osmocosm”—and you'll never breathe in the aroma of fresh-baked cookies the same way again.Go beyond the episode:Harold McGee's Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's SmellsIf your copy of On Food and Cooking is also illegible from use—fear not! Copies abound, but be sure to grab the 2004 revisionMcGee blogs at the Curious CookGet a whiff of 19th-century olfactory history in our interview with historian Melanie KiechleImagine the future of food in our changing climate with novelist Alexandra Kleeman and chef Jen MonroeTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Alexandra Kleeman joined the Radio Bookclub for a conversation in front of a live audience at the Boulder Bookstore on August 3. In this podcast-only episode of the Radio Bookclub, Alexandra answers questions from the audience and talks about […]

The September selection for the Radio Bookclub is Something New Under the Sun, by Alexandra Kleeman. tells the story of Patrick Hamlin, a novelist who has come to Los Angeles to oversee the film adaptation of one of his books. […]

In Greenlight's longstanding tradition of celebrating the debuts of new literary voices, Cara Blue Adams graces our (virtual) stage to present her first story collection, You Never Get It Back—winner of the 2021 John Simmons Short Fiction Award. In these poised and perceptive linked stories set in rural New England and across the country—including Maine, Virginia, and New Mexico—the power of place shines through the journey of a young woman in search of vocation and belonging, grappling with social class and privilege, gender, ambition, violence, and the distance between longing and having. Acclaimed novelist Alexandra Kleeman (You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine) joined Adams for a warm and searching conversation that delved into questions of craft, writing from experience, and what it means to “come of age” for young women today. (Recorded December 13, 2021)

An interview with Allegra Hyde, author of Eleutheria (Vintage, 2020), a debut novel about an idealist who comes face to face with the allure and pitfalls of utopian eco-communities. Allegra and I discuss the need for hopeful narratives of a possible future in an age of climate disaster, and how and why art is poised to craft those narratives. We talk about the “stench of perfectionism” that invades some intentional communities, the pleasures of dumpster-diving with Freegans, the beautiful art of terrarium making, trying to live the solution when the world isn't listening, and so much more. Books Recommended in this episode: Alexandra Kleeman, Something New Under the Sun Lydia Millet, A Children's Bible Matt Bell, Appleseed Amitav Gosh, The Great Derangement Andreas Malm, How to Blow Up a Pipeline  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interview with Allegra Hyde, author of Eleutheria (Vintage, 2020), a debut novel about an idealist who comes face to face with the allure and pitfalls of utopian eco-communities. Allegra and I discuss the need for hopeful narratives of a possible future in an age of climate disaster, and how and why art is poised to craft those narratives. We talk about the “stench of perfectionism” that invades some intentional communities, the pleasures of dumpster-diving with Freegans, the beautiful art of terrarium making, trying to live the solution when the world isn't listening, and so much more. Books Recommended in this episode: Alexandra Kleeman, Something New Under the Sun Lydia Millet, A Children's Bible Matt Bell, Appleseed Amitav Gosh, The Great Derangement Andreas Malm, How to Blow Up a Pipeline  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

An interview with Allegra Hyde, author of Eleutheria (Vintage, 2020), a debut novel about an idealist who comes face to face with the allure and pitfalls of utopian eco-communities. Allegra and I discuss the need for hopeful narratives of a possible future in an age of climate disaster, and how and why art is poised to craft those narratives. We talk about the “stench of perfectionism” that invades some intentional communities, the pleasures of dumpster-diving with Freegans, the beautiful art of terrarium making, trying to live the solution when the world isn't listening, and so much more. Books Recommended in this episode: Alexandra Kleeman, Something New Under the Sun Lydia Millet, A Children's Bible Matt Bell, Appleseed Amitav Gosh, The Great Derangement Andreas Malm, How to Blow Up a Pipeline  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

An interview with Allegra Hyde, author of Eleutheria (Vintage, 2020), a debut novel about an idealist who comes face to face with the allure and pitfalls of utopian eco-communities. Allegra and I discuss the need for hopeful narratives of a possible future in an age of climate disaster, and how and why art is poised to craft those narratives. We talk about the “stench of perfectionism” that invades some intentional communities, the pleasures of dumpster-diving with Freegans, the beautiful art of terrarium making, trying to live the solution when the world isn't listening, and so much more. Books Recommended in this episode: Alexandra Kleeman, Something New Under the Sun Lydia Millet, A Children's Bible Matt Bell, Appleseed Amitav Gosh, The Great Derangement Andreas Malm, How to Blow Up a Pipeline  Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Associate Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro as World Literature, is under contract with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Writers Mary South and Alexandra Kleeman discuss writing climate crises in works of fiction in the face of rising temperatures and unprecedented ecological disasters. Kleeman's latest novel, Something New Under the Sun, takes us to a drought-ravaged California, where water is so scarce that a substitute is manufactured and sold as WAT-R. In the middle of Nevada lies Rhyolite Ridge, a place with the largest known lithium deposit in North America and home to an endemic wildflower known as Tiehm's buckwheat. The flowers' endangered status prevents the development of more lithium mines. Writer Mason Voehl investigates the battle between those who seek to gather the precious ore essential to decarbonizing our economy and those who seek to defend a species on the verge of extinction.

The holiday season is upon us, another strange, unforgettable year is almost done, and here at Coode Street it's time for our annual gift guide/year in review, where we recommend some books we loved during the year. This time out we invited special guests and good friends James Bradley, Alix E. Harrow, and Ian Mond to join us to recommend just a few of the books we'd loved the most during 2021. Perhaps more than in any other year, this was a time when we all were almost surprised at how much great reading we found. Because this is Coode Street, traditions are traditions and we had some technical issues. All is good for most of the hour of the recording, but there's a jump or two towards the end. We hope you'll excuse this, and that the recommendations will prove of interest. As always, our thanks to Alix, James, and Ian for making time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the podcast and that the guide is of some use. To help, the recommendations are below. And we're in talks to maybe return in January for a books we're looking forward to chat as well... James Bradley recommended: Jennifer Mills, The Airways Elizabeth Knox, The Absolute Book Nina Allan, The Good Neighbours Olga Ravn, The Employees: A workplace novel of the 22nd century and also mentioned: Alexandra Kleeman, Something New Under the Sun Laura Jean McKay, The Animals in That Country Marion Engel, Bear Garth Nix, Terciel and Elinor Sim Kern, Depart, Depart Hari Kunzru, Red Pill Alix E. Harrow recommended: Lee Mandelo, Summer Sons Shelley Parker-Chan, She Who Became the Sun Ava Reid, The Wolf and the Woodsman Nghi Vo, The Chosen and the Beautiful And I also loved/mentioned/endorsed: Becky Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild-Built Angela Slatter, All the Murmuring Bones Ian Mond recommended: Build Your House Around My Body, Violet Kupersmith The Thing Between Us, Gus Moreno The Confessions of Copeland Cane, Keenan Norris All the Murmuring Bones, Angela Slatter Dead Souls, Sam Rivière The Angels of L19, Jonathan Walker Mrs Death: Misses Death, Salena Godden The Employees, Olga Ravn (translated by Martin Aitken) Jonathan recommended: The Hood, Lavie Tidhar A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers The Wisdom of Crowds, Joe Abercrombie and passingly mentioned The Detective Up Late by Adrian McKinty. Gary recommended: Karin Tidbeck, The Memory Theatre M. Rickert, The Shipbuilder of Belfairie E. Lily Yu, On Fragile Waves Nina Allan, The Art of Space Travel and Other Stories P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn Pus a couple of titles that were also on other folks' lists, like The Hood and The Chosen and the Beautiful.

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Today, we're chatting about our "dream homes" which mostly revolves around having enough closet space (lol, we ❤️ NYC!) Also, tune in to hear Kayla announce her December book club pick, Always In December by Emily Stone. Then we have another backlist bonanza episode for you all, where we all discuss books that we really enjoyed but read a while ago. Plus, a conspiracy rabbit hole about Becky's backlist

A very special edition of Unstacked with Sarah (Bay County Public Library) and Stephen (Huntsville-Madison County Public Library). Join us for an interview with award-winning author, Alexandra Kleeman. We'll discuss her newest novel, Something New Under the Sun (2021). Unwind with Alexandra as she shares her writing and creative process, love of literature, libraries, and more. For more information about Alexandra Kleeman, visit her website https://www.alexandrakleeman.com/. Stay safe and read my friend. It's good for you! #AlexandraKleeman #SomethingNewUnderTheSun #Libraries #Noir #SpeculativeFiction #WritingProcess #CreativeProcess

Alexandra Kleeman talks to Neil about her latest novel Something New Under The Sun. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alexandra Kleeman is the author of the novel Something New Under the Sun, available from Hogarth Press. Kleeman's other books include Intimations, a short story collection, and the novel You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine, which was awarded the 2016 Bard Fiction Prize and was a New York Times Editor's Choice. In 2020, she was awarded the Rome Prize and the Berlin Prize. Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope, Conjunctions, and Guernica, among others, and other writing has appeared in Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, VOGUE, Tin House, n+1, and The Guardian. Her work has received fellowships and support from Bread Loaf, Djerassi, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. Born in 1986 in Berkeley, California, she was raised in Colorado and lives in Staten Island with her husband, the writer Alex Gilvarry. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc. Support the show on Patreon Merch www.otherppl.com @otherppl Instagram  YouTube Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Kleeman is back in the Damn Library! For the third time! This visit, she's brought along her new novel, Something New Under the Sun! We are thrilled to discuss the menace of water that doesn't taste right, online forums, and what she'd write if she could add to it, and so much more, including André Gide's Marshlands, which renders a writer's life in relatable terms. contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com music: Disaster Magic (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out the story “Thousands in Milan call for climate action” from SBS; The strikers say, “We are in the thick of the climate crisis and yet our government continues to subsidise their mates in the fossil fuel industry, putting all of us at risk”; Science Daily tells us: “New research links tree health to how birds respond to climate change”; Join this webinar on Wednesday, October 13, staged by “Renewables, not gas for Geelong” - A community forum on Viva Energy's proposed gas important terminal in Corio Bay and associated safety risks; From Vote Earth Now: “Key Findings of Climate Council report on security in our region: The federal government's financial support of the fossil fuel industry is actively undermining Australia's national security”; Three stories from Gizmodo: “So Much Ice Has Melted, That the Earth's Crust Is Shifting in Weird, New Ways”; “Privatization Won't Fix This”; “Climate Change May Finally Get Its Day at the Hague”; And now it's three stories from The New York Times: “How the Animal World Is Adapting to Climate Change”; “Trams, Cable Cars, Electric Ferries: How Cities Are Rethinking Transit”; “After Hurricane Ida, Oil Infrastructure Springs Dozens of Leaks”; From Vox: “The case for a more radical climate movement”; And from Energy it's: “Halogen bulb ban 'just a start' in climate change fight”; A trio of stories from The New Daily: “Road to net zero: Scott Morrison has less than a month to unite his government”; “Road to net zero: The very real financial consequences of failure at Glasgow”; “Road to net zero: What the rest of the world thinks about Australia's climate policy”;  From The Canberra Times: “School Strike 4 Climate activists in Canberra continue to call for action from lockdown”; The Financial Post tells readers: “This Is What Europe's Green Future Looks Like”; Coming up are three stories from The Conversation: “Better building standards are good for the climate, your health, and your wallet. Here's what the National Construction Code could do better”; “VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the Nationals and climate policy, the push for independent candidates, and Malcolm Turnbull”; “Marine heatwaves during winter could have dire impacts on New Zealand fisheries and herald more summer storms”; From The Newsroom: “‘Keep 1.5 alive' is an uninspiring Glasgow goal”; The New Republic tells readers about: “Alexandra Kleeman's Not-So-Distant Dystopia”; And from The Guardian we read: “Giant sequoias and fire have coexisted for centuries. Climate crisis is upping the stakes”; Reuters has a message from The Pope: “'You are making the future today', Pope tells youth climate activists”; The British Library show readers a poster from the First World War that could apply equally to the climate crisis: “'Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?', a British recruitment poster”; Two stories from Climate Conscious on Medium: “Justice, Compassion, and Climate Change”; “Our Approach to Climate Change Is Preventing Us From Solving It”; We finish up today with two stories from The Melbourne Age: “Winds of change blow hope into industrial towns and net zero deal”; “Santos seeks carbon credits for plan to bury emissions underground”.  Enjoy “Music for a Warming World”. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/climateconversations

Alexandra Kleeman is the author of Intimations, a short story collection, and the novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine, which was a New York Times Editor's Choice. Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope, Conjunctions, and Guernica, among other publications, and her other writing has appeared in Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Tin House, n+1, and The Guardian. Her work has received fellowships and support from Bread Loaf, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. She is the winner of the Berlin Prize and the Bard Fiction Prize, and was a Rome Prize Literature Fellow at the American Academy in Rome. She lives in Staten Island and teaches at the New School. About Something New Under the Sun: NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE • A novelist discovers the dark side of Hollywood and reckons with ambition, corruption, and connectedness in the age of environmental collapse and ecological awakening—a darkly unsettling near-future novel for readers of Don DeLillo and Ottessa Moshfegh ONE OF SUMMER'S BEST BOOKS: The Wall Street Journal • Time • Vulture • Parade • LitHub • Vanity Fair • Vogue • Refinery29 • Esquire “A darkly satirical reflection of ecological reality.”—Time “Genius.”—Los Angeles Times “Wildly entertaining and beautifully written.”—LitHub East Coast novelist Patrick Hamlin has come to Hollywood with simple goals in mind: overseeing the production of a film adaptation of one of his books, preventing starlet Cassidy Carter's disruptive behavior from derailing said production, and turning this last-ditch effort at career resuscitation into the sort of success that will dazzle his wife and daughter back home. But California is not as he imagined: Drought, wildfire, and corporate corruption are omnipresent, and the company behind a mysterious new brand of synthetic water seems to be at the root of it all. Patrick partners with Cassidy—after having been her reluctant chauffeur for weeks—and the two of them investigate the sun-scorched city's darker crevices, where they discover that catastrophe resembles order until the last possible second. In this often-witty and all-too-timely story, Alexandra Kleeman grapples with the corruption of our environment in the age of alternative facts. Something New Under the Sun is a meticulous and deeply felt accounting of our very human anxieties, liabilities, dependencies, and, ultimately, responsibility to truth.

Jordan talks to author Alexandra Kleeman about the threshold of the natural and the man-made, about how we are and will continue to consistently cross that threshold back and forth, and about how cognitive science influenced her new book. Alexandra Kleeman is the author of Something New Under the Sun as well as Intimations: Stories and the novel You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine, which was awarded the 2016 Bard Fiction Prize and was a New York Times Editor's Choice. In 2020, she was awarded the Rome Prize and the Berlin Prize. Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope, Conjunctions, and Guernica, among others, and other writing has appeared in Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, VOGUE, Tin House, n+1, and The Guardian. Born in 1986 in Berkeley, California, she was raised in Colorado and lives in Staten Island with her husband, the writer Alex Gilvarry. She is an Assistant Professor at the New School. This episode is brought to you by the House of CHANEL, creator of the iconic J12 sports watch. Always in motion, the J12 travels through time without ever losing its identity. For more Thresholds, visit us at www.thisisthresholds.com Be sure to rate/review/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Open Form, a new weekly film podcast hosted by award-winning writer Mychal Denzel Smith. Each week, a different author chooses a movie: a movie they love, a movie they hate, a movie they hate to love. Something nostalgic from their childhood. A brand-new obsession. Something they've been dying to talk about for ages and their friends are constantly annoyed by them bringing it up. In this episode, Mychal talks to Alexandra Kleeman about the 2012 film Like Someone in Love, directed by Abbas Kiarostami. This episode's sponsor: Kings Distillery. Kings County Distillery is New York City's premier craft distillery and among the most acclaimed small distilleries in the United States. Focused exclusively on whiskeys, Kings County has made a name for its Bourbon, Peated Bourbon, Empire Rye and other creative whiskeys. Kings County can be found across the US. Go to KingsCountyDistillery.com to find out where.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Kleeman is the author of Intimations, a short story collection, and the novel You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine, which was awarded the 2016 Bard Fiction Prize and was a New York Times Editor’s Choice. In 2020, she was awarded the Rome Prize and the Berlin Prize. She is an Assistant Professor at the New School and her second novel, Something New Under the Sun, is forthcoming from Hogarth Press.

Cerpen ini mungkin tidak se-klasik atau se-legend karya-karya yang saya bacakan selama ini. Penulisnya adalah pendatang baru dan masih muda namun karyanya telah cukup banyak diulas oleh koran-koran ternama. Cerpen ini mengisahkan tentang ketakutan menghadapi sebuah akhir. Berbeda dengan kekasihnya yang selalu bersikap optimis dan cenderung tenang menghadapi kiamat, tokoh utama justru ketakutan. Kiamat yang digambarkan di sini adalah hilangnya satu per satu benda atau makhluk di muka bumi. Hilang begitu saja tak meninggalkan jejak, seolah tak pernah ada sebelumnya. Karena ketakutan, si tokoh utama malah memutuskan pergi menjauh dan 'menghilang' sebelum benar-benar menghilang. Ternyata kekasihnya lah yang terlebih dahulu menghilang.

For decades, we’ve been filling our plates with fruit and vegetables from California’s Central Valley and with meat fattened by the golden fields of the Corn Belt. But the future of almonds and soybeans looks grim. Industrial agriculture yields massive crops, but in the process destroys its own foundations: groundwater and topsoil. In his new book, Perilous Bounty, journalist and former farmer Tom Philpott explores the contradictions in our food supply by narrowing his focus to these agricultural essentials—water and earth. He reveals a “quiet emergency” happening on our fruited plains, profiles the farmers adapting old ways to a new era, and suggests ways we might reimagine not only the future of food, but that of the people who grow, pick, and package it.Go beyond the episode:Tom Philpott’s Perilous BountyRead his Guardian essay, “Unless we change course, the US agricultural system could collapse”Philpott’s recent reporting has focused on the meatpacking industry, especially poultry productionAnd his recent article for Mother Jones features none other than Rob Wallace, the epidemiologist we interviewed back in March on “How Global Agriculture Grew a Pandemic”If you’re missing dinner parties (we are!) listen to this immersive episode with Alexandra Kleeman and Jen Monroe, who served a futuristic menu set 30 years into our climate crisisTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For decades, we’ve been filling our plates with fruit and vegetables from California’s Central Valley and with meat fattened by the golden fields of the Corn Belt. But the future of almonds and soybeans looks grim. Industrial agriculture yields massive crops, but in the process destroys its own foundations: groundwater and topsoil. In his new book, Perilous Bounty, journalist and former farmer Tom Philpott explores the contradictions in our food supply by narrowing his focus to these agricultural essentials—water and earth. He reveals a “quiet emergency” happening on our fruited plains, profiles the farmers adapting old ways to a new era, and suggests ways we might reimagine not only the future of food, but that of the people who grow, pick, and package it.Go beyond the episode:Tom Philpott’s Perilous BountyRead his Guardian essay, “Unless we change course, the US agricultural system could collapse”Philpott’s recent reporting has focused on the meatpacking industry, especially poultry productionAnd his recent article for Mother Jones features none other than Rob Wallace, the epidemiologist we interviewed back in March on “How Global Agriculture Grew a Pandemic”If you’re missing dinner parties (we are!) listen to this immersive episode with Alexandra Kleeman and Jen Monroe, who served a futuristic menu set 30 years into our climate crisisTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the extraordinary days of early June 2020, Marie-Helene Bertino virtually launches her novel Parakeet in conversation with Alexandra Kleeman, co-hosted by BOMB Magazine.  Poet Angel Nafis opens the event with a meditation and poetry reading, setting the stage for an evening encompassing love and family, dark humor, discussions of craft, racial justice, and pure literary magic. (Recorded June 2, 2020)

Alexandra Kleeman is the author ofIntimations, a short story collection, and the novelYou Too Can Have A Body Like Mine, which was awarded the 2016 Bard Fiction Prize. She is an Assistant Professor at the New School and her second novel, Something New Under the Sun, is forthcoming from Hogarth Press. Alexandra sat down outside of a busy coffeeshop near Central Park to talk about being trapped in our own bodies, her process, teaching creative writing, and more.CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIAhttps://twitter.com/BENBLACKERhttps://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanelTHE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCASThttp://foreverdogproductions.com/fdpn/podcasts/the-writers-panel

Salman Rushdie reads an apologetic letter written by Dylan Thomas to his editor; poet Sharon Olds identifies “The Solution” to America’s problems; Alexandra Kleeman reads her haunting story “Fairy Tale”; and singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart reads the little-known legend of “The Woe Shirt,” as written by Paulé Bártón.“Mea Culpa” © The Dylan Thomas Trust. www.discoverdylanthomas.com.

This week, with the world's forests burning from the Amazon to Indonesia, we’re revisiting a 2017 episode about the future of food—the production of which, whether beef or palm oil, has caused an unprecedented number of deliberate fires. Centuries of colonialism and resource extraction have transformed continents and the waters between them. Oceans are rising and acidifying, resulting in the extinction of some species and the proliferation of others. What will the act of eating be like 30 years from now? Fifty? One hundred? To imagine that future, we’re joined in this episode by a novelist and a chef—Alexandra Kleeman and Jen Monroe—who dreamed up what a dinner party might look like in the future, on the border between science fiction and reality … and then threw that dinner party, in the corner of a Brooklyn restaurant. Go beyond the episode: Read about the indigenous fight against Jair Bolsonaro and his agribusiness interests in the AmazonCheck out Bad Taste, Jen Monroe’s experimental food project, and read this article from “Balling the Queen,” a series of essays and dinners exploring honey bees, consumption, and collapseRead “Choking Victim,” a short story by Alexandra KleemanExplore the unusual artistic encounters of The Bellwether, which put on The Next Menu, and read Jordan Kisner’s essay on the massive aspen grove threatened by climate changeTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. Follow us on Twitter @TheAmScho or on Facebook.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, with the world's forests burning from the Amazon to Indonesia, we’re revisiting a 2017 episode about the future of food—the production of which, whether beef or palm oil, has caused an unprecedented number of deliberate fires. Centuries of colonialism and resource extraction have transformed continents and the waters between them. Oceans are rising and acidifying, resulting in the extinction of some species and the proliferation of others. What will the act of eating be like 30 years from now? Fifty? One hundred? To imagine that future, we’re joined in this episode by a novelist and a chef—Alexandra Kleeman and Jen Monroe—who dreamed up what a dinner party might look like in the future, on the border between science fiction and reality … and then threw that dinner party, in the corner of a Brooklyn restaurant. Go beyond the episode: Read about the indigenous fight against Jair Bolsonaro and his agribusiness interests in the AmazonCheck out Bad Taste, Jen Monroe’s experimental food project, and read this article from “Balling the Queen,” a series of essays and dinners exploring honey bees, consumption, and collapseRead “Choking Victim,” a short story by Alexandra KleemanExplore the unusual artistic encounters of The Bellwether, which put on The Next Menu, and read Jordan Kisner’s essay on the massive aspen grove threatened by climate changeTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. Follow us on Twitter @TheAmScho or on Facebook.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • AcastHave suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We attempt to hold onto what we've got while it lasts during a review of this dreamily evocative short story. [Aggregate score: 8.25] The post Literature: You, Disappearing by Alexandra Kleeman appeared first on The Lost Signals.

Di nuovo in presa diretta da Los Angeles, la McMusa racconta e legge la nuova raccolta di racconti di Alexandra Kleeman, "Intuizioni". I due mondi - uno reale e uno fittizio, uno dorato e l'altro cristallino - hanno in comune qualcosa di molto snervante, qualcosa di fantascientifico. Questa puntata è stata registrata sulle spiagge di Los Angeles, in particolare a Santa Monica e Venice Beach. La sigla è dei Drunken Rollers, la musica di Broke for Free.

In which we discuss THE DANCING MASTER by Alexandra Kleeman. and LAST by Ali Smith, along with, among other things, Amelie, Richard Ford, gas stations, and digital product development.

From an author of rare, haunting power, a stunning novel about a young African-American woman coming of age--a deeply felt meditation on race, sex, family, and country.  Raised in Pennsylvania, Thandi views the world of her mother's childhood in Johannesburg as both impossibly distant and ever present. She is an outsider wherever she goes, caught between being black and white, American and not. She tries to connect these dislocated pieces of her life, and as her mother succumbs to cancer, Thandi searches for an anchor--someone, or something, to love. In arresting and unsettling prose, we watch Thandi's life unfold, from losing her mother and learning to live without the person who has most profoundly shaped her existence, to her own encounters with romance and unexpected motherhood. Through exquisite and emotional vignettes, Clemmons creates a stunning portrayal of what it means to choose to live, after loss. An elegiac distillation, at once intellectual and visceral, of a young woman's understanding of absence and identity that spans continents and decades, What We Lose heralds the arrival of a virtuosic new voice in fiction. Praise for What We Lose "Penetratingly good and written in vivid still life, What We Lose reads like a guided tour through a melancholic Van Gogh exhibit--wonderfully chromatic, transfixing and bursting with emotion. Zinzi Clemmons's debut novel signals the emergence of a voice that refuses to be ignored." --Paul Beatty, author of The Sellout  "An intimate narrative that often makes another life as believable as your own." --John Edgar Wideman, author of Writing to Save a Life  "The narrator of What We Lose navigates the many registers of grief, love and injustice, moving between the death of her mother and the birth of her son, as well as an America of blacks and whites and a South Africa of Coloreds. What an intricate mapping of inner and outer geographies! Clemmons's prose is rhythmically exact and acutely moving. No experience is left unexamined or unimagined." --Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland  "Zinzi Clemmons' first book heralds the work of a new writer with a true and lasting voice--one that is just right for our complicated millennium. Bright and filled with shadows, humor, and trenchant insights into what it means to have a heart divided by different cultures, What We Lose is a win, just right for the ages." --Hilton Als, author of White Girls  "I love how Zinzi Clemmons complicates identity in What We Lose. Her main character is both South African and American, privileged and outsider, driven by desire and gutted by grief. This is a piercingly beautiful first novel." --Danzy Senna, author of New People  "It takes a rare, gifted writer to make her readers look at day-to-day aspects of the world around them anew. Zinzi Clemmons is one such writer.What We Lose immerses us in a world of complex ideas and issues with ease. Clemmons imbues each aspect of this novel with clear, nuanced thinking and emotional heft. Part meditation on loss, part examination of identity as it relates to ethnicity, nationality, gender and class, and part intimate look at one woman's coming of age, What We Lose announces a talented new voice in fiction." --Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House  "Wise and tender and possessed of a fiercely insightful intimacy, What We Lose is a lyrical ode to the complexities of race, love, illness, parenthood, and the hairline fractures they leave behind. Zinzi Clemmons has gifted the reader a rare and thoughtful emotional topography, a map to the mirror regions of their own heart." --Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine  Zinzi Clemmons was raised in Philadelphia by a South African mother and an American father. She is a cofounder and former publisher of Apogee Journal, a contributing editor to Literary Hub, and deputy editor for Phoneme Media. Her writing has appeared in Zoetrope, The Paris Review Daily, Transition, and the Common. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Bread Loaf, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the Kimbilio Center for African American Fiction. Clemmons lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Event date:  Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - 7:30pm

In this episode, you’ll hear five readings recorded at Interlochen Center for the Arts. The first two feature guest authors Danez Smith and Alexandra Kleeman. The final three readings come from current Interlochen Arts Academy creative writing majors.   “Dinosaurs in the Hood” by Danez Smith Excerpt from “You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine” by Alexandra Kleeman “Jackie Wilson: Funny” by Darius Atefat-Peckham Excerpt from "Thin Skin: An Index" by Yanna Cassell"Paler" by Sylvanna Vitali

Her Body and Other Parties (Graywolf Press) In Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, comedy and horror, fantasy and fabulism. While her work has earned her comparisons to Karen Russell and Kelly Link, she has a voice that is all her own. In this electric and provocative debut, Machado bends genre to shape startling narratives that map the realities of women's lives and the violence visited upon their bodies. A wife refuses her husband's entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store's prom dresses. One woman's surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted houseguest. And in the bravura novella "Especially Heinous," Machado reimagines every episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a show we naively assumed had shown it all, generating a phantasmagoric police procedural full of doppelgangers, ghosts, and girls with bells for eyes. Earthy and otherworldly, antic and sexy, queer and caustic, comic and deadly serious, Her Body and Other Parties swings from horrific violence to the most exquisite sentiment. In their explosive originality, these stories enlarge the possibilities of contemporary fiction. Praise for Her Body and Other Parties “The stories in Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties vibrate with originality, queerness, sensuality and the strange. Her voracious imagination and extraordinary voice beautifully bind these stories about fading women and the end of the world and men who want more when they’ve been given everything and bodies, so many human bodies taking up space and straining the seams of skin in impossible, imperfect, unforgettable ways.”—Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist and Hunger “Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties tells ancient fables of eros and female metamorphosis in fantastically new ways. She draws the secret world of the body into visibility, and illuminates the dark woods of the psyche. In these formally brilliant and emotionally charged tales, Machado gives literal shape to women's memories and hunger and desire. I couldn’t put it down.”—Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia! “Those of us who knew have been waiting for a Carmen Maria Machado collection for years. Her stories show us what we really love and fear.”—Alexander Chee, author of The Queen of the Night “Carmen Maria Machado writes a new kind of fiction: brilliant, blindingly weird, and precisely attuned to the perils and sorrows of the times.”—Ben Marcus, author of Leaving the Sea “Carmen Maria Machado has a vital, visceral, umbilical connection to the places deep within the soul from where stories emanate. With a tenderness that is both touching and terrifying, Her Body and Other Parties gives insight into a cluster of worlds linked by their depth of feeling and penetrating strangeness.”—Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine “Brilliantly inventive and blazingly smart, these stories have the life-and-death stakes of nightmares and fairy tales; they’re full of urgent, almost unbearable reality. Carmen Machado is an extraordinary writer, an essential voice.”—Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You “Her Body and Other Parties will delight you, hurt you, and astonish you as only the smartest literature can. In this collection Machado blends horror, fairy tale, pop culture and myth in mesmerizing ways that feel utterly new. These stories are peerless and brilliant.”—Alissa Nutting, author of Made for Love and Tampa “Carmen Maria Machado shuffles together fantastic, realistic, popular, and literary genres and then deals winning hand after winning hand. Whether it is reworking fairy tales, rewriting the entire run of Law and Order into a grim fantasy, or diving into unchartered territory entirely Machado's own, Her Body and Other Parties is a deft and thoughtful reclaiming of both literature and genre.”—Brian Evenson, author of A Collapse of Horses “Her Body and Other Parties is genius: part punk rock and part classical, with stories that are raw and devastating but also exquisitely plotted and full of delight. This is a strong, dangerous, and blisteringly honest book—it’s hard to think of it as a ‘debut,’ it's that good.”—Jeff VanderMeer, author of Borne “What Carmen Maria Machado has done with this collection is nothing less than stunning. Just when you think you’ve figured her out, she unveils another layer of story, so unexpected, so profound, it leaves you gasping.”—Lesley Nneka Arimah, author of What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky “With her lush, generative imagination, shimmering language, and utter fearlessness, Carmen Maria Machado is surely one of most ferociously gifted young writers working today. . . . Hilariously inventive, emotionally explosive, wonderfully sexy, Machado’s stories will carry you far from home, upend your reality, and sew themselves to your soul.”—Michelle Huneven, author of Blame and Off Course “Carmen Maria Machado is the way forward. Her fiction is fearlessly inventive, socially astute, sometimes pointed, sometimes elliptical, and never quite what you’re expecting—yet behind it you can always hear that ancient tale-teller’s voice, bartering for your attention with its dangers and its mysteries, its foolhardy characters pulled this way and that by the ropes of their emotions. . . . There is at once the breath of the new about these stories and the breath of the timeless.”—Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead “A form-bending fabulist in the tradition of Kevin Brockmeier, Kelly Link, and Karen Russell, she gleefully seeks out weird shapes and subjects for every story. . . . She writes uncanny, creepy, sexy, funny, feminist, magical-realist, metafictional, pop-cultural, and all-of-the-above stories, and she seems determined never to write the same story twice. Yet for all of its wildly inventive variety, Her Body and Other Parties is unified by the one story it keeps finding new ways to tell: how women can survive in worlds that want them to disappear, whether into marriage, motherhood, death, or (literally) prom dresses.”—Bennett Sims, author of A Questionable Shape  Carmen Maria Machado’s work has appeared in Granta, the New Yorker, NPR, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She has been nominated for a Nebula Award and a Shirley Jackson Award, and was a finalist for the Calvino Prize. She lives in Philadelphia. You can visit her website at: www.carmenmachado.com  

Show Notes - This episode, Brea and Mallory finally talk about book clubs, review some really weird pillows and share their fears of ending up in a cult. Use the hashtag #RollIntoTheBookClub to participate in discussion on Twitter and Instagram! Reading Glasses Transcriptions on Gretta https://gretta.com/1246042223/ Reading Glasses Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/259287784548200/?ref=bookmarks Reading Glasses Goodreads Group https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/224423-reading-glasses---fan-group Links -   Well Read Black Girl https://wellreadblackgirl.com/ Sword and Laser Book Club http://swordandlaser.com/ Book of the Month https://www.bookofthemonth.com/ Book Riot Read Harder https://bookriot.com/2016/12/15/book-riots-2017-read-harder-challenge/ Book Riot Book Groups https://bookriot.com/2017/01/27/goodbye-book-groups-hello-book-groups/ Vaginal Fantasy Book Club http://vaginalfantasy.com/ Book Pillows https://www.amazon.com/Hog-Wild-Peeramid-Reading-Pillow/dp/B00B8ZHYGE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1507678651&sr=8-4&keywords=peeramid https://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Best-Tablet-Support-Pillow/dp/B00EXL5F2A/ref=sr_1_12?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1507678689&sr=1-12&keywords=ereader+pillow Books -   The Good People by Hannah Kent https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316243964   In The Days of Rain by Rebecca Stott https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780812989083   The Girls by Emma Cline https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780812988024   You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062388681   The Passage by Justin Cronin https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780345504975   The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780061558245

This week, we look at how we have irrevocably shaped the planet through consumption: of fossil fuels, exotic foods, cups of tea. Erika Rappaport talks about how the drive for empire was spurred on by lust for a certain caffeinated plant, which fueled countless wars and colonial expansion. And Alexandra Kleeman and Jen Monroe throw a dinner party for the future, imagining what food will taste like in 30 years’ time. • Episode page: https://theamericanscholar.org/once-and-future-food/ • Go beyond the episode:  • Erika Rappaport’s A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World  • Bon Appétit explains how to brew the perfect cup of tea  • Check out Bad Taste, Jen Monroe’s experimental food project  • Read “Choking Victim,” a short story by Alexandra Kleeman  • Explore the unusual artistic encounters of The Bellwether, which put on The Next Menu, and Jordan Kisner’s essay on the massive aspen grove threatened by climate change • Tune in every two weeks to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. • Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • Acast Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, we look at how we have irrevocably shaped the planet through consumption: of fossil fuels, exotic foods, cups of tea. Erika Rappaport talks about how the drive for empire was spurred on by lust for a certain caffeinated plant, which fueled countless wars and colonial expansion. And Alexandra Kleeman and Jen Monroe throw a dinner party for the future, imagining what food will taste like in 30 years’ time. • Episode page: https://theamericanscholar.org/once-and-future-food/ • Go beyond the episode:  • Erika Rappaport’s A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World  • Bon Appétit explains how to brew the perfect cup of tea  • Check out Bad Taste, Jen Monroe’s experimental food project  • Read “Choking Victim,” a short story by Alexandra Kleeman  • Explore the unusual artistic encounters of The Bellwether, which put on The Next Menu, and Jordan Kisner’s essay on the massive aspen grove threatened by climate change • Tune in every two weeks to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. • Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • Acast Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This month the Ark Audio Book Club discuss Alexandra Kleeman's debut novel "You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine". It's a story of bodies, symbols, shark documentaries, ephemeral cakes and obscured Christian cults. But is it good? This episode features Neus Casanova Vico, Sarah Ommanney, Macon Holt and is hosted by Giovanna Alesandro. You can check out Macon's essay inspired by the novel here http://arkbooks.dk/the-ephemeral-body-and-meaningless-symbols-in-alexandra-kleemans-you-too-can-have-a-body-like-mine/

Il bambino Giovanni Falcone. Un ricordo d’infanzia di Angelo Di Liberto, Il corpo che vuoi di Alexandra Kleeman e Quando muoio lo dico a Dio. Storie di ordinario estremismo di Barbara Schiavulli. Ecco i consigli da leggere di Tutto Esaurito, su Radio 105, di questa settimana. Scopri tutte le recensioni sul blog www.bookblister.com E non perderti i Libri da leggere http://www.bookblister.com/libri/libri-da-leggere Ti sei innamorato di un libro? Condividilo e raccontami perché è speciale e diventerà il prossimo Scelto da voi! Manda una mail a info@bookblister.com

Il bambino Giovanni Falcone. Un ricordo d'infanzia di Angelo Di Liberto, Il corpo che vuoi di Alexandra Kleeman e Quando muoio lo dico a Dio. Storie di ordinario estremismo di Barbara Schiavulli. Ecco i consigli da leggere di Tutto Esaurito, su Radio 105, di questa settimana. Scopri tutte le recensioni sul blog www.bookblister.com E non perderti i Libri da leggere http://www.bookblister.com/libri/libri-da-leggere Ti sei innamorato di un libro? Condividilo e raccontami perché è speciale e diventerà il prossimo Scelto da voi! Manda una mail a info@bookblister.com

Il bambino Giovanni Falcone. Un ricordo d’infanzia di Angelo Di Liberto, Il corpo che vuoi di Alexandra Kleeman e Quando muoio lo dico a Dio. Storie di ordinario estremismo di Barbara Schiavulli. Ecco i consigli da leggere di Tutto Esaurito, su Radio 105, di questa settimana. Scopri tutte le recensioni sul blog www.bookblister.com E non perderti i Libri da leggere http://www.bookblister.com/libri/libri-da-leggere Ti sei innamorato di un libro? Condividilo e raccontami perché è speciale e diventerà il prossimo Scelto da voi! Manda una mail a info@bookblister.com

In which we discuss "When It Changed" by Joanna Russ and "Fairy Tale" by Alexandra Kleeman. Also, feather dusters, social justice, and cowcatchers.

Chibundu Onuzo was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1991. Her first novel, The Spider King's Daughter, won a Betty Trask Award, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Commonwealth Book Prize, and was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Etisalat Prize for Literature. She is completing a PhD on the West African Student's Union at King's College London. Her latest novel is Welcome to Lagos. Alexandra Kleeman is a NYC-based writer of fiction and nonfiction, and a PhD candidate in Rhetoric at UC Berkeley. Her fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Zoetrope: All-Story, Conjunctions, Guernica, and Gulf Coast, among others. Nonfiction essays and reportage have appeared in Harpers, Tin House, n+1, and The Guardian. She is the author of the short story collection Intimations, and a debut novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christopher and Drew are joined by returning guest Alexandra Kleeman. They all drink a cocktail named after a character who moonlights in both her short story collection "Intimations" and, maybe, within Robert Coover's "Pricksongs and Descants." They discuss being a person-person, talk fiction-fiction, and why puzzle-stories are sometimes best left unrevisited. Amongst other things. 15 seconds of a song: Julien Dore - Les Limites Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Kleeman is the guest. Her debut novel, You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine, is available now from Harper. Alexandra is from Boulder, so we have that in common. Not that I'm "from" Boulder, but I did live there for eight years, went to college there, and so on. The feeling I came away with after talking to her is that she's an unusually kind person. She's one of those people who emanates goodness. Just sweet as could be. And behind that sweetness is a really fierce intelligence. Her book has been getting all kinds of raves, and Ben Marcus called it "the fiction of the future" or something along those lines, and he tends to be right about those kinds of things, so...a very promising start to a literary career. And I'm happy I got to talk with Alexandra just as things are getting under way.  In today's monologue I talk about the holidays. And jury duty. And then at the tail end of the show I talk about some movies I've seen recently.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexandra Kleeman takes So Many Damn Books down the rabbit hole as Drew and Christopher discuss her novel, You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine, as well as the novel The Blind Owl. Everyone gets unsettled. 15 Seconds of a Song: Lucy Rose - Middle of the Bed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices