Podcasts about Dissident Gardens

Perhaps best known for his novels Motherless Brooklyn (1999), The Fortress of Solitude (2003), and Chronic City (2009)—or, more recently, Brooklyn Crime Novel (2023)—the author, essayist, and cultural critic Jonathan Lethem could be considered the ultimate modern-day Brooklyn bard, even if today he lives in California, where he's a professor of English and creative writing at Pomona College. His most celebrated books take place in Brooklyn, or in the case of Chronic City, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and across his genre-spanning works of fiction, his narratives capture a profound sense of the rich chaos and wonder to be found in an urban existence. Lethem is also the author of several essay collections, including the newly published Cellophane Bricks: A Life in Visual Culture (ZE Books), which compiles much of his art writing from over the years written in response to—and often in exchange for—artworks by friends, including Gregory Crewdson, Nan Goldin, and Raymond Pettibon.On the episode, Lethem discusses his passion for book dedications; the time he spent with James Brown and Bob Dylan, respectively, when profiling them for Rolling Stone in the mid-aughts; how his work is, in part, a way of dealing with and healing from his mother's death in 1978, at age 36; and why he views his writing as “fundamentally commemorative.”Special thanks to our Season 10 presenting sponsor, L'École, School of Jewelry Arts.Show notes:Jonathan Lethem[5:35] Cellophane Bricks[5:35] High School of Music and Art[5:35] Motherless Brooklyn[5:35] The Fortress of Solitude[5:35] The Disappointment Artist[5:35] Maureen Linker[7:15] Carmen Fariña[8:26] Julia Jacquette[8:26] Rosalyn Drexler[9:08] The Great Gatsby[9:08] Brooklyn Crime Novel[10:59] Lynn Nottage[13:08] Bennington College[13:08] Bret Easton Ellis[13:08] Donna Tartt[23:41] The Collapsing Frontier[23:41] Italo Calvino[23:41] Cold War[23:41] Red Scare[23:41] J. Edgar Hoover[27:37] Dada movement[27:37] Ernest Hemingway[27:37] Gertrude Stein[27:37] Dissident Gardens[29:38] Reaganism[29:38] “Does intergenerational transmission of trauma skip a generation?”[31:21] John Van Bergen[31:21] Nan Goldin[34:33] “The Ecstasy of Influence”[34:33] Lawrence Lessig[35:31] Copyleft movement[35:31] Hank Shocklee[38:46] Hoyt-Schermerhorn Station[42:32] “Being James Brown: Inside the Private World of the Baddest Man Who Ever Lived”[42:32] “The Genius and Modern Times of Bob Dylan”[51:00] Chronic City[54:04] The Thalia[55:50] “Lightness” by Italo Calvino[1:06:26] Jorge Luis Borges

Jonathan Lethem is a best-selling essayist, novelist, and cultural critic. His books include Dissident Gardens, The Fortress of Solitude, The Feral Detective, and Motherless Brooklyn. Lethem is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. His new book is Brooklyn Crime Novel. Jonathan Lethem explains why They Live endures and is now much more than a “cult classic”, the power of John Carpenter's warnings about our present-future, reflects on what it means to be a “language worker” i.e. someone who writes for a living and thinks deeply about the written word, and why in the Age of Trump and late capitalism so many human beings have surrendered to the culture of cruelty and disposability and have become the “ghouls” from They Live. In this conversation, Jonathan Lethem and Chauncey also reflect on their mutual dislike of Christopher Nolan's films and their shared love of Michael Mann's filmThief. Chauncey shares some stories from his neighborhood, how again he encountered a (new) local pervert, is sad about how bad the New England Patriots have become in the post-Brady era and is very happy about the goddess Jade Cargill joining the WWE. He also explains how Donald Trump continues to channel antisemitism and the evils of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis – this time during an interview where the evil ex-president complains about how non-white migrants and refugees are “poisoning the blood” of (White) America. WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via Paypal at ChaunceyDeVega.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow

Jonathan Lethem: Live Career Retrospective, hosted by Richard Wolinsky. On March 3, 2016, Richard Wolinsky had a chance to sit down with author Jonathan Lethem in front of a Berkeley audience as a benefit for KPFA. Jonathan is the author of several novels, including Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City and Dissident Gardens, along with short story collections and a book of essays, The Ecstasy of Influence. The event was intended as a career retrospective; the first 45 minutes devoted to prepared questions, followed by a period of questions from the audience, with follow-ups. Jonathan's collection, Lucky Alan and Other Stories, had just come out in trade paperback.His next novel, A Gambler's Anatomy was released October 16, 2016. Special thanks to Bob Baldock, who creates these events, and Jane Heaven, who records them. His most recent novels are The Feral Detective and The Arrest, the latter published in 2020. The post Jonathan Lethem, Career Retrospective, 2016 appeared first on KPFA.

Jonathan Lethem is a best-selling essayist, novelist, and cultural critic. His books include Dissident Gardens, Chronic City, The Fortress of Solitude, The Feral Detective, and Motherless Brooklyn. Lethem is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Lethem's new book is The Arrest. Jonathan ponders thinking and writing in the Age of Trumpism and the plague, how Trump may be an evil “gift” for an undead America because he has vanquished so many of the country's myths and fables, and how “essential workers” are part of a dystopian death cult reality pulled straight from science fiction. Lethem also reflects on his book Motherless Brooklyn which was adapted into a recent movie featuring Edward Norton. Chauncey DeVega sends positive Christmas holiday energy to the good people who listen to and support his podcasts and other work. Chauncey also shares his personal list of “Christmas movies” – one that of course does not include Die Hard. And as a public health service Chauncey warns the world about the various Christmas monsters which are now wandering the Earth. SELECTED LINKS OF INTEREST FOR THIS EPISODE OF THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW The Monsters of Christmas The James Clayton Column: The Thing is just the thing for the festive season Smokey Robinson made one mother's Hanukkah very memorable Billionaires Who Profited from the Pandemic Should Help Pay for Our Recovery Robotech's Christmas Episode Is the Perfect Holiday Special for 2020 WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via Paypal at ChaunceyDeVega.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow Please subscribe to and follow my new podcast The Truth Report https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-report-with-chauncey-devega/id1465522298 http://thetruthreportwithchaunceydevega.libsyn.com/ Music at the end of this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show is by JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. You can listen to some of their great music on Spotify.

Ep. 9 features an interview with author Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn, The Arrest, The Feral Detective, Dissident Gardens, Chronic City, Fortress of Solitude, A Gambler's Anatomy, As She Climbed Across the Table, The Ecstasy of Influence, and many others. Watch the video version of "Well Read" on YouTube.

There’s a famous line from a Bob Dylan song that goes “she’s got everything she needs...she’s an artist...she don’t look back.”  As a person who loves art—music and literature especially—I’ve always been haunted by that line. Does an artist really not look back? Is looking back somehow a threat to creativity? What about Proust? Did he ever look anywhere but back?  My guest today is Jonathan Lethem, one of my very favorite writers since I read his early novel Fortress of Solitude. He’s also the author of Motherless Brooklyn, Dissident Gardens and much more. Lethem is an artist who experiments and explores, playing with forms and genres and trying on new masks, but he also spends a lot of time rummaging through the stacks, unearthing things that are lost or forgotten. His latest book is More Alive and Less Lonely, a collection of essays about books and reading.  Surprise conversation-starter clips in this episode:  Henry Rollins: what is punk?  Michelle Thaller on human cyber-evolution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Lethem’s latest novel, A Gambler’s Anatomy (Doubleday, 2016), traces the existential crisis of an international backgammon hustler who thinks he’s psychic and who, while plying his trade in Berlin, discovers a rare kind of tumor growing behind his face. His search for a physical cure, seemingly at odds with his spiritual quest for identity, takes him to California, where he becomes embroiled in conspiratorial circumstances which become increasingly indistinguishable from his growing inner turmoil. JONATHAN LETHEM is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Dissident Gardens, The Fortress of Solitude, and Motherless Brooklyn; three short story collections; and two essay collections, including The Ecstasy of Influence, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Lethem’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times, among other publications. The second part of this interview can be found at: http://auticulture.com/liminalist-78-5-termite-elephant-unknown-face-jonathan-lethem/ Jasun Horsley is the author of Seen & Not Seen: Confessions of a Movie Autist and several other books on extra-consensual perceptions. He has a weekly podcast called The Liminalist: The Podcast Between and a blog. For more info, go to http://auticulture.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Lethem’s latest novel, A Gambler’s Anatomy (Doubleday, 2016), traces the existential crisis of an international backgammon hustler who thinks he’s psychic and who, while plying his trade in Berlin, discovers a rare kind of tumor growing behind his face. His search for a physical cure, seemingly at odds with his spiritual quest for identity, takes him to California, where he becomes embroiled in conspiratorial circumstances which become increasingly indistinguishable from his growing inner turmoil. JONATHAN LETHEM is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Dissident Gardens, The Fortress of Solitude, and Motherless Brooklyn; three short story collections; and two essay collections, including The Ecstasy of Influence, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Lethem’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times, among other publications. The second part of this interview can be found at: http://auticulture.com/liminalist-78-5-termite-elephant-unknown-face-jonathan-lethem/ Jasun Horsley is the author of Seen & Not Seen: Confessions of a Movie Autist and several other books on extra-consensual perceptions. He has a weekly podcast called The Liminalist: The Podcast Between and a blog. For more info, go to http://auticulture.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Lethem’s latest novel, A Gambler’s Anatomy (Doubleday, 2016), traces the existential crisis of an international backgammon hustler who thinks he’s psychic and who, while plying his trade in Berlin, discovers a rare kind of tumor growing behind his face. His search for a physical cure, seemingly at odds with his spiritual quest for identity, takes him to California, where he becomes embroiled in conspiratorial circumstances which become increasingly indistinguishable from his growing inner turmoil. JONATHAN LETHEM is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Dissident Gardens, The Fortress of Solitude, and Motherless Brooklyn; three short story collections; and two essay collections, including The Ecstasy of Influence, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Lethem’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times, among other publications. The second part of this interview can be found at: http://auticulture.com/liminalist-78-5-termite-elephant-unknown-face-jonathan-lethem/ Jasun Horsley is the author of Seen & Not Seen: Confessions of a Movie Autist and several other books on extra-consensual perceptions. He has a weekly podcast called The Liminalist: The Podcast Between and a blog. For more info, go to http://auticulture.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Lethem: Live Career Retrospective, hosted by Richard Wolinsky. On March 3, 2016, Richard Wolinsky had a chance to sit down with author Jonathan Lethem in front of a Berkeley audience as a benefit for KPFA. Jonathan is the author of several novels, including Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City and most recently Dissident Gardens, along with short story collections and a book of essays, The Ecstasy of Influence. The event was intended as a career retrospective; the first 45 minutes devoted to prepared questions, followed by a period of questions from the audience, with follow-ups. Jonathan's collection, Lucky Alan and Other Stories, had just come out in trade paperback.His newest novel, A Gambler's Anatomy has a release date of October 16, 2016. Special thanks to Bob Baldock, who creates these events, and Jane Heaven, who records them. A shorter version of this interview airs on Arts-Waves on October 3, 2016. The post Jonathan Lethem Live appeared first on KPFA.

Jonathan Lethem, Author of Insipid Profession of Jonathan Hornebom Jonathan Lethem is the author of Dissident Gardens and eight other novels. His fiction and essays have been translated into over thirty languages. He lives in Los Angeles and Maine. For more information, check out Jonathanlethem.com. ​Tatiana Gomberg as Narrator and Harriet: Narrator and Tatiana Gomberg is a New York City based actress and audiobook narrator. She has performed Off and Off- Off Broadway as well as regionally and internationally. Her work in The Night of Nosferatu garnered her an NYIT award nomination for Best Featured Actress and her portrayal of a drone pilot in Hummingbirds earned her a Best Actress Nomination through the Planet Connections Awards. She also played leads in two seasons of classics at Theatre 1010 and toured the United States with Theatreworks USA. You can hear her narration work on audible.com and numerous podcasts. For more information, check out www.tatianagomberg.com. Mateo Prendergast as Jonathan Hornebom: Born: 10 November 1982. Birthplace: New York, NY. Height: 6'5" Weight: 200 lbs. Likes/Hobby: Dungeons and Dragons, Reading, Bikes, Going for walks, Swimming, Friendship, Family time, Eugene O'Neill, Canoe Credits include: NYC: Future at the End of the World (Immediate Medium), 1931- (Regroup), Thunder Rock (Regroup), 13 Fat Girls and A Dead Cat (Ixnay), Clan of the Quillins (Paradise), Trivia About Unimportant People (Dickson), Felony Friday (Jack Flash). Regional: Leprechauns in Cadillacs in Space (Kennebec Brewery). Film: The Master Cleanse, Ryder and Rooter, Parachute Man, She Kills. prendergastm@gmail.com mateoprendergast.tumblr.com google.com/+MateoPrendergast Cici James as the Angry Sons of the Bird: Cici James is the founder of Singularity&Co, an independent bookstore and publishing house in Brooklyn dedicated to bringing vintage science fiction and other genre pulp back to the future, Cici James is also an anthropologist of fan culture, as well as an avid cosplayer and notable NYC nightlife personality. @cicijames @singularityco Wilson Fowlie as Loplop: Wilson Fowlie has been getting more and more into voice work ever since 2008, when he narrated his first story for Podcastle. And if you’re in the Vancouver, Canada area – or even if you just love a good, fun show chorus – check out The Maple Leaf Singers, the group he directs. You can find them at their own website (www.mapleleafsingers.com/ ) or their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mapleleafsingers ). Here you can find a link to all of Wilson's voice work. And Michael Taylor as Richard Debronk Why is Michael Taylor so great? --There are many great people BUT it is an undeniable fact he is simply The Greatest Man In The WORLD! That is all. Why does Michael Taylor refer to himself in the 3rd person? --Michael is not CONCEITED! Michael uses the 3rd person singular to gain the proper distance and objectivity to recognize how truly brilliant Michael Taylor is! What does Michael Taylor do on his downtime? --Michael loves to play Games and Puzzles with close friends for fun and to work his keen Analytical Mind, Experience Interactive Theater, Learn New Life Hacks, An Improve on the subtle, intricate yet uniquely brilliant greatness of Michael Taylor's self... and friends.

Jonathan Lethem, Author of Insipid Profession of Jonathan Hornebom Jonathan Lethem is the author of Dissident Gardens and eight other novels. His fiction and essays have been translated into over thirty languages. He lives in Los Angeles and Maine. For more information, check out Jonathanlethem.com. ​Tatiana Gomberg as Narrator and Harriet: Narrator and Tatiana Gomberg is a New York City based actress and audiobook narrator. She has performed Off and Off- Off Broadway as well as regionally and internationally. Her work in The Night of Nosferatu garnered her an NYIT award nomination for Best Featured Actress and her portrayal of a drone pilot in Hummingbirds earned her a Best Actress Nomination through the Planet Connections Awards. She also played leads in two seasons of classics at Theatre 1010 and toured the United States with Theatreworks USA. You can hear her narration work on audible.com and numerous podcasts. For more information, check out www.tatianagomberg.com. Mateo Prendergast as Jonathan Hornebom: Born: 10 November 1982. Birthplace: New York, NY. Height: 6'5" Weight: 200 lbs. Likes/Hobby: Dungeons and Dragons, Reading, Bikes, Going for walks, Swimming, Friendship, Family time, Eugene O'Neill, Canoe Credits include: NYC: Future at the End of the World (Immediate Medium), 1931- (Regroup), Thunder Rock (Regroup), 13 Fat Girls and A Dead Cat (Ixnay), Clan of the Quillins (Paradise), Trivia About Unimportant People (Dickson), Felony Friday (Jack Flash). Regional: Leprechauns in Cadillacs in Space (Kennebec Brewery). Film: The Master Cleanse, Ryder and Rooter, Parachute Man, She Kills. prendergastm@gmail.com mateoprendergast.tumblr.com google.com/+MateoPrendergast Cici James as the Angry Sons of the Bird: Cici James is the founder of Singularity&Co, an independent bookstore and publishing house in Brooklyn dedicated to bringing vintage science fiction and other genre pulp back to the future, Cici James is also an anthropologist of fan culture, as well as an avid cosplayer and notable NYC nightlife personality. @cicijames @singularityco Wilson Fowlie as Loplop: Wilson Fowlie has been getting more and more into voice work ever since 2008, when he narrated his first story for Podcastle. And if you’re in the Vancouver, Canada area – or even if you just love a good, fun show chorus – check out The Maple Leaf Singers, the group he directs. You can find them at their own website (http://www.mapleleafsingers.com/ ) or their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mapleleafsingers ). Here you can find a link to all of Wilson's voice work. Michael Taylor as Richard Debronk Why is Michael Taylor so great? --There are many great people BUT it is an undeniable fact he is simply The Greatest Man In The WORLD! That is all. Why does Michael Taylor refer to himself in the 3rd person? --Michael is not CONCEITED! Michael uses the 3rd person singular to gain the proper distance and objectivity to recognize how truly brilliant Michael Taylor is! What does Michael Taylor do on his downtime? --Michael loves to play Games and Puzzles with close friends for fun and to work his keen Analytical Mind, Experience Interactive Theater, Learn New Life Hacks, An Improve on the subtle, intricate yet uniquely brilliant greatness of Michael Taylor's self... and friends.

Lucky Alan: And Other Stories (Doubleday Books) The incomparable Jonathan Lethem returns with nine brilliant stories that prove he is a master of the short form as well as the novel. Jonathan Lethem stretches new literary muscles in this scintillating new collection of stories. Some of these tales--such as "Pending Vegan," which wonderfully captures a parental ache and anguish during a family visit to an aquatic theme park--are, in Lethem's words, "obedient (at least outwardly) to realism." Others, like "The Dreaming Jaw, The Salivating Ear, " which deftly and hilariously captures the solipsism of blog culture, feature "the uncanny and surreal elements that still sometimes erupt in my short stories." The tension between these two approaches, and the way they inform each other, increase the reader's surprise and delight as one realizes how cleverly Lethem is playing with form. Devoted fans of Lethem will recognize familiar themes and tropes--the anxiety of influence pushed to reduction ad absurdum in "The King of Sentences"; a hapless outsider trying to summon up bravado in "The Porn Critic;" characters from the comics stranded on a desert island; the necessity and the impossibility of action against authority in "Procedure in Plain Air." As always, Lethem's work, humor, and poignancy work in harmony; people strive desperately for connection through words and often misdirect deeds; and the sentences are glorious. Jonathan Lethem is the author of six novels, including Dissident Gardens, Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, and Gun, with Occasional Music. He lives in Brooklyn.

Dissident Gardens (Vintage Books) Mermaids in Paradise (W.W. Norton & Company) Jonathan Lethem, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the MacArthur Fellowship whose writing has been called "as ambitious as [Norman] Mailer, as funny as Philip Roth, and as stinging as Bob Dylan" ("Los Angeles Times"), returns with an epic yet intimate family saga. Rose Zimmer, the aptly nicknamed Red Queen of Sunnyside, Queens, is an unreconstructed Communist who savages neighbors, family, and political comrades with the ferocity of her personality and the absolutism of her beliefs. Her equally passionate and willful daughter, Miriam, flees Rose's influence for the dawning counterculture of Greenwich Village. Despite their differences, they share a power to enchant the men in their lives: Rose's aristocratic German Jewish husband, Albert; her feckless chess hustler cousin, Lenny; Cicero Lookins, the brilliant son of her black cop lover; Miriam's (slightly fraudulent) Irish folksinger husband, Tommy Gogan; and their bewildered son, Sergius. Through Lethem's vivid storytelling we come to understand that the personal may be political, but the political, even more so, is personal. Pulitzer Prize finalist Lydia Millet returns to redefine “comedy of errors” in Mermaids In Paradise, the genre-bending satire of a tropical honeymoon hijacked by mermaids, kidnappers, and mercenaries. In this hilarious novel, a honeymooning couple makes friends with a marine biologist who discovers genuine mermaids in a coral reef—and who, the next night, apparently drowns in her hotel bathtub. As a resort chain swoops in to corner the market on mermaids, the newlyweds (opinionated, skeptical narrator Deb and handsome online gamer Chip, the world's friendliest man) join forces with other vacationers—including an ex–Navy SEAL with a love of explosives and a hipster Tokyo VJ—to protect the mermaids from the corporate “Venture of Marvels” that wants to turn their habitat into a theme park. Mermaids in Paradise is Millet's funniest book yet, tempering the sharp satire of her early career with the empathy and emotional power of her more recent, critically acclaimed novels and short stories. This is an unforgettable, mesmerizing tale, comic on the surface and deeply solemn at its core. Praise for Dissident Gardens: "Dissident Gardens seamlessly weaves together three generations, yet it doesn't broadcast itself as a multigenerational epic, nor is it afflicted by the desire to pose as the next great American novel. It's an intimate book."--The New York Times Book Review "A tour de force, a brilliant, satiric journey through America's dissident history."--The Star Tribune "Lethem has artfully blended, redefined, ignored, satirized and enriched the traditional categories of fiction."--The Plain Dealer "Remarkable. . . . Lethem's best novel since "Motherless Brooklyn." . . . Crackle[s] with wordplay and intelligence."--The Miami Herald "The writing soars. . . . Lethem can riff with the best, spinning knockout lines that make you stop and stare . . . while you admire a sentence's every turn."--The Seattle Times "An assured, expert literary performance by one of our most important writers. . . . Magnificent."--Los Angeles Review of Books Praise for Mermaids in Paradise: "Mermaids in Paradise makes brilliant comedy out of a honeymoon trip that veers from the absurd to the sublime and back again. Lydia Millet is a stone-cold genius. --Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation "I laughed so hard all over town. Leave it to Lydia Millet to capsize her human characters in aquamarine waters and upstage their honeymoon with mermaids. I am awed to know there's a mind like Millet's out there. She's a writer without limits, always surprising, always hilarious. --Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia! andVampires in the Lemon Grove Jonathan Lethem is the "New York Times" bestselling author of nine novels, including Chronic City, The Fortress of Solitude, and Motherless Brooklyn, and of the nonfiction collection The Ecstasy of Influence. A National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, Lethem's work has appeared in "The New Yorker," "Harper's Magazine," "Rolling Stone," "Esquire," and "The New York Times," among other publications.  Lydia Millet is the author of twelve previous books of fiction. Her novel Ghost Lightswas a New York Times Notable Book; its sequel Magnificence was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle and Los Angeles Times Awards in fiction; and her story collection Love in Infant Monkeys was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She lives outside Tucson, Arizona. 

Jonathan Lethem talks about his latest novel Dissident Gardens. It's an epic family novel criss-crossing generations from the '50s to the present day, focussing on Rose, an American Communist. Based on his own upbringing and radical grandmother, Lethem describes how even as a youngster he guessed he'd never be able to stand for President, as there surely would have been a 'problem with my files'. This weekend the final two episodes of The Bridge are screened on BBC4. The series, which has spawned many international remakes, follows a Swedish and a Danish detective working on a case together, and explores the cultural differences that inform their relationship. Sofia Helin and Kim Bodnia, aka detectives Saga Norén and Martin Rohde, discuss the surprise popularity of the show and the challenges of acting with someone who is speaking a different language. This week a crisps manufacturing company admitted they had used a photograph of the late Welsh poet R.S. Thomas to advertise a competition on their packets, without knowing who he was. Thomas's biographer Byron Rogers reflects on the strange case of the poet and the crisp packet. Many of this year's Oscar contenders claim to be 'based on a true story', among them 12 Years a Slave, Philomena, Saving Mr Banks, Captain Phillips and The Wolf of Wall St. Adam Smith has been digging around and begs to take issue with the veracity the film-makers claim. Producer Stephen Hughes.

'The past is a mosaic; we make it out of present materials.' Jonathan Lethem’s latest book Dissident Gardens (Cape) tells, in a ‘torrent of potent voices, searing ironies, popculture allusions, and tragicomic complexities’ the story of three generations of a radical New York family, at the same time painting a vivid portrait of the American Century. Jonathan Lethem was in conversation with Benjamin Markovits, author of A Quiet Adjustment and named by Granta as one of their Best Young British Novelists of 2013. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The VICE Podcast is a weekly discussion that goes inside the minds of some of the most interesting, creative, and bizarre people within the VICE universe. This week, Reihan Salam speaks with Jonathan Lethem, whose most recent novel, Dissident Gardens, is an intimate story about American radicals that spans from McCarthyism to today's Occupy movement. Watch more VICE Podcasts here: http://bit.ly/VICE-Podcasts Check out the VICE podcast on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vice-media/id634513189?mt=2 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jonathan Lethem's latest chronicles a lost generation of Jewish socialists who lived in Queens in the mid-twentieth century.

Dissident Gardens

On this month's fiction podcast, Jonathan Lethem reads "The Rescue," by V. S. Pritchett, which was first published in The New Yorker in 1973 and can be found in Pritchett's "Complete Collected Stories." (Lethem's most recent fiction in the magazine, "The Gray Goose," was excerpted from his new novel, "Dissident Gardens.") In his discussion with The New Yorker's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman, Lethem says that Pritchett is a "total sorcerer," a writer who lets readers into a world that seems stable and then "pulls the rug out from under" them, changing where the story is going and what they think of the characters. "The Rescue," which is narrated by a sixteen-year-old girl whose mother brings home an awkward boy named Ellis to help her plan the town's annual pageant, is, according to Lethem, a perfect model for the way Pritchett tends to "overturn expectations."

Jonathan Lethem is a man of many lives. For one, because of his repeated return to New York as both setting and muse in novels such as Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude, and Chronic City, he may be New York’s closest thing to having a bard. But Lethem is known as well for his genre […] The post Jonathan Lethem : Dissident Gardens appeared first on Tin House.

Jonathan Lethem is the guest. His latest novel, Dissident Gardens, is now available from Doubleday.  The Los Angeles Times raves "Lethem is as ambitious as Mailer, as funny as Philip Roth and as stinging as Bob Dylan...Dissident Gardens shows Lethem in full possession of his powers as a novelist, as he smoothly segues between historical periods and internal worlds...Erudite, beautifully written, wise, compassionate, heartbreaking and pretty much devoid of nostalgia." And Booklist, in a starred review, says "Lethem extends his stylistically diverse, loosely aligned, deeply inquiring saga of New York City (Motherless Brooklyn, 1999; The Fortress of Solitude, 2003; Chronic City, 2009) with a richly saturated, multigenerational novel about a fractured family of dissidents headquartered in Queens...Lethem is breathtaking in this torrent of potent voices, searing ironies, pop-culture allusions, and tragicomic complexities. He shreds the folk scene, eviscerates quiz shows, pays bizarre tribute to Archie Bunker, and offers unusual perspectives on societal debates and tragic injustices. A righteous, stupendously involving novel about the personal toll of failed political movements and the perplexing obstacles to doing good." Monologue topics: travel, the flu, walking, the homeless guy who asked me for my email address Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices