Unburied Books Dylan Cuellar, Kassia Oset
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- Arts
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A podcast reading its way through the NYRB Classics, a series that resurrects fiction and nonfiction works worth remembering.
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Teaser: The Leopard with Patrick Preziosi
Writer Patrick Preziosi rejoins the show to talk about an Italian favorite: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Leopard. In this clip, we talk about the Sicilian prince's strange path to publication and how his other short works illuminate this masterpiece. Listen to the full episode to hear our thoughts on Visconti's film adaptation, Lampedusa's prose, and what it's like to read the novel in Sicily.
Subscribe to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 -
Moderan with Bijan Stephen
Writer Bijan Stephen joins us to discuss David R. Bunch's short story collection Moderan. In Moderan, people replace their "soft parts" with metal and devote their lives to making war. We talk about Bunch's satire of the international order, his wildly innovative use of language, and his commitment to depicting a utopian hellscape.
Read Bijan's article on Moderan here: https://dirt.fyi/article/2022/06/the-future-is-moderan
Check out Chris Lee's fantastic travelogue: https://chrisleefrancis.com/books/eastwards-and-far/
And, as always, we would love to have you over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 -
Teaser: "Tortured Poets" with Alina Stefanescu
Poet and writer Alina Stefanescu joins us to discuss her own pantheon of "tortured poets" in the wake of a pop star's adoption of the phrase.
Check out Alina's writing here: https://www.alinastefanescuwriter.com/
To hear the full episode, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 -
Teaser: I'm Not Complaining with Nancy Pearl
After mentioning the book in our Mary Olivier episode, writer and librarian Nancy Pearl returns to discuss Ruth Adam's I'm Not Complaining, one of her favorite Virago Modern Classics. In this clip, Nancy talks about the novel's unique angle on the Great Depression.
To hear the complete conversation, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 -
Moravagine with Ryan Alexander
Writer and co-host of the Vollmannia podcast Ryan Alexander joins us to discuss Moravagine, first published in 1926. The novel was written by Blaise Cendrars (given name: Frédéric-Louis Sauser) and translated from French by Alan Brown. The plot involves a monstrous criminal who, once released from a mental hospital, goes on a worldwide killing spree before returning to Europe to fight in World War I. We talk about the book's unique representation of violence, its social commentary on misogyny and antisemitism, and the false promises of progress.
Check out Ryan's excellent show here: https://vollmannia.buzzsprout.com/
And, for two more book-related episodes a month, our Patreon is a steal: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
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Teaser: Celia Dale with Andrew Male
Enjoy this clip from our bonus episode covering Celia Dale's sinister novel A Spring of Love with culture critic Andrew Male. The book is being reprinted by Daunt Books in September and is available for pre-order now.
To hear the full conversation, subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384
Customer Reviews
Dig into this!
I’ve been a casual fan of NYRB Classics for years. It’s a great way to find something substantial and literary to read apart from the usual canonical Western writers. There’s also a lot of range - there are cookbooks, travel books, and poetry. I also love the iconic design and the cover art. A friend who’s also a fan told me about this podcast. I don’t listen to many podcasts, but this one has me hooked. Dylan and Kassia are excited about the books they review, and they bring a lot of insight to the discussions. I’ve just started listening and I want them to weigh in on the unread NYRB Classics that are sitting in my TBR pile! I highly recommend this podcast if you’re interested in classic literature.
please add more info in episode notes
hi, just listened to Radiance of the King episode. Frank Wynn references a number of authors, which i was able to find. it'd be great if you provided this information in the episode notes for other listeners / readers.
also, Mr. Wynn seems like an incredibly thoughtful and erudite person. it would be great to have either a follow up interview, or list of books he would recommend from the greater Francophone world.
a perfect balance
I think this podcast does something truly magical. Kassia and Dylan do a great job of navigating you through the NYRB classics series, without expecting either too much or too little of you. I think it’s hard to appreciate how they have made a podcast that is not only accessible but interesting to big readers and not-so-big readers. The guests bring something wonderful to each episode too! I think the early judgmental reviews could certainly stand to be reevaluated at the very least. This podcast is just getting better and better with time.