Reading Writers

Reading Writers' first season draws to a close. To celebrate, Charlotte and Jo speak with the wise, bold, and original Merve Emre, who brings news of a secret Plautian aspect to Erich Segal's 1970 novel Love Story—the big book so bad it wrecked its author's career. Or was it?Merve Emre is the Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing and Criticism at Wesleyan Universi

This week Jo greets the universal subject in Rebecca Renner's Gator Country and Charlotte attacks and is attacked by Jane Eyre. Then they're joined by matchless prose stylist and beloved genius Daniel M. Lavery to discuss Anthony Hope's 1894 swashbuckler, The Prisoner of Zenda.Daniel Lavery is the author of Something That May Shock and Discredit You and The Chatner newsletter.

Jo and Charlotte throw their souls into a conversation concerning C.S. Lewis, Narnia, medievalists, and Christianity before the luminous Hanna Phifer (36:20) joins to bring listeners back to the present moment (of polyamory and food delivery apps) with Raven Leilani’s Luster.Hanna Phifer is a critic and journalist who can be found at hannaphifer.com and on all social media platfo

Charlotte speculates on why Prep is still Curtis Sittenfeld’s best novel, and Jo (17:46) endorses Jeff Sharlet’s sensitive, surprising The Undertow. The scintillating Nicolás Medina Mora (24:05) then joins to revolutionize autofiction discourse with his theory about Ben Lerner’s Leaving the Atocha Station.Nicolás Medina Mora is a Mexican writer. He currently works as an edi

Jo (The Shipping News) and Charlotte (“Brokeback Mountain”) share notes on Iva Dixit-endorsed Annie Proulx before incendiary fiction writer Tony Tulathimutte (22:30) shocks by revealing that Alasdair Gray has written more books than just Lanark.Tony Tulathimutte is the author of Private Citizens and the forthcoming Rejection. He has received an O. Henry Award and Whiting Award,

Jo recommends Augusto Higa Oshiro’s restrained The Enlightenment of Katzuo Nakamatsu, while Charlotte’s encounter with the first Twilight book (13:00) leads ineluctably to the Black Eyed Peas. Decorated journalist Connie Wang (26:30) joins to share the delights of Sanmao, the prolific Chinese memoirist who puts Joan Didion to shame. Connie Wang is a journalist and writer b

The writers cast a wide net today as Charlotte goes meg gaga for M.T. Anderson’s Feed and Jo (15:00) expounds on the many pleasures of Iris Yamashita’s Village in the Dark. The hosts also touch upon Sally Hepworth, J.M. Barrie, Telluria, their beloved Lanark by Alasdair Gray, and the entirety of French literature. The brilliant Osita Nwanevu (29:10) brings some dignity to the p

Jo finds surprising depth to Susan Casey’s The Devil’s Teeth and Charlotte (8:35) fantasizes that her nonexistent celebrity romance novel is better than Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You, with a brief bonus discussion of Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry. The great mind and Mobility author Lydia Kiesling (25:40) then joins to reflect on Lucky Jim and the ways our parents’ book collec

Jo’s spent the weekend on two books that have their seal of approval—The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright and The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War by Chad L. Williams—while Charlotte (12:35) has been getting Edna O’Brien-pilled. The inimitable Iva Dixit (25:00) stops by to share the remarkable story of her spite-buy of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News,

Jo recommends Tomorrow, Perhaps the Future, by Sarah Watling, while Charlotte (14:00) has some deep thoughts about The Bridges of Madison County and bad books in general. At (32:00), they’re joined by New York magazine’s finest, Rachel Handler, who has a fraught relationship with Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend.Read Rachel’s writing and find her on Twitter at @rachel_handle