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Literary Friction

Literary Friction - Behind Closed Doors With Carmen Maria Machado

Literary Friction

Literary Friction

Arts

4.9593 Ratings

🗓️ 25 June 2020

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This month, we're going behind closed doors with Carmen Maria Machado, who dialled in from the States to talk to us. Her innovative memoir, In The Dream House, is about her experience of domestic abuse, something that is so often hidden from view, and even more so when it happens in a queer relationship. What does it mean to write into archival silence? How do we tell the most difficult stories? As usual, our theme is inspired by our guest, so join us as we talk about literature that looks at what happens behind closed doors, both in the literal sense - domestic spaces that are not what they seem, or hold secrets - but also those books that show us narratives that are usually left out of literature and culture. Plus, of course, our usual book recommendations - so sit back, and let us open YOUR door on Literary Friction. Recommendations on the theme, Behind Closed Doors: Octavia: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/40771/the-year-of-magical-thinking-by-joan-didion/9781400078431/readers-guide/ Carrie: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/133/133431/we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle/9780141191454.html General Recommendations: Octavia: The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/an-introduction-to-the-bloody-chamber-and-other-stories Carmen: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder http://www.melissabroder.com/about/ Carrie: Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor https://www.ndbooks.com/book/hurricane-season-1/#/ Email us: litfriction@gmail.com Tweet us & find us on Instagram: @litfriction This episode is sponsored by Picador https://www.panmacmillan.com/picador

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to Lerary Friction. I'm Carrie Plitt sitting here in my home studio in Oxford and joined by my beloved co-host, Octavia Bright, from London.

0:20.4

Hi, Octavia. How are you doing today?

0:23.6

I'm okay, Carrie. I am a bit flat, but I'm okay. You know, it's a heavy time,

0:29.0

and it's not straightforward figuring out how to navigate, you know, the need and desire

0:34.5

for action with this new post-COVID reality, which is all about

0:38.4

stasis and caution and staying separate. And, you know, if you were listening a couple of weeks

0:43.7

ago, you'll know that in light of the murder of George Floyd by police and the ensuing

0:48.2

protests around the world, we decided to rerun a show about race with Reni Edo Lodge and Kishani

0:53.8

Wadiaratna.

0:55.3

It doesn't feel like that issue or movement is done by any means and, you know, we hope

1:00.0

it's just the beginning of desperately overdue structural change.

1:04.2

Today, however, we want to play you the show that we postponed.

1:07.3

We recorded it with Carmen Maria Machado a few weeks ago, who we were

1:11.5

incredibly excited to talk to. So yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing this show again. How about

1:16.3

you, Carrie? How are you? I'm okay. It does feel like a very heavy time. I know what you

1:22.4

mean about wanting to take action when the very thing we're being told not to do is take action.

1:28.4

And so just try to figure out how to do that.

1:30.7

But I am feeling a teensy bit hopeful that this is a time that could lead to real changes if we stay intensely vigilant and keep doing the work.

1:41.0

Yeah.

1:41.2

Even when it feels exhausting.

1:44.0

So we aren't going to stop thinking about how we

1:46.4

can be more anti-racist on this podcast and also in our lives. For now, I'm going to tell you

...

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