Podcasts about We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

This week, we're discussing two EXTREMELY different open-world adventures: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which features a lot of tall blue people, and Lil Gator Game, which features a lot of short green people. Which delighted us (and returning guest Jordan Morris) more? Find out inside! Also discussed: Taskmaster, Dragon Age Dreadwolf, Haunted Chocolatier, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Rise of the Golden Idol, Sanabi, Baldur's Gate 3, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Little Inferno, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6 Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Today Catherine Ross talks about books for young people with an animal theme. For ages 11 -12 she reviews, When The Mountain Roared by Jess Butterworth, The Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson and Maybe A Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee. For 12 and over she's talking about The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr. For 14+ she's reviewing We are all completely beside ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler and Animal Farm by George Orwell.

In Episode 131, Catherine (@gilmoreguide) and I share the best backlist books we read in 2022. We each share our top 5 backlist books from 2022, some underrated backlist gems, and our backlist reading stats. Catherine and I both had a successful year of backlist reading, despite both of us experiencing major life events. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Join our Patreon Community ($7/mo Superstars) to get Double Booked, a monthly podcast series where either Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books or Susie from Novel Visits on alternate months) and I each share 2 backlist books we loved. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights Catherine's and Sarah's 2022 backlist reading stats. Sarah's backlist reading was more spread out during the year. Sarah and Catherine both had fairly successful backlist reading in 2022! How they incorporate backlist titles for the Double Booked episodes. Our Top 5 Backlist Books We Read in 2022 [6:14] Sarah The One by John Marrs | Amazon | Bookshop.org [9:11] We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler | Amazon | Bookshop.org [19:19] Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:19] Greenwood by Michael Christie | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:20] Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief by Claire Bidwell Smith | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:26] Catherine The 25th Hour by David Benioff | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:21] The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell | Amazon | Bookshop.org [13:39]  The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O'Rourke | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:53] Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:28]  Champagne Supernovas by Maureen Callahan | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:11]  Underrated Backlist Gems [46:08] Sarah The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:09]  My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmerman | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:44] Catherine 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shahak | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:12] Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:28] Other Books Mentioned City of Thieves by David Benioff [8:22] The Measure by Nikki Erlick [10:53] The Passengers by John Marrs [12:56] The Minders by John Marrs [12:59] The Marriage Act by John Marrs (May 2, 2023) [13:06] Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell [14:16] I am, I am, I am by Maggie O'Farrell [14:40] This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell [14:45] Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener [22:38] Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley [29:55] American Predator by Maureen Callahan [41:55]  The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak [46:17]  Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson [47:14] The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls [48:07] Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson [48:26] Other Links Elisabeth Kübler-Ross | Five Stages of Grief (the Kübler-Ross model) About Catherine Gilmore Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Catherine started The Gilmore Guide to Books over 10 years ago after wrapping up a career as a corporate librarian. She loves books and reading (surprise!) and currently lives in Seattle, WA.

In our second annual “best books” episode, I invite my dear friend Carla Jean back to run down the best books of 2022, nonfiction and fiction—and what we're both looking forward to reading in 2023. Here are the books mentioned in the episode (there are a LOT of them!): Books Carla Jean Wrote: Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music by Carla Jean Whitley Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City by Carla Jean Whitley Balancing Act: Yoga Essays by Carla Jean Whitley Carla Jean's Best Nonfiction Books of 2022: Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz (also mentioned—Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep) The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (also mentioned by me—Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed and by Carla Jean—Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl) In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Amy Bloom A late add Carla Jean forgot to mention on the show—Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott Carla Jean's Best Fiction Books of 2022: We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro (also mentioned—Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by the same author) My Fiction Pick of 2022: Meant to Be by Emily Giffin Books Carla Jean is Looking Forward to Reading in 2023 (Or Already Has Read and Recommends): The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li (fiction) Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (fiction) We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (fiction) The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Bozoma Saint John (nonfiction) Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May (I cosign this, and also another book by the same author, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times—both nonfiction) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (fiction, and also Dear Edward by the same author) You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (nonfiction) Midwest Shreds by Mandy Shunnarah (nonfiction) Losing Music by John Cotter (nonfiction) Books I Am Looking Forward to Reading in 2023 (Or Already Have Read and Recommend, All Nonfiction Naturally): And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon by Kate Andersen Brower Spare by Prince Harry and J.R. Moehringer 8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go by Jay Shetty Whew! Happy reading! And happy new year!

Hey bookends! We are thrilled to introduce our latest guest in our 'Top Of Your TBR' series, the author of the incredible dystopian novel 'Dreamland'. This is the longest conversation we've done so far but Rosa was truly the most warm and generous guest and we really hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Books & Authors mentioned: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu Z For Zachariah by Robert C.O'Brien How I Live Now by Meg RosoffGarth GreenwellThe Jane Austen Book Club & Booth by Karen Joy FowlerAlias Grace by Margaret AtwoodHoward's End by E.M ForsterSally RooneyBonjour Tristesse & A Certain Smile by Françoise SaganWorld War Z by Max BrooksThe Dog Stars by Peter HellerDoris LessingThe Ice People by Maggie GeeTop Of Your TBR recommendations: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy FowlerFlight Behaviour by Barbara KingsolverHatchet by Gary PaulsenI Capture The Castle by Dodie SmithOther recommendations: Book bodega - @bookbodega (Based in Ramsgate, can order online)The Bear- Disney +Euphoria- HBOFeel Good - NetflixIn My Skin - BBC IplayerYou can follow Rosa @rosarankingee on Instagram and Twitter, and you can follow us @apairofbookendspod on Instagram, @apairofbookends on Twitter and Tik Tok. Order Dreamland: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/dreamland-an-evening-standard-best-new-book-of-2021-9781471193842/9781471193842We hope you enjoy getting stuck into this juicy list of recommendations and if you haven't already read Rosa's novel, please do order via the link above- you won't regret it! Please do rate/review/subscribe as it helps us to reach new listeners. See you next time, Han and Lyd x

Karen Joy Fowler, Lee Kravetz Two novelists channel the worlds and minds of two mythologized historic figures. With “Booth,” Karen Joy Fowler (“The Jane Austen Book Club,” “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves”), conjures the origins of a villain who changed America's trajectory: John Wilkes Booth. Lee Kravetz's “The Last Confessions of Sylvia P” reimagines a chapter in the life of poet Sylvia Plath, through three perspectives.

Summary:    "Every time you find yourself here, it's because you chose to come back." This week we're talking about Severance, a deeply unsettling and thought-provoking show. Also discussed: coastal grandmother style, Slow Horses and Barry Season 3.      Show notes:   The Severance Season Finale Leaves More Questions Than Answers (Paste)    Recommendations:  Andrea G.:  Slow Horses (Apple TV+)   Andrea W.:  Barry, Season 3 (Crave)   Lisa:  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (book)    Also:   We are thrilled to be on the Top 80 Pop Culture Podcast list.  If you are looking for new podcasts to add to your playlist this is a great place to start!   Music credits: "Electrodoodle" by Kevin MacLeod From: incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License   Theme song "Pyro Flow" by Kevin Macleod From: incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License   "Vivacity" by Kevin MacLeod From: incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License   Pop This! Links: Pop This! on TumblrPop This! on iTunes (please consider reviewing and rating us!) Pop This! on Stitcher (please consider reviewing and rating us!) Pop This! on Google PlayPop This! on TuneIn radioPop This! on TwitterPop This! on Instagram Logo design by Samantha Smith Intro voiced by Morgan Brayton Pop This! is a podcast featuring three women talking about pop culture. Lisa Christiansen is a broadcaster, journalist and longtime metal head. Andrea Warner is a music critic, author and former horoscopes columnist. Andrea Gin is a producer and an avid figure skating fan. Press play and come hang out with your new best friends. Pop This! podcast is produced by Andrea Gin.  

Novelist Karen Joy Fowler joins James Naughtie to answer listener questions about her Booker shortlisted novel We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, a surprising story about an unusual family, and the lasting impact of an unconventional childhood. Narrator Rosemary looks back fondly on her early years with her sister Fern, but all is not as it seems. The novel has an unexpected twist and this programme contains spoilers. Our next read on Bookclub is Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. Do get in touch if you'd like to take part.

Karen Joy Fowler didn't want to write a novel. But an editor had asked her to lunch. She should take the meeting to be polite, she thought. She'd just end the lunch with a “No, thank you, I don't want to write a book,” and that would be that. Instead, she ended up agreeing to a multi-book deal and launching a thriving career of award-winners and bestsellers, including The Jane Austen Book Club, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and, her most recent, Booth. All because she said yes to lunch. In her latest work, Karen explores the people around a villain—and how to humanize them, their level of responsibility, and all of the “what ifs” around the family of John Wilkes Booth. We talk about writing groups and who makes it, lavish praise and scathing reviews, and how to make a career in this publishing climate. Learn more about her work here: KarenJoyFowler.com From the Man Booker finalist and bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves comes an epic novel about the family behind one of the most infamous figures in American history: John Wilkes Booth. In 1822, a secret family moves into a secret cabin some thirty miles northeast of Baltimore, to farm, to hide, and to bear ten children over the course of the next sixteen years. Junius Booth—breadwinner, celebrated Shakespearean actor and master of the house in all ways—is at once a mesmerizing talent and a man of terrifying instability. One by one the children arrive, as year by year, the country draws closer to the boiling point of secession and civil war. As the children grow and the tenor of the world shifts, the Booths cement their place as one of the country's leading theatrical families. But behind the curtains of the many stages they have graced, multiple scandals, family triumphs, and disasters begin to take their toll. A startling portrait of a country in the throes of change and a vivid exploration of brother- and sisterhood, Booth is a riveting historical novel focused on the very things that bind, and break, a family.

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca is joined by guest agent, Emmy Nordstrom-Higdon from Westwood Creative Artists, who looks at four query letters.  Emmy warns against tokenism and avoiding vague comps that might oversell your work. They also discuss reputation clauses and their growing prevalence in contracts; why editors and agents are wary about debut novels over 100 000 words; how ‘quiet' novels are being passed over, but their hopes that the industry will eventually change; difficulties in getting the YA ‘voice' right; and the importance of accessibility in your writing.After which Bianca chats with bestselling and award-winning author, Karen Joy Fowler, author of Booth, about the difference between creating and marketing a novel;  writing a novel involving an individual without centering them; using passive voice and omniscient narration, and the benefits of using those tools; and how to be creative during difficult times. Find us on our socials: Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.comKaren can be found at www.karenjoyfowler.com.

This episode we’re discussing Literary Fiction! We talk about books that win awards, writing as art, reading books because other people think they’re good, whether YA literary fiction exists, literary fiction vs literary merit, real vs unreal reading, the pandemic allowing us to check out quick read books for months at a time, the BDSM awards, bookshelf bragging, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards Things We Read This Month   We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler Spoilers for this book in the podcast! A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion Plainsong by Kent Haruf On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Other Media We Mentioned Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher Us Conductors by Sean Michaels The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Lord of the Flies by William Golding A Separate Peace by John Knowles The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt White Noise by Don DeLillo Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf Loose Time by RJ Edwards (won the 2019 National Magazine Award for fiction) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin Links, Articles, and Things Literary Fiction Readers' Advisory with Meghan Savage Literary Fiction guide Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction Is Literary Fiction Elitist?  Forget Literary Fiction. Is Reading Anything Elitist? Yes, literature is elitist… thank God! Crepuscular (definition) Magic realism (Wikipedia) Speculative fiction (Wikipedia) Washoe (chimpanzee) (Wikipedia) National Geographic, June, 1980 (Living With Orangutans) Bookcase Credibility (@BCredibility) (Twitter) Lego Treehouse that Matthew and Anna built Here’s a photo of someone else’s copy of the Young Animal poster that Anna mentioned Suggest new genres or titles! Fill out the form to suggest a genre or title! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email! Join us again on Tuesday, June 16th we’ll each be pitching a book we think all of us should read and discuss on the podcast! You get to vote! Then on Tuesday, July 7th we’ll be talking about the genre of Entertainment (Non-Fiction)!

Jessye Norman is an American opera singer and recitalist.Susanna is from Huntsville, Alabama where she attended Randolph School. She received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. After completing her master's degree in 2004, she became a member of Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Program for Singers.The Metropolitan OperaMadame Butterfly is an opera by Giacomo Puccini.Leave It to Beaver is a late 1950s black-and-white American television sitcom about an inquisitive and often naïve boy.Susanna originally wanted to attend the following higher education institutions: Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, Samford University, and Furman University.The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived.New York Philharmonic Orchestra(NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is an orchestra based in New York City.Carnegie Hall is a concert venue located in Manhattan in New York City.Operalia, The World Opera Competition is an annual international competition for young opera singers. Founded in 1993 by Plácido Domingo, the competition has helped launch the careers of several important artists.The Music Academy of the West is a summer music conservatory located in Montecito, California. Participation is merit-based and tuition free.Marilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.Matthew Epstein is the Director of Vocal Divisions at Columbia Artists Management, Inc.Cynthia Hoffmann is a member of the voice faculties of Manhattan School of Music, where she also teaches a class in Vocal Performance, and of the Juilliard School, where she served as Chair from 1995 to 2006.Matthew A. Horner is the Executive Vice President - Global Head of Vocal for IMG Artists, New York.Lyric Opera of Chicago Young Artists ProgramCountess Rosina Almaviva is a character in The Marriage of Figaro, an opera buffa composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.Birdie is a character in Regina, an opera by Marc Blitzstein.Musetta is a character in La bohème, an opera by Giacomo Puccini.Fiordiligi is a character in Così fan tutte an opera by Mozart.Agrippina is a character in an opera of the same name by George Frideric Handel.Don Giovanni is an opera by Mozart. Donna Anna, Don Giovanni’s daughter, and Donna Elvira, a lady of Burgos abandoned by Don Giovanni, are characters in the opera.Arabella and Der Rosenkavalier are comic operas by Richard StraussDaphne is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss.Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri.Kaija Saariaho is a Finnish composer based in Paris, France.Renée Fleming is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions.Julian Bream is an English virtuoso classical guitarist and lutenist. One of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public perception of the classical guitar as a respectable instrument.Natalie Dessay is a French singer and actress who had a highly acclaimed career as an operatic coloratura soprano before leaving the opera stage on 15 October 2013. She is married to the bass-baritone Laurent Naouri.Violetta is a character in the opera La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.Cleopatra is a character in the opera Antony and Cleopatra, an opera by American composer Samuel Barber.We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is a 2013 novel by the American writer Karen Joy Fowler.Fresh Air is a podcast hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.White Lies is an NPR podcast. More information can be found here.The Eagle OTR and Salazar are restaurants in Cincinnati.Dolly Parton is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music.

Best-selling author Karen Joy Fowler is a maverick, with novels and short stories spanning science fiction, fantasy and literary fiction, including the Man Booker Prize finalist We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, The New York Times bestseller The Jane Austen Book Club, and the PEN/Faulkner fiction finalist Sister Noon. She is the co-founder of the James Tiptree Jr. Award – given to works which increase understanding of gender – and is the president of the Clarion Foundation which supports the teaching of sci-fi and fantasy writing. She speaks with Kate De Goldi. Supported by Platinum Patrons Pip Muir & Kit Toogood.

"I go back and forth between thinking stories are how we understand the world and stories are how we misunderstand the world. I expect both those things are equally true." Karen Joy Fowler is the author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, The Jane Austen Book Club, and numerous other novels and short stories. She was shortlisted for Man Booker Prize and is the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award, the California Book Award for Fiction. She's also an extraordinary teacher, a model of generosity, a sharp wit, and an insightful observer of human nature. She joined us for a candid talk about nature, art, animals and activism. Learn more at http://karenjoyfowler.com and get in touch with us at spiritoftheendeavor.net and spiritoftheendeavor@gmail.com.

Karen Joy Fowler is the author of six novels and three short story collections. The Jane Austen Book Club spent thirteen weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list and was a New York Times Notable Book.  Her latest novel is called We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If You Are There (Counterpoint Press) Set in the early 1900s, If You Are There follows young Lucia Rutkowski who, thanks to the influence of her beloved grandmother, escapes the Warsaw ghetto to work as a kitchen maid in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the bustling city of Paris. Too talented for her lowly position, Lucia is thrown out on the street. Her only recourse is to take a job working for two disorganized, rather poor married scientists so distracted by their work that their house and young child are often neglected. Lucia soon bonds with her eccentric employers, watching as their work with radioactive materials grows increasing noticed by the world, then rising to fame as the great Marie and Pierre Curie.  Soon, all of Paris is alit with the news of an impending visit from Eusapia Palladino, the world's most famous medium. It is through her now famous employers that Lucia attends Eusapia's gatherings and eventually falls under the medium's spell, leaving the Curie household to travel with her to Italy. Ultimately, Lucia is placed directly in the crosshairs of faith versus science--what is more real, the glowing substances of the Curie laboratory or the glowing visions that surround the medium during her seance?  If You Are There is a thrilling, page-turning novel that draws upon real characters and events to detail its examination of a young woman torn between the beliefs she was born with and the scientific realities blooming all around her.  Praise for If You Are There “The fictional and historical mingle in Sherman's marvelous account of the lives of Marie and Pierre Curie. It is a rare book that is as scientific as it is magical and as magical as it is scientific. This is that book.” —Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award "This splendid novel is about discovery, in its many forms: in science, in love, in ambition, in connection; it celebrates the intersection of the natural world and faith. Sherman explores all of her characters with precise, tender compassion and radiant insight; we move with them through beautifully described turn-of-the-century Europe, as they find their own understanding of love and loss and strength. You will love this unforgettable book." —Karen E. Bender, author of Refund, Finalist for the National Book Award   Susan Sherman is the author of The Little Russian. She is the former Chair of the Art Department of Whittier College and the co-creator of one of the most successful television shows for children in the history of the Disney Network. Learn more at susanshermanauthor.com. Natashia Deón is the recipient of a PEN Center US Emerging Voices Fellowship and has been awarded fellowships and residencies at Yale, Bread Loaf, Dickinson House in Belgium, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. Named one of 2013’s Most Fascinating People by LA Weekly, she has a MFA from UC Riverside and is the creator of the popular LA-based reading series, Dirty Laundry Lit. A practicing lawyer, she currently teaches law at Trinity Law School. Her debut novel, Grace, was published this past June by Counterpoint Press.

Cardi Party is underway!Snow in the ValleyNanostitch LabYves Saint Laurent at The Seattle Art MuseumRikaartBricklessJaywalkersWe Are All Completely Beside OurselvesRed DragonDevil in the White CityThe Loved OneMusic: On the Prowl by the Bad ThingsDirect Link

In the second half of my conversation with Karen Joy Fowler, we shift seamlessly (sort of) from Star Wars to ponder: ----more----self, other, difference and childhood,whether an interesting childhood a good thing,parentting as experiment,bad dads,responses to the novel, including a letter from a woman whose family participated in the actual experiments,communication in the animal world,vivisection,the Brown Dog Riots in Battersea,non-violence and American activism,Fowler's ideas about writing,inspiration and uncontrollable characters,reviews, bleakness and comedy,literature empathy and September 11th, risk, happiness, success and how to be a hit novelist (not),the challenge of following We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves,and, how Obamacare can help American novelists.We are All Completely Beside Ourselves was my novel of 2014, and was also nominated by Katy Guest, literary editor at the Sunday Independent. 

Karen Joy Fowler reads from We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, begin with a lengthy discussion about authors, reviewers, and fans in view of the rapidly changing dynamics of author/reader relationships and power structures in publishing. This was sparked off by an excellent and thoughtful essay, "Don't Attack Reviewers", written by Jonathan McCalmont and published on his Ruthless Culture blog. You should go off and read the entire essay. Seriously. This two books up for critique this time are Dust Devil on a Quiet Street by Richard Bowes (beginning at 24:30) and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (1:03:10). During the discussion of the Fowler novel, this review by Dan Hartland is mentioned. If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, then it's safe to return at 1:38:50 for some brief final remarks. The books that will be featured on the next episode are Hild by Nicola Griffith, chosen by Kirstyn, and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which Ian has recommended. Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

An audio recording of the Man Booker Prize 2014 shortlisted We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

On this episode of The Writer and the Critic, your hosts, Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond, begin by addressing listener feedback about high fantasy and narratives of power which followed on from the discussion at the end of the last episode recorded at Continuum 10. They would also like to draw your attention to some Links of Relevant Interest: Amberlin Kwaymullina's Guest of Honour speech from Continuum 10 Jim C. Hine's Guest of Honour speech from Continuum 10 An Indigenous Speculative Fiction Reading List provided by Amberlin Kwaymullina Ian then provides a brief but thoughtful (and spoiler-free) review of War Stories: Modern Military Science Fiction, a crowd-funded anthology edited by Jaym Gates and Andrew Liptak, which he highly recommends. The two books up for critique on this episode are We See a Different Frontier: A Postcolonial Speculative Fiction Anthology edited by Fabio Fernandes and Djibril al-Ayad (beginning around 22:05) and Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History edited by Rose Fox and Daniel José Older (1:01:35). The reviews and articles mentioned during the discussion can be found via the following links: Review of Long Hidden by Katherine Farmer on Strange Horizons "Reviewing the Other: Like Dancing about Architecture" by Nisi Shawl on Strange Horizons "Inclusive Reviewing: A Discussion" on Strange Horizons "Escaping Ethnocentricity?" by Samuel R. Delany on Strange Horizons Response to "Literary Trick" comment by Troy L. Wiggins "MFA vs POC" by Junot Diaz on The New Yorker If you've skipped ahead to avoid spoilers, please come back at 1:53:05 for final remarks. For the next episode, Kirstyn has chosen We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler while Ian is recommending Dust Devil on a Quiet Street by Richard Bowes. Read ahead and join in the spoilerific fun!

Kate Raphael in conversation with Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and The Jane Austen Book Club.  Also Jazmin Morelos, coordinator of the Urban Lactation Project.  Fowler also cofounded the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for science fiction or fantasy which challenges our concepts of gender. We also speak with Jazmin Morelos, coordinator of the Urban Lactation Project, which hosts several San Francisco events for Breast Feeding Awareness Month. The post Women's Magazine – August 11, 2014 appeared first on KPFA.

“Sniffling, Sneezing, Slapping, and Motorcycles” The Book Hoarders attempt to record a podcast despite Erin Sniffling her way through a cold and motorcycles whizzing by Shannon’s window. This month’s homework was We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy … Continue reading →

Karen Joy Fowler discusses her book We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

This interview was originally recorded for a Ujima Radio show to be broadcast on March 19th. However, as Ujima is off air at the moment, I am podcasting it here instead. The interview is mainly about Karen's latest book, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, which has just launched in the UK. Karen will be at Foyles in Bristol on the evening of the 19th.

With Kirsty Lang. Scarlett Johansson plays an alien wandering around Glasgow looking for human prey in Under The Skin, which was filmed without some of the cast realising they were in a movie or that they were talking to a Hollywood star. Novelist Toby Litt delivers his verdict on Jonathan Glazer's adaptation of Michael Farber's science fiction novel. On the day research from the University of Sheffield shows half the country picks up a book at least once a week for pleasure, and 45% prefer television, Front Row looks at the fast changing world of publicising books. Publishers are producing their own book programmes and podcasts, authors are appearing in online trailers and are increasingly responsible for promoting their own work. Kirsty finds out about the latest developments from Cathy Rentzenbrink from the Bookseller, Sara Lloyd from Pan Macmillan and author Toby Litt. Karen Joy Fowler's novel The Jane Austen Book Club spent 13 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was a successful Hollywood film. She talks to Kirsty about her latest book We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. It's the story of an American family - with a twist. Karen explains how she drew upon her psychologist father's work with rats and chimpanzees when writing the novel, and how important it is to learn good 'chimp manners' when visiting a chimp colony. After a successful on-air pilot, Douglas Henshall returns as a detective and single dad in Shetland, an adaptation of Ann Cleeves' series of crime novels about nefarious activities on the remote Scottish islands. Producer: Ellie Bury.

Keeping a family together is hard enough. Now try adding a chimp. Over the decades, psychologists exploring the animal-human cognitive divide have launched a number of studies in which humans attempted to raise chimpanzees as children. With their often-sloppy science and often-sorry outcomes (see, for example, the documentary film “Project Nim”), most such experiments have done less to limn the inter-species boundary than to highlight our confusions about it. These studies also trace the larger tale of familial dreams and disappointments in general, a point brought achingly to life in Karen Joy Fowler's latest novel, “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.” It's the saga of one chimped-up family and its inevitable dissolution. Karen and I talked about the troubled history of chimp cross-fostering experiments, about the splintering of families, of siblings and selves, and storytelling as a source of self-knowledge, real or illusory.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves