Book Fight

This week we're reading the breakout 2001 book by French writer Emmanuel Carrere, a true-crime story about a man who killed his wife, children, and parents after living a life of, as the book's subtitle has it, "monstrous deception." We talk about the line between drama and sensationalism, and speculate about what goes on in the heads of pathological liars. In the second half of the show we talk about a Paris Review interview with Carrere in which he talks about why In Cold Blood is a fundamentally dishonest and "morally hideous" book.

For more, including links to things we talked about in this episode, visit us online at bookfightpod.com.

 

Direct download: Ep79_Carrere_TheAdversary.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we've set the Wayback Machine to 1894: We're reading a Kate Chopin story and talking about phonographs, anarchists, and shooting your guns into the air as if you didn't particularly care (about gun safety).

For more, including links to some of what we talked about in the episode (including this week's story) visit us online at bookfightpod.com

We're also still fundraising! So check out our Indiegogo page and give us some of your hard-earned money.

Direct download: WinterEp4_1894.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we're reading a 1934 cult classic (subtitled "An Experiment in Biography") that sees its author on the hunt for information about one Baron Corvo, also known as Frederick Rolfe, writer of several novels and maker of many enemies. Symons, after reading, and loving, Corvo's Hadrian the Seventh, set out to learn as much as she could about the mysterious author. And his efforts were rewarded, with a pretty crazy story of genius, spitefulness and lots and lots of burned bridges.

We're still running our annual fund drive: you can contribute, via Indiegogo, here. And for more about the show, including links to things we talked about in this episode, visit our website at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: Ep78_Symons_QuestForCorvo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we're talking about Kay Boyle's story "Defeat," an O'Henry winner from 1941. We also talk about a number of interesting things that happened in 1941, including: alien sightings, the time-traveling hipster, the first televised Mummers parade, the "state" of Jefferson's attempt to secede from Oregon, and the longest-ever coma. 

For more, including links to what we talked about on the show, visit us online at bookfightpod.com

Also: We're still running our annual fundraiser. You can donate--and get rewards--here, on our Indiegogo page

Direct download: WinterEp3_1941.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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