Podcasts: January 2008 Archives
Edmund White, Maggie Nelson, Bich Minh Nguyen, and Patrick Ryan (R to L) discuss "newness" in authorial voice, using Harold Bloom's idea of "the anxiety of influence" as a jumping-off point. Nguyen's theory of "the Asian once-over," Ryan's "Impostor Syndrome," and Nelson's notion of the "intoxicating" influence of another writer joust toward an agreement that writers must both escape from, and surround themselves with, other voices in order to attain their own. Visit our podcast page to listen. --Arlo Haskell 
Pulitzer finalist James Gleick and theoretical physicist-cum-novelist Janna Levin discuss the tensions between science and art evidenced by her novel, "A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines." Why stray from the "facts," Gleick wonders, in telling a story of Alan Turing and Kurt Gödel, two of the 20th century's greatest abstract thinkers? Because, answers Levin, "there is something about the process of thinking on the absolute periphery of what's connected to ordinary human life that you can't describe just by stating the facts." Levin takes Gleick's incisive, nuanced, fraught questions and responds with a grace and power akin, commented Junot Diaz, to "Babe Ruth bombing home runs out the park." Levin fans will also enjoy her archived Colbert Report interview here. Click here to visit our podcast page and listen. --Arlo Haskell
Junot Díaz reads from his 2007 novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," and, in far-ranging comments, addresses the danger inherent in a dominant authorial voice. "No matter how many ruses I use," Junot says, "I'm the only one speaking." Junot goes on to connect this danger, "the way a story silences other stories," to the dictatorial regime of Trujillo in his native Dominican Republic, to U.S. militaristic pride, and, on the other hand, to the often-frustrated desire of readers to understand each component of his stories. --Arlo Haskell, KWLS Stage Manager Listen to Junot's reading.
Our first podcast from this year's Seminar is up! Mark Doty's John Hersey Memorial Address is streamable and downloadable here.
We shot a lot of photos all week but for some reason have none from the
opening night--If anyone has a photo from that evening we'd love to use
it with the podcast--please e-mail me at rowan.jason@gmail.com!
LITTORAL is the year-round online voice of the Key West Literary Seminar. We write about literature, Key West, and the authors who have been or will be part of our annual Seminar. Throughout the year on LITTORAL, you'll find podcasts from our growing audio archives, interviews and book reviews, news about the Seminar, links, commentary, and arcana.
Arlo Haskell is editor-in-chief. Send email to arlohaskell [at] gmail [dot] com.
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