Susan Orlean, author of 'On Animals'

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

NPR

Society & Culture

4.7 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 2 November 2021

⏱️ 58 minutes

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Summary

Susan Orlean has been writing for decades. She's the author of the Orchid Thief, The Library Book and is also a staff writer for the New Yorker. This week we welcome her back to the show to talk about her latest book, On Animals. It's a collection of essays about animals and how we live with them. The animals we eat, the animals we call companions, pets, movie stars, and co-workers. She writes about donkeys, dogs, tigers, whales, and so many others. Susan joins us to talk about her new book and humanity's complicated, fascinating history with animals. She also talks about animal actors, and why they are almost always more likeable than human actors. Plus she shares the one animal she wants to pet that she has not had a chance to yet.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Bullseye with Jesse Thorn is a production of MaximumFun.org and is distributed by NPR.
0:10.0	It's Bullseye, I'm Jesse Thorn.
0:22.0	My first guest this week is writer Susan Orleen.
0:26.5	And if I'm reading my notes right, this is her third time on the show, a rare honor,
0:31.6	perhaps the greatest honor which can be bestowed on any writer.
0:35.9	Susan just wrote a book called On Animals.
0:39.2	It's a collection of essays about animals and how we live with them.
0:44.2	The animals we eat, the ones we call companions, pets, movie stars, co-workers.
0:49.9	She writes about donkeys, dogs, tigers, whales.
0:53.8	Susan has been writing about animals intermittently for pretty much her entire career.
0:59.6	She's covered backyard chickens in the New Yorker.
1:02.4	She wrote the definitive book on the famous dog Rin Tin Tin.
1:06.8	In fact, the very first thing she wrote at just six years old was an illustrated story
1:12.8	about a pigeon.
1:15.5	Susan Orleen is like the smartest friend you know holding court at a party, telling
1:21.3	you amazing stories that she learned by just, I don't know, I guess going around and
1:26.4	asking questions.
1:28.1	We're thrilled to welcome Susan Orleen back to Bullseye, so let's get into it.
1:38.8	Susan Orleen, welcome back to Bullseye.
1:40.2	I am so happy to have you back on the show.
1:42.4	I am thrilled, absolutely thrilled.
1:45.4	Why do animals do you have in your life right now?
	...

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