fiction/non/fiction

Latest Episodes:

S7 Ep. 34: Prizes and Protests: Monica Youn on PEN, Activism at Literary Awards, and Gaza May 23, 2024

Show notes

Following the cancellation of PEN America’s annual literary awards ceremony as well as its World Voices Festival, acclaimed poet Monica Youn joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about political protests and literary prizes. Youn recounts the sequence of events that led her and eight other finalists for PEN’s $75,000 Jean Stein Book Award—as well as a number of nominees in other categories—to withdraw their work from consideration in protest of PEN’s position on Gaza. She explains how PEN’s efforts regarding Gaza and Palestine have failed to match its advocacy for writers in danger in other places, like Ukraine, and discusses whether the organization is living up to its mission to protect free expression. She also describes the situation for student protesters on her own campus, the University of California, Irvine. Youn reads from her most recent collection, From From.

To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Monica Youn

Others:

"PEN America calls off awards ceremony amid criticism over its response to Israel-Hamas war," by Hillel Italie |AP News
"The PEN Awards and World Voices Festival Are on the Brink of Collapse," by Dan Sheehan | Literary Hub
"A Leading Free Expression Group Is Roiled by Dissent Over Gaza," by Jennifer Schuessler | The New York Times
American Writers Against the Vietnam War | Wikipedia
Fiction/Non/Fiction: Season 5, Episode 10: “‘How on Earth Do You Judge Books?’ Susan Choi and Oscar Villalon on the Story Behind Literary Awards”
Anthony Cody
Mai Der Vang
Suzanne Nossel
Natalie Diaz
“PEN Union Cries Foul in Contract Talks as Criticism of PEN America Intensifies,” by Jill Milliot and Sophia Stewart | Publishers Weekly

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S7 Ep. 33: Polycules and Cuddle Piles: Brandy Jensen on the Mainstreaming of Polyamory May 16, 2024

Show notes

Writer Brandy Jensen joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about polyamory’s place in the contemporary imagination. Jensen discusses the connections between polyamory and politics, noting its links to queer community and its defiance of normative gender roles. She analyzes protections for the rights of multiple-partner relationships in Massachusetts, New York, and California. Jensen also considers the language of polyamory and how it has been portrayed in current and past literature, especially science fiction. She reads from her recent Yale Review article, “The Polycrisis.”

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Brandy Jensen

“The Polycrisis” | Yale Review

Others:

More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden Winter
“On the Cover of New York: A Practical Guide to Polyamory,” by Priyanka Mantha | New York Magazine
“Lessons From a 20-Person Polycule: How they set boundaries, navigate jealousy, wingman their spouses and foster community.” by Daniel Bergner | The New York Times Magazine
“Polyamory, the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad,” by Tyler Austin Harper | The Atlantic
“Scenes from an Open Marriage,” by Jean Garnett | The Paris Review |June 29, 2022
Oneida Community
Octavia Butler
N.K. Jemisin
Sally Rooney
American Poly: A History by Christopher Gleason
Couplets: A Love Story by Maggie Millner

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S7 Ep. 32: This Strange Eventful History: Claire Messud on Blurring Family History and Fiction May 09, 2024

Show notes

Author Claire Messud joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about how the lines between autobiography and fiction blur, and the ways that families—real and imagined—hide their true histories. Messud’s new novel, This Strange Eventful History, out Tuesday, draws on her own family’s complex past, including their connections to French colonialism in Algeria. Messud talks about using her grandfather’s 1,500-page handwritten memoir as source material, creating a story that spans the globe, how ordinary lives intersect with history, and including a character interested in questioning, editing, translating, and transforming family tales into a story for a different audience, as writers often do. She reads from the novel.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Amanda Trout.

Claire Messud

Others:

France in Algeria
The Art of Losing by Alice Zeniter
Elias Canetti
Alice Munro
Ulysses by James Joyce
In an Antique Land by Amitav Ghosh
Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 4, Episode 7, Claire Messud and Brendan O’Meara on Creative Nonfiction in an Era of ‘Fake News’

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S7 Ep. 31: Come Together: Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor on Solidarity, Change, and Our Interconnected World May 02, 2024

Show notes

Authors and organizers Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the concept of solidarity, its reliance on relationship-building, and how it has been expressed in political movements, from recent pro-Palestine activism in the U.S. to the Polish organization Solidarność, a trade union founded in the 1980s. Hunt-Hendrix and Taylor, authors of a new book called Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea, also reflect on how solidarity relates to their own work. Hunt-Hendrix recalls her dissertation on solidarity, and Taylor discusses her role as a founder of the Debt Collective, a union of debtors. They interrogate two kinds of solidarity, transformative and reactionary, as they exist across the political spectrum, and read from Solidarity.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Llewyn Crum.

Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor

Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor
Capitalism Cries: Class Struggles in South Africa and the World by Leah Hunt-Hendrix, William K. Carroll, Vishwas Satgar
The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart by Astra Taylor

Others:

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
There’s Going To Be Trouble by Jen Silverman
The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, a Study in Religious Sociology by Emile Durkheim
Fiction/Non/Fiction: Season 7, Episode 29, “Jen Silverman on Generational Divides in American Politics”
“Zibby Owens withdraws sponsorship for the National Book Awards over its ‘pro-Palestinian agenda,’” by Dan Sheehan | LitHub
Solidarność
“The Triumph and Tragedy of Poland’s Solidarity Movement,” by David Ost | Jacobin | August 24, 2020
A Land for All
Standing Together

Emory is Everywhere (via Twitter)

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S7 Ep. 30: Cashing in on the White Bonus: Tracie McMillan on Privilege, Generational Wealth, and the Myth of Colorblindness Apr 25, 2024

Show notes

Author and journalist Tracie McMillan joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the concept of the “white bonus” and how systemic bias generates white wealth not only in daily life but across generations. She references racial covenants, incarceration rates, and housing codes that continue to impact families, Black and white, to this day. She comments on the challenges of writing about her own experiences while also working as a journalist, and reads an excerpt from her new book, The White Bonus: Five Families and the Cash Value of Racism in America.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Charlie Sheckells.

Tracie McMillan

Others:

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S7 Ep. 29: There’s Going to Be Trouble: Jen Silverman on Generational Divides in American Politics Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

As the presidential election heats up and President Joe Biden struggles to keep young voters’ support, novelist Jen Silverman joins co-host V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss generational divides in U.S. politics. Silverman, whose new book, There’s Going to Be Trouble, follows the political and sexual awakenings of a father and daughter in different eras, talks about how young people’s involvement in politics now compares to previous generations’ engagement. They address the question of whether today’s 20-something voters are more likely to protest than vote, consider how social media and technology relate to in-person conversations and activism, and reflect on the need to name and engage with the failures of earlier generations. Silverman also explains why they chose to write about anti-Vietnam War protests at Harvard in 1968 and the gilet jaunes (Yellow Vest) protests in Paris fifty years later, and reads an excerpt from There’s Going to Be Trouble.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Alijah Smith.

Jen Silverman

Others:

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S7 Ep. 28: How We Talk About Cancer: S.L. Wisenberg on Kate Middleton and the Language of the Big C Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

In the wake of the news that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has cancer, author S.L. (Sandi) Wisenberg joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the control that public—and private—figures should have over the disclosure of their diagnoses. Wisenberg, who survived breast cancer, and Terrell, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, name books they have read that have helped them discover humor in their journey from testing to treatment, and reflect on the challenging nuances of what it means to have cancer. They talk about how and when they decided to tell their loved ones, friends, and students about their condition. Wisenberg reads from her 2009 book The Adventures of Cancer Bitch, which will be reissued in paperback in October.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Jasmine Shackleford.

S.L. (Sandi) Wisenberg

Others:

“Princess of Wales Apologizes, Saying She Edited Image,” by Mark Landler and Lauren Leatherby | The New York Times
Kate Middleton announces her cancer diagnosis | NBC News
Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrorsby Evan Handler
Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person: A Memoir in Comicsby Miriam Engelberg
Memoir of a Debulked Woman by Susan Gubar
Our Cancer Yearby Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
The Cancer Journalsby Audre Lorde
Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book by Susan Love
Señor Wences
American Splendor
Running in the Familyby Michael Ondaatje
Dick York
Nora Ephron
Carl Bernstein

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REDUX: S7 Ep. 27: David Baron on What Literature Tells Us About the 2024 Eclipse Apr 06, 2024

Show notes

In anticipation of the total solar eclipse forecast for April 8, author and journalist David Baron joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss his award-winning book, American Eclipse, which chronicles the remarkable solar eclipse of 1878. Baron, a self-proclaimed umbraphile, or eclipse chaser, explains why he chose to write about the Wild West-era event, which darkened skies from Montana to Texas. He also talks about what has driven him to see eight total solar eclipses across the globe. As the upcoming eclipse is forecast to affect a sizable swath of the U.S.—the last time this will happen until 2045—he reflects on why these rare occurrences captivate humanity and discusses how their lore has influenced famous writers, including Mark Twain and Emily Dickinson. He reads from American Eclipse.To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Amanda Trout.David BaronAmerican Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the WorldBeast In The Garden: The True Story Of A Predator’s Deadly Return To Suburban AmericaTED Talk: "You owe it to yourself to experience a solar eclipse"Others:"It Sounded as if the Streets Were Running" by Emily DickinsonKing Lear by William Shakespeare The Eclipse by James Fenimore Cooper"Battle of the Eclipse in the Lydian and Median War of Ancient Greece" | GreekBoston.com A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark TwainTeaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters by Annie DillardSuperman IV: The Quest for PeaceLog Your Eclipse | Eclipse-Chasers.com“Eclipse Literature” by Lara Dodds | Northwestern UniversityThe Eclipse, or the Courtship of the Sun and the Moon

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S7 Ep. 27: David Baron on What Literature Tells Us About the 2024 Eclipse Apr 04, 2024

Show notes

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf and Amanda Trout.

David Baron

Others:

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S7 Ep. 26: En Vogue: Sally Franson on Fashion and Literature Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

Novelist Sally Franson joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about Fashion Week 2024, the role fashion plays in characterization, and how stylish authors and characters have modeled and influenced tastes and trends. Franson reflects on her time working in the industry and discusses insiders’ perceptions of various Fashion Weeks around the globe. She discusses literary style icons including Isabel Archer, Nancy Mitford, James Baldwin, and Bridget Jones, and considers the influence of fashion in her first novel, A Lady’s Guide To Selling Out, which has just been reissued in paperback. She reads an excerpt from that book.

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Sally Franson

Others: