We first aired this episode back in July 2019, and it was recorded in the studio when Ocean was on the international tour for his novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. It’s a really rich and beautiful conversation, full of the kind of thoughtful insights Ocean is known for, but also a lightness and optimism that feels right for summer. And we also thought it would coincide nicely with the publication of Ocean’s latest book, a poetry collection called Time is a Mother, which is out now. But we didn't want you to miss out on our summer reading recs, so we've recorded a new intro with lots of inspiration for your holiday reads too. Enjoy!Favourite recent reads:Octavia: Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael HoffmanCarrie: The Goldfinch by Donna TarttLooking forward to reading:Octavia: Intimacies by Katie Kitamura; Death Valley by Melissa BroderCarrie: The Summer Book by Tove JanssonFind a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/august-2023-ocean-vuong-re-runSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/litfrictionEmail us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

We first aired this episode back in July 2019, and it was recorded in the studio when Ocean was on the international tour for his novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. It’s a really rich and beautiful conversation, full of the kind of thoughtful insights Ocean is known for, but also a lightness and optimism that feels right for summer. And we also thought it would coincide nicely with the publication of Ocean’s latest book, a poetry collection called Time is a Mother, which is out now. But we didn't want you to miss out on our summer reading recs, so we've recorded a new intro with lots of inspiration for your holiday reads too. Enjoy! Favourite recent reads: Octavia: Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hoffman Carrie: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Looking forward to reading: Octavia: Intimacies by Katie Kitamura; Death Valley by Melissa Broder Carrie: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson Find a list of all recommended books at: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/august-2023-ocean-vuong-re-run" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/august-2023-ocean-vuong-re-run</a> Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/litfriction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/litfriction</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

RE-RUN: Author Special with Ocean Voung

Are you a techno-optimist or a techno-pessimist? Or even a total Luddite? Does Chat GPT excite you or completely freak you out? Our theme this month was suggested by our patron Elisse, who asked us to talk about Chat GPT in particular. We thought this was a great jumping off point for a bigger conversation about the relationship between art and technology, the moral panic that always accompanies developments in Artificial Intelligence, and our relationship to new technologies in general. Listen for this plus our own dream AI innovations, and all the usual recommendations.

Minisode Forty-Two: Artificial Intelligence

Lorrie Moore

Dark humour - do you love it or hate it? Do you find it cathartic or macho? Can humour ever be too dark, and is it a useful political tool? This month our guest is the one and only Lorrie Moore, who joined us to talk about her latest novel, I Am Homeless if This is Not My Home, a story about grief and ghosts and history that is equally funny as it is philosophical. It follows Finn, who in 2016 is visiting his dying brother in a hospice in New York. Finn's stay is interrupted by the news that his ex-girlfriend Lily, who worked as a therapy clown, has killed herself, which sets off a road trip with her talking corpse. All this is punctuated by letters from a boarding house proprietor in the post-Civil War American South, about a mysterious lodger that has come to stay… Tune in for all of this, plus the usual recommendations.Recommendations on the theme, Dark Comedy:Octavia: Hot Milk by Deborah LevyCarrie: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa MoshfeghGeneral Recommendations:Octavia: Open Throat by Henry HoakeLorrie: Kairos by Jenny ErpenbeckCarrie: The Forbidden Notebook by Alba de CéspedesFind a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/july-dark-comedy-with-lorrie-moore Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/litfrictionEmail us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

Dark humour - do you love it or hate it? Do you find it cathartic or macho? Can humour ever be too dark, and is it a useful political tool? This month our guest is the one and only Lorrie Moore, who joined us to talk about her latest novel, I Am Homeless if This is Not My Home, a story about grief and ghosts and history that is equally funny as it is philosophical. It follows Finn, who in 2016 is visiting his dying brother in a hospice in New York. Finn's stay is interrupted by the news that his ex-girlfriend Lily, who worked as a therapy clown, has killed herself, which sets off a road trip with her talking corpse. All this is punctuated by letters from a boarding house proprietor in the post-Civil War American South, about a mysterious lodger that has come to stay… Tune in for all of this, plus the usual recommendations. Recommendations on the theme, Dark Comedy: Octavia: Hot Milk by Deborah Levy Carrie: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh General Recommendations: Octavia: Open Throat by Henry Hoake Lorrie: Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck Carrie: The Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Céspedes Find a list of all recommended books at: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/july-dark-comedy-with-lorrie-moore" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/july-dark-comedy-with-lorrie-moore</a> Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/litfriction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/litfriction</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

Literary Friction - Dark Comedy with Lorrie Moore

Octavia has been away on her book tour, so today we’re bringing you a re-run of one of our earliest minisodes from April 2019. It was a fun one, inspired by a viral tweet about literary red flags, in which we got into books as cultural capital, literary snobbery, and whether it’s ever ok to judge a person by there reading habits. Plus, the usual cultural recommendations, which are all still accessible to you in some fom even though it's four years later. Enjoy, and we'll be back soon with a brand new full show!

RE-RUN - Minisode Three: Red Flags

Curtis Sittenfeld

From Pride and Prejudice to Detransition, Baby, the romcom can be an enduring source of great pleasure, fun and comfort. This month we’re thrilled to welcome the American writer Curtis Sittenfeld to talk about her latest novel Romantic Comedy, a smart and funny story about how love can upend all kinds of preconceptions and expectations. It also gave us the perfect opportunity to think about the possibilities of the genre more generally, and whether it can ever escape the imprint of the patriarchal and heteronormative structures that underpin so many classic love stories. Recommendations on the theme, Romantic Comedy:Octavia: A Room With A View by E.M. ForsterCarrie: Standard Deviation by Katherine HeinyGeneral Recommendations:Octavia: August Blue by Deborah LevyCurtis: Everything's Fine by Cecilia RabessCarrie: Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Find a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/june-2023-romantic-comedy-with-curtis-sittenfeld   Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/litfrictionEmail us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

From Pride and Prejudice to Detransition, Baby, the romcom can be an enduring source of great pleasure, fun and comfort. This month we’re thrilled to welcome the American writer Curtis Sittenfeld to talk about her latest novel Romantic Comedy, a smart and funny story about how love can upend all kinds of preconceptions and expectations. It also gave us the perfect opportunity to think about the possibilities of the genre more generally, and whether it can ever escape the imprint of the patriarchal and heteronormative structures that underpin so many classic love stories. Recommendations on the theme, Romantic Comedy: Octavia: A Room With A View by E.M. Forster Carrie: Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny General Recommendations: Octavia: August Blue by Deborah Levy Curtis: Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabess Carrie: Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Find a list of all recommended books at: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/june-2023-romantic-comedy-with-curtis-sittenfeld" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/june-2023-romantic-comedy-with-curtis-sittenfeld</a> Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/litfriction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/litfriction</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

Literary Friction - Romantic Comedy with Curtis Sittenfeld

Today’s show is an author special, and in the hot seat is our very own Octavia Bright. You probably know by now that Octavia’s first book This Ragged Grace is coming out - and is published today in fact! So Carrie couldn’t resist the chance to grill her about it. This Ragged Grace tells the story of Octavia's journey through recovery from alcohol addiction, and the parallel story of her father's descent into Alzheimer's. Looking back over this time, each of the seven chapters explores the feelings and experiences of the corresponding year of her recovery, tracing the shift in emotion and understanding that comes with the deepening connection to this new way of life. But it’s about so much more than that, and in the interview we’ll be getting into things like the form of the memoir, structure, the writing process, voice, and writing about life. We hope you enjoy listening!

Minisode Forty: Author Special with Octavia Bright

Do you like reading about writers? What does good writing about the act of writing do? And what happens when you write a real writer into a novel? Our guest this month is Tan Twan Eng, who joined us to talk about his third novel The House of Doors. Based around the writer W. Somerset Maugham’s stay on the Island of Penang, in what was then Malaya, in 1921, it's also about the stories he learns from the couple he stays with there, and the interplay between their fact and his fiction. We’ll be talking about the real and imagined writers that we’ve loved in fiction, the art of writing about writing, and the authors we’d most love to read a novel about - enjoy! Recommendations on the theme, Writing About Writers:Octavia: Aliens &amp; Anorexia by Chris KrausCarrie: Asymmetry by Lisa HallidayGeneral Recommendations:Octavia: Greek Lessons by Han KangTwan: Moon Tiger by Penelope LivelyCarrie: Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez Find a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/may-2023-writing-about-writers-with-tan-twang-eng Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/litfrictionEmail us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the Bookshop.org book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462

Do you like reading about writers? What does good writing about the act of writing do? And what happens when you write a real writer into a novel? Our guest this month is Tan Twan Eng, who joined us to talk about his third novel The House of Doors. Based around the writer W. Somerset Maugham’s stay on the Island of Penang, in what was then Malaya, in 1921, it's also about the stories he learns from the couple he stays with there, and the interplay between their fact and his fiction. We’ll be talking about the real and imagined writers that we’ve loved in fiction, the art of writing about writing, and the authors we’d most love to read a novel about - enjoy! Recommendations on the theme, Writing About Writers: Octavia: Aliens &amp; Anorexia by Chris Kraus Carrie: Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday General Recommendations: Octavia: Greek Lessons by Han Kang Twan: Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively Carrie: Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez Find a list of all recommended books at: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/may-2023-writing-about-writers-with-tan-twang-eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/may-2023-writing-about-writers-with-tan-twang-eng</a> Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/litfriction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/litfriction</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the <a href="http://Bookshop.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462</a>

Literary Friction - Writing about Writers with Tan Twan Eng

How do you feel about cities? Do you love the thrust and thrum of them, or are you more interested in escaping it? Do you like to read urban histories, or stories set in the heady metropolis? Our theme this month was suggested by our patron Alycia, who asked us to talk about cities in literature, so listen in for our favourite literary cities, captivating cities we've only encountered in the pages of a book, plus all the usual recommendations. Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the Bookshop.org book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462

How do you feel about cities? Do you love the thrust and thrum of them, or are you more interested in escaping it? Do you like to read urban histories, or stories set in the heady metropolis? Our theme this month was suggested by our patron Alycia, who asked us to talk about cities in literature, so listen in for our favourite literary cities, captivating cities we've only encountered in the pages of a book, plus all the usual recommendations. Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the <a href="http://Bookshop.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462</a>

Minisode Thirty-nine: Cities

Sara Ahmed

What's the relationship between feminist writing and feminist activism? What does it mean to be a feminist killjoy, and what can we learn from her? This month, we're joined by scholar and writer Sara Ahmed to answer these questions and more, as we talk about her brilliant latest book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook. In it, Sara shows how although the label ‘killjoy’ has often been used to dismiss feminism by claiming that it causes unhappiness, in fact, assuming the identity of the feminist killjoy is a path of liberation and change. We’ll also be talking more generally about the intersections of feminism and literature, the feminist writers who have inspired us, and thinking through what books can do when it comes to the continued struggle for gender equality. Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the Bookshop.org book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462Recommendations on the theme, Feminism:Octavia: The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing, edited by Hannah DawsonCarrie: Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre LordeGeneral Recommendations:Octavia: One Small Voice by Santanu Battacharya Sara: Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata AidooCarrie: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette WintersonFind a list of all recommended books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/april-2023-feminism-with-sara-ahmed Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/litfrictionEmail us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

What's the relationship between feminist writing and feminist activism? What does it mean to be a feminist killjoy, and what can we learn from her? This month, we're joined by scholar and writer Sara Ahmed to answer these questions and more, as we talk about her brilliant latest book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook. In it, Sara shows how although the label ‘killjoy’ has often been used to dismiss feminism by claiming that it causes unhappiness, in fact, assuming the identity of the feminist killjoy is a path of liberation and change. We’ll also be talking more generally about the intersections of feminism and literature, the feminist writers who have inspired us, and thinking through what books can do when it comes to the continued struggle for gender equality. Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the <a href="http://Bookshop.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462</a> Recommendations on the theme, Feminism: Octavia: The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing, edited by Hannah Dawson Carrie: Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde General Recommendations: Octavia: One Small Voice by Santanu Battacharya Sara: Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo Carrie: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson Find a list of all recommended books at: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/april-2023-feminism-with-sara-ahmed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/april-2023-feminism-with-sara-ahmed</a> Support us on Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/litfriction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/litfriction</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

Literary Friction - Feminism with Sara Ahmed

Today our theme is… kinda judgy! Everyone says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we all know everyone does. So, this month we thought we'd get into it - we partly covered (lol) this topic in our Rediscovery episode for Picador with Jamaica Kincaid and cover designer Stu Wilson, but we wanted to come back to it because there was so much more to say. What makes a book cover good or bad? Have you ever been totally put off reading a book by its cover? What are your major turn-offs, and what about any enduring faves? Listen in for all this and more, plus the usual cultural recommendations. Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the Bookshop.org book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462

Today our theme is… kinda judgy! Everyone says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we all know everyone does. So, this month we thought we'd get into it - we partly covered (lol) this topic in our Rediscovery episode for Picador with Jamaica Kincaid and cover designer Stu Wilson, but we wanted to come back to it because there was so much more to say. What makes a book cover good or bad? Have you ever been totally put off reading a book by its cover? What are your major turn-offs, and what about any enduring faves? Listen in for all this and more, plus the usual cultural recommendations. Also, very excitingly, O's memoir This Ragged Grace has been selected as the <a href="http://Bookshop.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> book of the month for June! So, if you'd like to read it, they're offering all wonderful Literary Friction listeners free shipping and 10% off if you pre-order it from them at the following link, using the code Ragged10: <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-ragged-grace-a-memoir-of-recovery-and-renewal-octavia-bright/7400323?ean=9781838857462</a>

Minisode Thirty-Eight: Book covers

A monthly conversation about books and ideas on NTS Radio hosted by friends Carrie Plitt, a literary agent, and Octavia Bright, a writer and academic. Each show features an author interview, book recommendations, lively discussion and a little music too, all built around a related theme - anything from the novella to race to masculinity. Listen live on NTS Radio www.nts.live

Your two intimacy episodes are so smart and sexy! Thank you Carrie and Octavia for delivering such a high level of discourse - and wonderful insights  - in this strange and disconcerting time.

Brilliant

Listening to this makes one smarter and more filled with joy.

Brilliant!

Literary Friction

Sally Rooney

We have a very meta show for you this month: the theme is conversation, so we’ll be talking about writing about talking, from the conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan in Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities to the pithy dialogue in Bridget Jones’ Diary. You could even say that it’s a conversation about… conversations! As usual, our theme is inspired by our guest Sally Rooney, whose excellent debut novel Conversations with Friends tells the story of two female friends and former lovers, and the complicated relationship they fall into with an older married couple. Listen in and tell all your friends!

Literary Friction - Conversations With Sally Rooney

We're thrilled to bring you this podcast special: a recording of Octavia’s live interview with author Sally Rooney at Waterstones Leeds to celebrate the publication of Normal People, her Booker-Prize-longlisted second novel, a story about love and power and privilege set in contemporary Ireland. Sally first joined us on the show last year to talk about her acclaimed first book, Conversations with Friends, which you can find in our archive if you haven't listened yet. Enjoy!

Literary Friction Special - Sally Rooney

Karl Ove Knausgaard

It's September, the leaves are turning and Autumn has arrived, so in honour of this return to reality we bring you a show about the everyday, the mundane, the quotidian in literature. As usual, our theme is inspired by our guest, and this month we’ll be playing a recording of a live interview Carrie did with the celebrated Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard a couple weeks ago at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road. Knausgaard is best known for his epic My Struggle series, but he was in town to talk about his new book, appropriately called Autumn, the first in a quartet of titles based around the seasons. In Autumn, he describes the world around him – from chewing gum to toilet bowls to frogs – to his unborn daughter. So tune in for a celebration of the ordinary things in literature, and a discussion about how writers from George Eliot to Elizabeth Strout have made them compelling and extraordinary.

Literary Friction - The Everyday with Karl Ove Knausgaard

Chris Kraus

We are incredibly excited to be joined by American artist and writer Chris Kraus, here to discuss her novel I Love Dick. A feminist classic from the 90s recently published in the UK for the first time, I Love Dick is a hybrid of memoir, fiction and theory that focuses on the main character’s desire for an academic named Dick. We rarely see the object of our desire for what they really are, and literature has always been a rich medium through which to explore these romantic abstractions. So this month's title, taken from an anecdote in I Love Dick, is the perfect starting point for a show all about the sometimes troubling vagaries of our deepest longings.

Literary Friction - Abstract Romanticism with Chris Kraus

Dolly Alderton

Good friends are hard to beat, and this month's show is dedicated to those bonds that are often the deepest and most enduring in our lives. Our guest, author and journalist Dolly Alderton, writes wonderfully about friendship. Her first book, Everything I Know About Love is a series of essays and other vignettes about - amongst other things - growing up in London, disastrous dates and parties, and love between friends. So join us as we talk about great literary friendships, from Lila and Elena in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels to Sam and Frodo in Lord of the Rings.

Literary Friction - Friendship With Dolly Alderton

Zadie Smith

This month's show is called City of Voices in honour of our very esteemed guest, author Zadie Smith. We met Zadie for a live event in Sheffield to talk about her first short story collection, Grand Union, a playful, ambitious symphony of different voices, styles and forms. Listen in to hear about why we should all embrace our inner chaos, the ways our voices get co-opted by Big Technology, and for a more general chat about literature by authors like William Faulkner and Yaa Gyasi that encompasses a range of different voices. Plus, of course, all the usual recommendations.

Literary Friction - City of Voices with Zadie Smith

Everyone needs to peace out from time to time, so this month we’re talking about the fictional trope of rest and relaxation, and how authors have explored this kind of inertia - from the tale of Rip Van Winkle to the Swiss sanitorium in Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain. Our guest is the novelist Ottessa Moshfegh, whose brilliant new novel is called My Year of Rest and Relaxation. In it, a privileged young woman living on the upper East side in Manhattan, dissatisfied with her life, decides to embark on a year of sleep and seclusion in her apartment aided by lots of prescription drugs and a permissive psychiatrist. So, kick off your shoes, recline, and stay with us for the next hour on Literary Friction.

Literary Friction - Rest & Relaxation with Ottessa Moshfegh

Ben Lerner

For our last show of the year, we’re going into therapy - or, more accurately, we’ll be talking about therapy’s intersection with literature. Does analysis make good fiction? Do therapists make good characters, or good authors? What has the language of psychology given to literature? We’re very happy that the inspiration for today’s topic is our guest, Ben Lerner, whose third novel The Topeka School is a brilliant meditation on family, psychology, toxic masculinity, whiteness and American life, told through the lens of one man’s coming of age in Topeka, Kansas in the 90s, where Ben himself was born. So, lay down on the couch and do the work with us for the next hour on Literary Friction, and we'll catch up with you in the new decade. Happy holidays, everyone! Recommendations on the theme, In Therapy:Octavia: Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-century Paris by Asti Hustvedt https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/medical-muses-9780747576334/Carrie: The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz https://www.stephengrosz.com/the-examined-life/General Recommendations:Octavia: Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/year-of-the-monkey-9781526614759/Ben: The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178325/the-mushroom-at-the-end-of-the-worldCarrie: The Past by Tessa Hadley https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062270429/the-past/Buy a tote! https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/758247545/literary-friction-canvas-tote-bag?ref=shop_home_active_1&amp;crt=1Email us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

For our last show of the year, we’re going into therapy - or, more accurately, we’ll be talking about therapy’s intersection with literature. Does analysis make good fiction? Do therapists make good characters, or good authors? What has the language of psychology given to literature? We’re very happy that the inspiration for today’s topic is our guest, Ben Lerner, whose third novel The Topeka School is a brilliant meditation on family, psychology, toxic masculinity, whiteness and American life, told through the lens of one man’s coming of age in Topeka, Kansas in the 90s, where Ben himself was born. So, lay down on the couch and do the work with us for the next hour on Literary Friction, and we'll catch up with you in the new decade. Happy holidays, everyone! Recommendations on the theme, In Therapy: Octavia: Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-century Paris by Asti Hustvedt <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/medical-muses-9780747576334/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/medical-muses-9780747576334/</a> Carrie: The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz <a href="https://www.stephengrosz.com/the-examined-life/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.stephengrosz.com/the-examined-life/</a> General Recommendations: Octavia: Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/year-of-the-monkey-9781526614759/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/year-of-the-monkey-9781526614759/</a> Ben: The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178325/the-mushroom-at-the-end-of-the-world" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691178325/the-mushroom-at-the-end-of-the-world</a> Carrie: The Past by Tessa Hadley <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062270429/the-past/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062270429/the-past/</a> Buy a tote! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/758247545/literary-friction-canvas-tote-bag?ref=shop_home_active_1&amp;crt=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/758247545/literary-friction-canvas-tote-bag?ref=shop_home_active_1&amp;crt=1</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us &amp; find us on Instagram: @litfriction

Literary Friction - In Therapy With Ben Lerner

For our last show before we take our summer break, we bring you this author special with poet and novelist Ocean Vuong, who was over from the States to talk about his novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. Carrie was on holiday so Octavia flew solo for a long interview with Ocean where they talked about submission as power, queer narratives, acceptance over forgiveness, the subversive potential of fragmented storytelling, the violence of parental love and a whole lot more. We’ll be back in September with an exciting Autumn programme, and we’ll put out some shows from the archive in the meantime so you can still get your LF fix. Until then, have a wonderful summer everyone!

Literary Friction Special - Ocean Vuong

Emily Witt

Baby, it's cold outside, so come and warm your cockles with us as we talk FUTURE SEX. Writer Emily Witt joined us all the way from America to talk about her ace debut of the same name - a personal and journalistic exploration of the possibilities of free love in today’s world. We’ll also be talking about how writers from have helped us to imagine the future of sex, sexuality and relationships. Bring an open mind and come along for the ride.

Literary Friction - Future Sex With Emily Witt

Jessie Greengrass

The short story is literature in a single shot, and the form has many masters, from Guy de Maupassant to Edgar Allan Poe to Lorrie Moore to Junot Diaz. This month join us in conversation about what a short story actually is, how to write a good one, and who writes them best. We interviewed Jessie Greengrass about her wonderful debut collection, An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It, which was published last year by John Murray Press. Pull up a chair and let’s hear it for the small but mighty!

Literary Friction - Short Stories With Jessie Greengrass

Sara Pascoe

The body – especially the female body – has forever been an object of literary fascination and desire. But what about the intimate bits that make us squirm, the pungent underarms, abject anuses? Welcome to VILE BODIES, a show dedicated to literature’s uncomfortable relationship with all things corporeal, from Philoctetes' festering foot, to James Joyce’s filthy letters to his wife, to the Vagina Monologues. We interviewed brilliant comedian and writer Sara Pascoe about her debut, ANIMAL, an illuminating and hilarious tour of the female body that isn’t afraid to tackle topics like abortion, pubic hair and consent. Tune in and let's get nasty!

Literary Friction - Vile Bodies with Sara Pascoe

Leila Slimani

As the most famous nanny in the world once said, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but you won't need to sweeten the deal as you listen to our latest guest: French-Moroccan author Leïla Slimani joins us this month to discuss her compelling second novel Lullaby, which examines a relationship between a young Parisian couple and their nanny that ends in tragedy. Lullaby won France's most prestigious literary award, the Prix Goncourt, making Leïla the twelfth woman in history to do so, and it's since become an international sensation. So listen in as we discuss the fascinating and sometimes fraught place nannies occupy in our culture. From the magical perfection of Mary Poppins to the killer babysitters of slasher B-movies, these almost-mummies are the stuff of both dreams and nightmares.

Literary Friction - A Spoonful Of Sugar With Leila Slimani

Sinéad Gleeson

From Virginia Woolf to Susan Sontag, writers have grappled with how difficult it is to both describe and understand the pain of others. This month we’re going to examine that phenomenon, but also look at some of the writers who have captured the experience of pain in a unique and interesting way. One of those writers is Sinéad Gleeson, whose personal essay collection Constellations thoughtfully explores the way pain of all kinds - physical, emotional, political - can shape a life, and also be the catalyst for finding new ways of expressing the self. So, join us for the next hour as we try to face this challenging universal experience. Email us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us and find us on Instagram: @litfrictionRecommendations on the theme, Pain:Octavia: Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/571/57150/good-morning--midnight/9780141183930.htmlCarrie: Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/545/54582/regarding-the-pain-of-others/9780141012377.htmlGeneral Recommendations:Octavia: Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/andrea-lawlor/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl/9781529007664Carrie: Trust Exercise by Susan Choi https://serpentstail.com/trust-exercise.html

From Virginia Woolf to Susan Sontag, writers have grappled with how difficult it is to both describe and understand the pain of others. This month we’re going to examine that phenomenon, but also look at some of the writers who have captured the experience of pain in a unique and interesting way. One of those writers is Sinéad Gleeson, whose personal essay collection Constellations thoughtfully explores the way pain of all kinds - physical, emotional, political - can shape a life, and also be the catalyst for finding new ways of expressing the self. So, join us for the next hour as we try to face this challenging universal experience. Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us and find us on Instagram: @litfriction Recommendations on the theme, Pain: Octavia: Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/571/57150/good-morning--midnight/9780141183930.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/571/57150/good-morning--midnight/9780141183930.html</a> Carrie: Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/545/54582/regarding-the-pain-of-others/9780141012377.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/545/54582/regarding-the-pain-of-others/9780141012377.html</a> General Recommendations: Octavia: Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/andrea-lawlor/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl/9781529007664" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/andrea-lawlor/paul-takes-the-form-of-a-mortal-girl/9781529007664</a> Carrie: Trust Exercise by Susan Choi <a href="https://serpentstail.com/trust-exercise.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://serpentstail.com/trust-exercise.html</a>

Literary Friction - Pain with Sinéad Gleeson

It’s our last minisode of 2019, so we're looking back over some of our favourite reads of the year, some of our resolutions for 2020, plus the usual cultural recommendations - so, if you need some inspiration for what books to buy people for Christmas then grab a pen! Also, here’s your annual reminder to support your local independent bookshop instead of ordering everything online. An update on our lovely, fair trade cotton tote bags: we now have an Etsy shop where you can buy them! The link is below, all the money we make from the sales goes back into making the show bigger and better, so please get one for all your friends. Finally, thank you for listening and for another brilliant year of Literary Friction. Happy holidays everyone! See you on the flipside. Tote bags: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiteraryFrictionTwitter &amp; Instagram: @litfrictionEmail us: litfriction@gmail.com

It’s our last minisode of 2019, so we're looking back over some of our favourite reads of the year, some of our resolutions for 2020, plus the usual cultural recommendations - so, if you need some inspiration for what books to buy people for Christmas then grab a pen! Also, here’s your annual reminder to support your local independent bookshop instead of ordering everything online. An update on our lovely, fair trade cotton tote bags: we now have an Etsy shop where you can buy them! The link is below, all the money we make from the sales goes back into making the show bigger and better, so please get one for all your friends. Finally, thank you for listening and for another brilliant year of Literary Friction. Happy holidays everyone! See you on the flipside. Tote bags: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiteraryFriction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiteraryFriction</a> Twitter &amp; Instagram: @litfriction Email us: litfriction@gmail.com

Minisode Nine: Year In Review

We’re very pleased to report that Minisode One went down really well so we're back with another one for your pleasure. Last time we talked about books we hated, so this month we decided to get into characters we love. But, like, love love: we explored our literary crushes - from Behemoth the cat to Virginia Woolf - and the intimacy of reading. So tune in for chat about literary desire, and to hear what other cultural things got our pulses racing lately.

Literary Friction - Minisode Two: Literary Crushes

Viv Albertine

Nothing grants insight into lived experience quite like a memoir, and the form is currently having a resurgence. This month, we celebrate the memoirs that take us from the experience of giving birth to coming out to what it’s like to be in a world-famous band, via all the richness and thorny issues that this form promises. Our guest is Viv Albertine, former guitarist in the hugely influential all-female punk band The Slits. Her first memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys, was published in 2015, and she came in to talk to us about its follow-up, To Throw Away Unopened. It's published this month, and is about many things but mostly her complicated relationship with her extraordinary mother and growing up as a working-class kid in London.

Literary Friction - Memoir With Viv Albertine

Elizabeth Strout

From William Faulkner to John Updike, and Hilary Mantel to Margaret Atwood, why do authors return to the same characters and places again and again? What can a trilogy do that a solo book can’t? And why do we get so excited (and nervous) about these returns? To help us answer these questions, this month we have a very special guest: the inimitable, Pulitzer prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Her latest novel, Olive, Again, is a return to the complicated character of Olive Kitteridge and her community in Crosby, Maine. Recommendations on the theme, Returning: Octavia: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1110035/everything-under/9781784702113.htmlCarrie: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld http://www.curtissittenfeld.com/books/eligible/buy-the-book/General Recommendations:Octavia: Be My Guest by Priya Basil https://canongate.co.uk/books/3072-be-my-guest-reflections-on-food-community-and-the-meaning-of-generosity/Elizabeth: Tolstoy by Henri Troyat and Tolstoy by A.N. Wilson https://groveatlantic.com/book/tolstoy/; https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780393321227Carrie: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/118610/hateship-friendship-courtship-loveship-marriage-by-alice-munro/ Email us: litfriction@gmail.comTweet us and find us on Instagram: @litfriction

From William Faulkner to John Updike, and Hilary Mantel to Margaret Atwood, why do authors return to the same characters and places again and again? What can a trilogy do that a solo book can’t? And why do we get so excited (and nervous) about these returns? To help us answer these questions, this month we have a very special guest: the inimitable, Pulitzer prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Her latest novel, Olive, Again, is a return to the complicated character of Olive Kitteridge and her community in Crosby, Maine. Recommendations on the theme, Returning: Octavia: Everything Under by Daisy Johnson <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1110035/everything-under/9781784702113.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1110035/everything-under/9781784702113.html</a> Carrie: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld <a href="http://www.curtissittenfeld.com/books/eligible/buy-the-book/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.curtissittenfeld.com/books/eligible/buy-the-book/</a> General Recommendations: Octavia: Be My Guest by Priya Basil <a href="https://canongate.co.uk/books/3072-be-my-guest-reflections-on-food-community-and-the-meaning-of-generosity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://canongate.co.uk/books/3072-be-my-guest-reflections-on-food-community-and-the-meaning-of-generosity/</a> Elizabeth: Tolstoy by Henri Troyat and Tolstoy by A.N. Wilson <a href="https://groveatlantic.com/book/tolstoy/;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://groveatlantic.com/book/tolstoy/;</a> <a href="https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780393321227" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780393321227</a> Carrie: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/118610/hateship-friendship-courtship-loveship-marriage-by-alice-munro/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/118610/hateship-friendship-courtship-loveship-marriage-by-alice-munro/</a> Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us and find us on Instagram: @litfriction

Literary Friction - Returning with Elizabeth Strout

Joanna Cannon

Ever wonder if you're with the flock, or against it? British author and psychiatric doctor Joanna Cannon’s debut novel The Trouble with Goats and Sheep (a Sunday Times bestseller) explores how we treat - or more often mistreat - people who don't quite fit in. It tells the story of two young girls who decide to investigate a housewife’s disappearance from their tight-knit estate during the heat wave of 1976, and the unlikely truth they uncover. In honour of rebels and misfits everywhere, our theme this month is BLACK SHEEP. Join us as we interview Joanna, and discuss our favourite literary characters who stand on the margins - from Holden Caufield to Jane Eyre to Oscar Wao and more.

Literary Friction - Black Sheep With Joanna Cannon

Esi Edugyan

From Ivanhoe to Wolf Hall to The Essex Serpent, what is it about the historical novel that is so compelling? This month, we spoke to Canadian author Esi Edugyan about her third novel, Washington Black (shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker Prize). It tells the story of a gifted artist, born a slave on a plantation in 1830s Bermuda, and the fantastic and surprising course of his life which takes him from the Arctic to London to the deserts of Morocco in an exciting but perilous adventure. If you’re curious about what we look for in art about the past, and have ever wondered if historical novels really have to be true to history, press play and join us.

Literary Friction - History with Esi Edugyan

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Best Non-Current Politics Podcasts

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!