Madeleine Thien Reads “Lu, Reshaping”

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Fiction, Authors, Arts, New, Newyorker, Yorker

4.5 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2021

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Madeleine Thien reads her story “Lu, Reshaping,” from the December 20, 2021, issue of the magazine. Thien is the author of four books of fiction, including the novels “Dogs at the Perimeter” and “Do Not Say We Have Nothing,” which won Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award and the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2016.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Writer's Voice, new fiction from The New Yorker.
0:09.5	I'm Debra Triesland, fiction editor at The New Yorker.
0:12.8	On this episode of The Writer's Voice, we'll hear Madeline Tien, read her story, Lou
0:17.0	reshaping from the December 20th, 2021 issue of the magazine.
0:21.5	Tien is the author of four books of fiction, including the novels Dogs at the Perimeter,
0:27.2	and do not say we have nothing, which won Canada's Governor-General's Literary Award and
0:32.0	the Scotiabankiller Prize in 2016.
0:36.0	Now here's Madeline Tien.
0:42.4	Lou reshaping.
0:45.5	There were three pages to go, and it was already past midnight.
0:49.6	Lou had asked her big daughter to edit her report for tomorrow's purchasing meeting.
0:54.5	This daughter, who was 11, excelled at things like that.
0:58.6	Mom, the girl said, why did you ask if a ghost hit the back of my head?
1:04.2	Because you told your father I was home late, and I specifically told you not to do that.
1:08.4	So why did you?
1:09.4	Did a ghost hit the back of your head?
1:11.4	Oh, ha.
1:13.2	They were whispering back and forth in two languages.
1:16.2	The girl in English and Lou in Cantonese.
1:19.4	Tomorrow was a school day, and Lou could guess what husband would say if he woke up and
1:23.5	found them still working.
1:25.6	The girl yawned and made further corrections to the page.
	...

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