Unburied Books

Latest Episodes:

In the Freud Archives with Elise Riley Sep 24, 2025

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Elise Riley, an accessioning archivist at the Beinecke Library, offers us an expert's perspective on In The Freud Archives, Janet Malcolm's nonfictional exploration of archival infighting. The book concerns three psychoanalytic scholars who come to epistolary blows over the scattered remains of Freud's legacy. But unlike most niche academic debates, this one resulted in a $13 million dollar lawsuit. In this episode, we discuss Malcolm's narrative distance, the role of fantasy versus reality, and some things the Sigmund Freud Archives could have done to avoid all this Oedipal drama.

For more on archives and obsession, join our Patreon to hear next week's episode on Henry James' The Aspern Papers.

Teaser: Home with Simon Thomas Aug 08, 2025

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In this clip, we discuss how Home acts as a "spiritual sequel" to Penelope Mortimer's The Pumpkin Eater, showcasing a more detailed portrait of the narrator's family and how it reflected mid-century British society.

To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon.

The Pumpkin Eater with Lucy Scholes Jul 25, 2025

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McNally Editions senior editor Lucy Scholes joins the show to talk about Penelope Mortimer's dark novel of marriage and parenthood, the Pumpkin Eater. We discuss the narrator's mysterious identity, her rage at psychoanalysis, and Anne Bancroft's interpretation of her in the 1964 film adaptation.

Read Lucy's piece on Mortimer here.

Check out Daddy's Gone A-Hunting and The Home.

Teaser: The Vagabond by Colette Jul 16, 2025

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In this clip, we discuss the power of words versus images and compare Colette and Clébert's notions of vagabondage.

To hear the full episode, check out our Patreon.

Paris Vagabond with Zito Madu Jul 09, 2025

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Writer Zito Madu joins us to discuss Jean-Paul Clébert's Paris Vagabond translated from French by Donald Nicholson-Smith. In a series of vignettes, the book explores life on the streets of the city in the years following WWII. We talk about Clébert's middle-class background, analyze the photographs taken by Patrice Molinard, and consider the romanticization of "vagabonds."

Order our guest's book here.

And to receive extra episodes, consider becoming a patron.

Teaser: The Coming of the Book by Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin Jun 03, 2025

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Inspired by Schattenfroh, we discuss a seminal work on the impact of printing from 1450 to 1800 written by Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin. In this clip, we explore a few of the many mysteries in the life of Johannes Gutenberg.

To hear the rest, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Schattenfroh with Michael Lentz and Max Lawton May 26, 2025

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In this special episode, we discuss Schattenfroh with author Michael Lentz and translator Max Lawton. This novel, originally written in German, traverses centuries of history to confront a personal loss. We talk about Lentz's Catholic upbringing, Lawton's detective work, and how their collaboration reflects the narrator's imprisonment.

Preorder Schattenfroh: Schattenfroh – Deep Vellum

Donate to Deep Vellum: Donate Now | Deep Vellum

Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Teaser: Chaucer's Scribes with Lawrence Warner May 07, 2025

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In this episode, Professor Lawrence Warner joins us to talk about Adam Pinkhurst, a 14th century scribe who may or may not have been cursed in a humorous poem by Geoffrey Chaucer. We explore the evidence for Pinkhurst’s identification as Chaucer’s “owne scriveyn” behind two early manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales, enjoy some impromptu Middle English recitation, and question the relationship between paleography and literary studies.

To hear the full conversation, become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Anglo-Saxon Attitudes by Angus Wilson Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

And we're back with a new season and episode covering Angus Wilson's Anglo-Saxon Attitudes, first published in 1956. The book tells the story of an archealogical hoax and its slow revelation due to the reluctant intervention of Gerald Middleton, a depressive medieval historian. We talk about the novelist versus the historian's investigation of truth, Wilson's treatment of gay relationships, and parallels with the Bayeux Tapestry.

This episode is the first in a pair about medievalism and its ambiguities. Join our Patreon to follow along: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

Shorts: Unbound with Jonathan Meades and John Mitchinson Feb 11, 2025

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On this episode of Shorts, we're talking to author Jonathan Meades and publisher John Mitchinson about the unique publishing process at Unbound. We discuss how they each became readers, Unbound's roots in the subscription model of the 17th century, Meades' magnum opus, and more.

Order Empty Wigs: https://unbound.com/books/empty-wigs

Join the Unbound newsletter: https://unbound.com/newsletter

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