The Foxed Page

This novella--an excerpt of THE PALE KING--was a revelation. Just as its publisher Sarah McNally says in the preface, Wallace's cult-status fame as a challenging writer can be daunting, and his oeuvre is so large, it's hard to know where to begin. This is where to begin! The lecture is probably best heard if you've read The Pale King (and/or this amazing section itself) but I like to think lovers...

I loved The Perfect Couple. I even loved the UNperfect parts. Part of the reason there's a second tv series is because Hilderbrand is so good at what she does. Listen in to fully appreciate this juicy, splashy series! (And if you're someone who turns up her nose at Hilderbrand, but you want a frothy beach read, listen in to hear why her work is much better than you think!)

When I came across a new short story by Ben Lerner, an audio version of the story read by Lerner, an interview with Lerner about the short story AND a nonfiction piece by Lerner related to the story, I felt like I'd entered a very Lernerian world. Tune in for a quick ten minutes that will convince you to hunt down out "The Readers." Not only is this the very best prose, but the pieces also combine...

It might not be the flashiest part of Strangers, but it's worth taking a quick look at why Burden's prose functions so well. Also! My sense of specific thing that makes this far more than a cautionary tale about women and personal finances. AND! My own personal crusade about how we should describe this woman while recommending this book to everyone we know.

Andrew Sean Greer is one of those writers who wrote a book that is so uncommonly GOOD that everything after it pales in comparison. Less--with its propulsive plot, its sneaky narrator and its incredible twist--continues to be an enormous favorite of mine. VILLA COCO might stand in the shadow of that earlier work, but so much is working well here. Especially if you're someone who starts it and feel...

Moore is SO GOOD that the last half of the lecture is just me doing my favorite party trick! I think of two numbers, then go to the first number's corresponding page and the second number's line. Then I sit back and just revel (explaining all the while) in the author's sheer genius. Truly, every single line in this slim cult classic could inspire its own lecture. Listen in now to how Moore pulls o...

Famously, the enduring appeal of 84, Charing Cross Road rests on its correspondence between an American TV-writing woman and a British bookseller. But what if the slim volume's real power comes mostly just from the independent, iconoclastic, sassy and powerful Helene? Or from Helene and all the other female voices in this delightful favorite? Treat yourself today! (If you haven't read it, you migh...

Much has been made of Nelio Biedermann's wunderkind status. And there are plenty of reasons people are calling his debut novel "virtuousic" and "astonishing." It was SO fun to look at why much of this novel really worked, and why much of it . . . didn't.

Famously, the 240 "propositions" BLUETS produce a genre-bending, poetic, heady, broody, completely INGENIOUS work. Whether you've read it a dozen times or picked it up or, tried it and thought, what is happening here, listen in to more fully appreciate SO MUCH about its structure, its fascinating narrative stance, its HUMOR and the radical thing Nelson is doing by foregrounding all those old, whit...

This controversial page turner is SO engaging. Find out why I think that's the case (from a literary perspective) while also allowing me to provide some forensic-style info as to the book's original shape (IT WAS MAYBE SEMI-UTOPIC!), what is actually going on in the assault scene (it's complicated) and what we might make of the ending. This lecture was SO fun (and weirdly short). Listen in now!

The Blue Flower is considered Fitzgerald's masterpiece, and for good reason. It's challenging--an entirely different approach to historical fiction, with subtle, nuanced, gorgeous prose. She makes late-1700s Saxony feel immediate and accessible and you FEEL so much for these people. Listen in to fully appreciate how she produces a book that readers go back to again and again, gaining so much more...

Tune in to hear why James's 1880 New York novel might be all of the above--plus funny! The close look at the innovative, wry narrative stance is reason enough to spend an hour thinking about this slim book. Not to mention the excellent characterization, the use of satire and the send up of the Gothic meddlesome spinster aunt! Treat yourself now!

I can't remember the last time a novel evoked such strong--and opposing!--reactions. This 2018 novella appealed back then but my re-reading was even more satisfying. Listen in to hear the many ways Murata is a master of satire. Maybe more interestingly, take a fascinating look at sexuality in the novel via two other Murata essays. Indulge yourself in talk about this smart, unique novel now!

Lerner's new novel(la) is a revelation. One that deserves a LOT of our attention. It's a text that tests the limits and potentials of what fiction can do. Whether you loved it or came away wondering what the hell you just read, these ninety minutes should deepen your appreciation for this latest from one of my very favorite writers of all time.

The Russian master's slim novel from 1958--just a year after Lolita--is such a dream. Truly one of my favorite books. We dive deep into narrative stance, satire, structure, figurative language, the campus novel and SQUIRRELS.

The reading public had ridiculously high expectations for whatever followed Jones’s break-out bestseller—and wow have those expectations have been met. KIN might seem like a straightforward, delightful  page turner but the book is so good because of all the nuanced, complex ways that Jones develops structure, dialogue, plot, figurative language, minor characters, historical setting etc. Listen in...

Wow was this rewarding. Lispector's cult following knows what it's talking about! her body of work is globally, universally acclaimed for an approach that truly feels singular. Listen in to hear how her harrowing childhood informs her writing. Together we'll dig deep into how stream of consciousness, figurative language and writing from the body all add to the genius. These slim novels are the kin...

Saunders fans came to this with very high expectations. Rightly! The MacArthur-winning genius won the Booker for the insanely great Lincoln in the Bardo! When VIGIL fell a tiny bit short for me, I went to the source--interviews with George--to really understand what he was going for. I wanted the best experience of this book! The results were fascinating. Listen in to gain the deepest appreciation...

Even *I*--longtime Enrigue superfan--was a little suspicious of this one. Turns out a "multifaceted war story," a "Western that Goes Where McCarthy Wouldn't," the story of the surrender of Geronimo, was RIVETING.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let us thank GOD for the Irishification of the American arts! This lecture explores the haunting “An Encounter” before delving into the masterpiece, “The Dead.” Find out how Joyce changed the face of literature, and how his portrayal of the Irish people is actually a portrayal of EVERYONE. Maybe Joyce seems a little heavy?? Choose from my talks on Sally Rooney's INTERMEZZO...

There are dozens of reasons why Moore is one of my favorite writers of all time. Indulge yourself in the 20 minutes it takes to read (or listen to!) this story then dig DEEP with me. The work is ridiculously smart and dark and poignant and unique and HILARIOUS. I'll say it before we even start: YOU'RE WELCOME.

This Booker Prize shortlister SEEMS quiet, spacious and spare but wow is it rich. The closer you look (allow me to guide you), the better it gets. Don't let the subtleties of this gorgeous novel be lost on you! Listen in now.

People! Enrigue's new novel NOW I SURRENDER comes out today in English. Before you dive into that one, brush up on all the ways the man is a genius. This exploration of YOU DREAMED OF EMPIRES will give you a deeper understanding of the title, the unique narrative stance, why the book feels so dreamy, the humor and whether or not we can read this as a FEMINIST novel.

Much is made of this insanely great novel(la)'s economy but it's the RICHNESS that draws me back again and again and again. Everything is so perfectly dark and smart and hilarious and poignant. We dive in (no pun intended) to the unique narrative stance, the richness of her characterization and her masterful employment of figurative language. This book is SO GOOD.

Prepare to be liberated.