Unburied Books

Feb 11 2025 83 ep. 42 mins 111
Unburied Books Podcast artwork

A podcast reading its way through the NYRB Classics, a series that resurrects fiction and nonfiction works worth remembering.

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Shorts: Unbound with Jonathan Meades and John Mitchinson

Feb 11 2025 29 mins  
On this episode of Shorts, we're talking to author Jonathan Meades and publisher John Mitchinson about the unique publishing process at Unbound. We discuss how they each became readers, Unbound's roots in the subscription model of the 17th century, Meades' magnum opus, and more. Order Empty Wigs: https://unbound.com/books/empty-wigs Join the Unbound newsletter: https://unbound.com/

Teaser: A Tomb for Boris Davidovich by Danilo Kiš

Dec 27 2024 7 mins  
In this episode, we talk about A Tomb for Boris Davidovich by Danilo Kiš and Philip Roth's Writers from the Other Europe series from the 1970s and 80s. Listen to the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Ending Up with Craig Brown

Dec 24 2024 57 mins  
Author and critic Craig Brown joins us to discuss Kingsley Amis' novel Ending Up. The story follows a group of poverty-stricken elders as they suffer the miseries of one another's company (and their relatives) over the holidays. We talk about the limits of comic writing, Amis' penchant for irritation, and the context of 1970s England. It's our 50th NYRB Classic! Let's cut the telep

Teaser: Dream of the Red Chamber Part 2 with Eileen Cheng-yin Chow and Wai-yee Li

Dec 14 2024 12 mins  
Eileen Cheng-yin Chow and Wai-yee Li, both scholars and devoted readers of Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber, join us to discuss the book's final two volumes as well as their varied encounters with the text. In this clip, we talk about the controversy surrounding the novel's last 40 chapters, the author's alter ego, and the depiction of Chinese fatherhood. Hear the full episode

Angel with Mandylion Press

Dec 06 2024 80 mins  
Mabel Taylor and Madeline Porsella of Mandylion Press join us to discuss Elizabeth Taylor's Angel, a novel first published in 1957. Angel is the story of a self-obsessed writer whose imaginary world becomes frighteningly real. We talk about her lying tendencies, fraught relationships, and intersections with history's whirligig. Check out Mandylion's books and podcast, 1-800-1800. S

Teaser: Pablo Casals, "Chopin," and the Esotericism of Classical Music

Nov 29 2024 2 mins  
It's classical music week at Unburied Books! In this bonus episode, we talk about Joys and Sorrows by Pablo Casals, a sort-of autobiography by the great unburier of Bach's cello suites, as well as Gottfried Benn's poem "Chopin," translated from German by NYRB favorite Michael Hofmann. Read the poem here: https://www.ronnowpoetry.com/contents/benn/Chopin.html Listen to the full epis

Teaser: Stranger than Fiction with Edwin Frank

Nov 21 2024 2 mins  
NYRB Classics editorial director Edwin Frank returns to talk about his new book on the 20th-century novel. We discuss how he defined the category, his discoveries during research, and how being an editor has shaped his understanding. To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

The Lily in the Valley with Peter Bush

Nov 07 2024 49 mins  
Peter Bush joins us to discuss his translation of Honoré de Balzac's The Lily in the Valley. We talk about the novel's unique place in the Human Comedy, its surprisingly modern ending, and the challenges of recreating Balzac's language in English. Support our show here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Teaser: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Oct 30 2024 5 mins  
In this clip from the Patreon, we debate the merits of the 1818 and 1831 versions of the novel that birthed innumerable Halloween ensembles. Listen to the full episode here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Clandestine in Chile with Ignacio Sánchez Prado

Oct 25 2024 66 mins  
Scholar and author Ignacio Sánchez Prado joins us to discuss Clandestine in Chile written by Gabriel García Márquez and translated from Spanish by Asa Zatz. We talk about Márquez's influence on Latin American cinema, hallmarks of the crónica, and the meaning of exile to an artist. Become a patron to hear our discussion of Márquez's short story collection Strange Pilgrims: htt