Gish Jen Reads Grace Paley

The New Yorker: Fiction

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Yorker, Wnyc, Literature, Books, New, Fiction, Arts

4.6 • 3.6K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2022

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Gish Jen joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Friends,” by Grace Paley, which was published in The New Yorker in 1979. Jen is the author of nine books, including the novel “The Resisters” and the story collection “Thank you, Mr. Nixon,” which was published in February.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The New Yorker Fiction Podcast from The New Yorker magazine.
0:08.4	I'm Deborah Treesman, fiction editor at The New Yorker.
0:11.5	Each month we invite a writer to choose a story from the magazine's archives to read and discuss.
0:16.3	This month we're going to hear friends by Grace Paley, which was published in The New Yorker in June of 1979.
0:22.7	Well, girls, excuse me, I mean ladies.
0:26.9	It's time for me to rest.
0:29.0	She took Susan's arm and continued that awful walk to her bed.
0:32.6	We didn't move.
0:34.1	We had a long journey ahead of us and had expected a little more comforting before we set off.
0:39.1	The story was chosen by Gis-Gen, who's the author of nine books, including The Novel, The Resisters,
0:44.2	and the story collection Thank You, Mr. Nixon, which was published in February.
0:49.2	Hi, Gis.
0:51.0	Hi, Deborah.
0:52.6	So welcome. Thank you for doing this.
0:55.4	That's my pleasure.
0:57.9	When we talked about this, you right away said you really wanted to read this story, friends, by Grace Paley.
1:03.8	Can you tell me why?
1:06.1	Yeah, well, actually I have three reasons.
1:08.2	The first reason is sentimental.
1:09.7	I did no grace and I loved her.
1:12.3	And when I read these words, I see her and of course hear her.
1:15.8	I guess I say it's kind of my medalline, you know, my memories of her all come flooding back.
	...

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