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Otherppl with Brad Listi

Elif Batuman on Epistolary Relationships, Childhood, the Foolishness of Youth, Creative Humiliation, Perseverance, and Finding the Beauty in Yourself

Otherppl with Brad Listi

Brad Listi

Books, Society & Culture, Arts

4.8554 Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2023

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's flashback, an outtake from Episode 506, my conversation with Elif Batuman. Elif Batuman's first novel, The Idiot, was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK. She is also the author of a novel called Either/Or, published in 2022, as well as The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them, which was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award in criticism. She has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2010. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi’s email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  YouTube TikTok Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey everybody, how are you? Welcome to the program. This is the Other People Show. I am Brad

0:08.3

Listery here in Los Angeles. It's good to be with you. Don't forget to subscribe to this

0:13.5

podcast wherever you listen. You can also subscribe on YouTube. I have today another flashback episode for you. This from episode 506, my conversation

0:27.7

with Elif Boddaman, which first aired on February 28th, 2018. Elif Boddaman's first novel,

0:37.1

The Idiot, was a finalist for the Pilitzer Prize and

0:40.8

was shortlisted for the women's prize for fiction in the UK. When we spoke in 2018, she was

0:47.2

touring for that book. Elif is also the author of a novel called Either or, which was published

0:53.1

just last year. It was a New York Times notable book. She is also the author of a novel called Either or, which was published just last year. It was a New York Times

0:55.9

notable book. She is also the author of a book called The Possessed Adventures with Russian

1:02.6

Books and the people who read them, which was a finalist for a National Book Critic Circle Award in

1:10.1

criticism.

1:17.3

Elif Boddaman has been a staff writer at the New Yorker magazine since 2010.

1:25.0

So you're going to hear an outtake from my conversation with Elif Boddaman in 2018 in just a bit.

1:30.9

Before we get started, I do want to remind you about my weekly email newsletter.

1:36.1

It is free, and you can subscribe at other ppl.com or Bradlisty.com.

1:37.8

It goes out once a week.

1:38.7

It's pretty simple.

1:41.6

I will let you know about the latest episodes of the podcast,

1:45.5

and I share a few links to things that I've been reading and finding interesting so sign up for the newsletter if that sounds good likewise I want to

1:51.6

remind you that the other people podcast is a listener supported if you love this show

1:55.8

you can support this show over at patreon.com slash other ppl pod.

2:04.1

So my guest today in this flashback episode is Elif Badaman.

...

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