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Hello and welcome back. Today, as schooling starts again across the country, we leap to the assistance of harassed parents. And I'm delighted the author of my nominated lockdown reread

Anne Patchett has kindly agreed to join us too.

But we start in Sofia, Bulgaria, with a collection of short stories, or is it a novel?

Just one of the questions I'll be putting to acclaimed writer Garth Greenwell in a moment

about his second publication, Cleanness.

In it, we're reunited with the gay American teacher

living an expatriate life in this faraway city

who we first met in Greenwell's award-winning debut, What Belongs to You?

Sex, in forensic detail, including graphic chapters on sadomasochistic liaisons,

is one of the access points

into the story that were offered by this narrator as he explores his own provocations, what it

is to be other, and the nature of his blossoming relationship with the student known as R.

Garth Greenwell joins me on the line from Iowa now. Garth, welcome and thank you so much for

joining us. I have already intimated that it's either a collection of short stories or a novel,

...