Dystopian Novel ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ Portrays Prison System Uncomfortably Similar to Our Own

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KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 17 May 2023

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s novel ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ portrays an American prison system with corporate-sponsored gladiators whose fights to the death, and most every waking moment, are followed, reality TV style, by the nation. It’s a searing satire of an exploitative prison system and the society that supports it that is uncomfortably recognizable. We talk with Adjei-Brenyah about the speculative, and the actual, American prison system and writing a novel about dehumanization through characters that are full of humanity, compassion and love. Guests: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author, "Chain Gang All Stars" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:14.7	Support for forum comes from Broadway SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story. From three-time Tony-winning composer
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0:37.1	unimaginable test of faith,
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0:55.6	From KQED.
0:57.0	From KQED.
1:12.3	The new novel Chain Gang All-Stars is The new novel Chain Gang All-Stars is as bloody as Mortal Kombat in the video game,
1:17.9	and as tender as a mother's speech at her child's funeral.
1:21.2	Nanaquame Ajibreña's debut novel takes place in a world of pain, reality TV, blood
1:27.0	points, influencers, sponsorship,
1:29.3	and solitary confinement. This is America, and in this America, there are people forced into
1:34.3	dehumanizing conditions battling it out for survival. In the book's universe, imprisoned
1:39.3	people can choose to become gladiators, facing near-certain death and tightly scripted battles, and a lottery
1:45.1	tickets chance of high freedom.
1:47.2	Chain Gang All-Stars is a dark and loving, concerned with justice and spectacle.
1:51.0	It's good.
1:51.4	We talk with the author after this news.
2:04.4	Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal.
	...

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