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Intelligence Squared

Is Telling a Life Story as Easy as ABC? with Sheila Heti

Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.21.1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 August 2024

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Sheila Heti is a writer from Toronto who has published 11 books since the early 2000s. Those include Motherhood, Pure Colour, and How Should A Person Be? That latter title was a breakout work mixing memoir with fiction and self-help in a quest to examine her own authenticity. Her latest book is Alphabetical Diaries – a slim, elegant volume that compresses 10 years of Heti’s own diary entries into 60,000 words across 25 chapters. Every entry, as the title suggests, is organised alphabetically. Joining her to discuss the book for this episode is Susie Mesure, who is a writer and reviewer whose work is often seen in The Sunday Times, The ipaper, Prospect, The Financial Times and more. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all of our longer form interviews and Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series ... Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. ... Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Chanel.

0:03.6

Chanel connects the acclaimed Arts and Culture podcast

0:06.9

is back for its fourth season with nine episodes featuring the artists,

0:10.9

curators and thinkers shaping culture today.

0:13.7

And this season, those creatives are found amid the historic canals and palazzos of Venice,

0:18.8

at the Venice Bienale, where the art world gathers to forge fresh connections and explore new paths forward.

0:24.4

Join Janapiel, global head of arts and culture with editor Penny Martin and curator Alvin Lee

0:30.4

as they hear from artists such as Julian Crusay, William Kentridge and and thinking creativity cover to cover. The new season of Chanel Connects also links up two generations of

0:46.2

influential London galleries, Sadie Kohls and Angelina Volk and actor Vicky Creeps,

0:51.3

star of Phantom Thread and Corsage, will be exploring how music and the power of sound

0:56.3

can open up performance in startling new ways.

0:59.1

Chanel Connects is out there for you to discover.

1:01.8

Listen now on your preferred streaming platforms or on

1:04.7

Chanel.com. Welcome to Intelligence Squared where great minds meet. I'm head of programming,

1:11.3

Connor Boyle. For this episode we're joined by the writer Sheila Hety

1:15.2

discussing her latest book alphabetical diaries. Joining her in conversation is Susie

1:20.3

Monsieur who is a writer and reviewer whose work is often seen in the Sunday Times,

1:25.0

the Eye Paper, Prospect, the Financial Times and more.

1:28.6

Let's join Susie now.

1:30.1

My guest today is Sheila Hetti, a writer from Toronto who would rather draw in life than on imagination for her material.

1:36.1

Since the early 2000s she has published 11 books, including Motherhood, Pure Color,

1:41.6

and How Should a Person Be, her breakout work, which mixed memoir with

...

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