meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Book Case

Andrew Porter Writes a Family Story

The Book Case

ABC News

Fiction, Arts, Books, Society & Culture

4.1766 Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Andrew Porter’s newest, The Imagined Life, is a beautiful and atmospheric novel following a man on a search for his father, who disappeared decades ago.  Tangled up in the complications of academia, the issues of exploring sexuality, and the haunting visions of the inappropriate parties his parents threw in his backyard, Stephen struggles to piece together the answers he needs so that he can create the life he wants.  This novel is subtle, complex, and beautifully written.  Join us this week to find out how Andrew created an incredible novel out of the subtleties of family dynamics. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter The Theory of Light and Magic by Andrew Porter The Disappeared by Andrew Porter In Between Days by Andrew Porter The Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson Birds of America by Laurie Moore The Best American Short Stories 2024 Edited by Lauren Groff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.

0:04.8

Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand,

0:12.4

marketing tools that get your products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time.

0:17.4

From startups to scaleups, online, in, and on the go. Shopify is made for

0:22.8

entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.

0:35.7

Well, it's that time again.

0:37.9

It is the first show in June, which means the flowers are a poppin and the birds are a singing.

0:44.1

And the grass is coming up out of the ground.

0:46.2

It's summertime.

0:47.6

And it's the bookcase.

0:48.9

And I am Kate of half of the hosting team for the bookcase.

0:53.2

And I will introduce my other half.

0:55.8

Well, you won't recognize me. The grass is a growing, by the way. You won't recognize me

1:01.4

because I have a terrible cold, and I apologize for sounding like a croaky frog.

1:06.1

We can add that to the summer description. The frogs are a croaking. You got it. You got it. Okay. You can do that. Anyway, the summer description. The frogs are croaking. You got it. You got it. You can do that.

1:13.0

Anyway, the book is this week written by a fellow named Andrew Porter. It is the imagined life.

1:21.8

And I really loved it. And indeed, Kate and I have been tasked by Good Morning America early in July to give

1:30.4

three suggestions, each of us, for summer reading. And I think I will probably pick this book

1:36.3

as one of the books that I would urge people to read the summer. Yeah, I have always been a big

1:42.3

John Cheever fan, although sometimes you don't want to attach new writers to old writers, less they get a reputation.

1:48.5

But I found a lot of Cheever in Andrew's writing.

1:52.4

And this book is terrific.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from ABC News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of ABC News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.