The Foxed Page

Latest Episodes:

Rachel Cusk's OUTLINE >> Who ISN'T talking about the release of LIFE OF M on August 25?? Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Who ISN'T talking about the release of LIFE OF M on August 25?? Prepare for Cusk's new work by reminding yourself--or finding out for the first time--why her approach to fiction is so radical. OUTLINE's narrative, structure and even basic description means plenty of grist for my mill. Whether you loved the book or were left wondering what the hell just happened--prepare for some super-rich edification.

(This is a REPOST of an earlier lecture.)

A DREAM and a DEATH by ME, KIMBERLY FORD! Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Yes. I'm going to read and analyze something I MYSELF WROTE.

I promise it won't be boring.

Also, it's short.

MY YEAR IN PARIS WITH GERTRUDE STEIN by Deborah Levy >> Stein, Paris, Levy? What's not to love?? Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

See the three question marks in the title above? Listen in to find out who would hate each one of them. We all have an impression of Stein, but Levy offers up (and problematizes) so much more.

LOST LAMBS by Madeline Cash >> FInd out why the buzz around this debut novel is warranted! Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

With all its inventive, kooky, paramilitary (!) elements, Lost Lambs is delightful and wholly original. Except when it seems like a DIRECT descendent of Thomas Pynchon.

Listen in to fully appreciate the narrative stance, the postmodern elements (don't worry, I'll provide a definition), the structure, and the ways this frothy novel is crucially subversive.

And the gnats! Dive in to hear my theory for wtf is up with all the GNATs!

NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley >> No WONDER Mottley was the youngest to ever be longlisted for the Booker! Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

I picked up THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG in the bookstore but ended up reading NIGHTCRAWLING. Wow is Mottley a talent to be watched.

Based on a true story, the novel digs deeply into police corruption, the failures of the education and employment systems, misogyny, corruption, life as a young Black woman in Oakland...to say nothing of the realities of sex work.

We explore a strong, recurring motif, figurative language, ingenious plotting (and some that doesn't work quite as well).

I get myself into pretzels to avoid any spoilers until the end, though this book is so good you would want to read it even if you knew exactly what was coming. Give this novel the attention it deserves now!

THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK by Doris Lessing >> How is this the first Lessing I've ever read?? Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Whether you love this iconic, culty, groundbreaking novel or you don't get the hype; whether you believe it's a feminist treatise or a meditation on the promise and the shortfalls of communism, you'll finish this lecture feeling like you've gotten some SERIOUS LITERATURE under your belt. If you haven't read this 1962 phenomenon--or haven't for a while--this lecture is a good (re)introduction to why the unique structure and radical candor about everything from motherhood to post-War politics in Southern Rhodesia, to the difference between the clitoral and vaginal orgasm (at least in Lessing's [somewhat hilarious and highly suspect] opinion) make this worth its 600+ pages.

"ARGOS" (yes, THE ODYSSEY dog!) by Joy Williams Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

NEVER READ IT? NO PROBMLEM! NO READING REQUIRED! I READ THE (very short) STORY TO YOU!

Clearly I'm caught up in the frenzy surrounding Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY. I've only seen the trailer, but ARGOS (Odysseus's dog) appears not once but TWICE in about two minutes.

I could NOT stop thinking about Joy Williams's incredible short story about our hero's best friend.

Forty-five minutes from now, you could feel smarter, more informed about the movie, and maybe a little better ABOUT DEATH. Williams is amazing: in three mere pages, she takes us well beyond The Odyssey into the kind of land only Williams can create. Nolan seems to be doing well with the source material. Williams's ultra-brief interpretation is a masterpiece.

ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME by Solvej Balle >> Weren't sure what to make of this Book 1 of 7? Tune in! Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Honestly? I was sucked in by the covers of these slim volumes. When I saw we were about to get very groundhog-day, I wasn't so sure. After taking a close look at the title, the opening, the microcosm of marriage, the incredible figurative language and the novella's FAITH IN THE POWER OF WRITING, I'm feeling ready to dive into book two!

David Foster Wallace's SOMETHING TO DO WITH PAYING ATTENTION (from THE PALE KING)>> Finally, FINALLY, I've worked up the courage to lecture on one of my hugest literary heroes. Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

This novella--an excerpt of THE PALE KING--was a revelation. Just as its publisher Sarah McNally says in the preface, Wallace's cult-status fame as a challenging writer can be daunting, and his oeuvre is so large, it's hard to know where to begin. This is where to begin!

The lecture is probably best heard if you've read The Pale King (and/or this amazing section itself) but I like to think lovers of DFW will get lots out of this even if you haven't read him in years.

It was SO GOOD to return to this work: his later, more grounded, warmer, incredibly moving work. In this case, about tax law and radical tedium. Doesn't get better than that.

Elin Hilderbrand's THE PERFECT COUPLE (and THE FIVE STAR WEEKEND, kind of) >> On July 9, Peacock will air a second adaptation! Listen in to why Hilderbrand's work translates so well to the small screen! Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

I loved The Perfect Couple. I even loved the UNperfect parts.

Part of the reason there's a second tv series is because Hilderbrand is so good at what she does. Listen in to fully appreciate this juicy, splashy series!

(And if you're someone who turns up her nose at Hilderbrand, but you want a frothy beach read, listen in to hear why her work is much better than you think!)

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected