#5278
Mentioned in 9 episodes

White noise

Book • 1985
White Noise follows Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies at a small liberal arts college, and his family as they navigate the complexities of modern life.

The novel delves into themes such as the fear of death, media saturation, and the effects of technology on social relations.

Key events include an airborne toxic event that threatens their town and Jack's discovery of his wife's involvement in an experimental study of a psychopharmaceutical called Dylar.

The novel critiques consumer culture and the ways in which people cope with mortality and uncertainty through consumption and technological distractions.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 9 episodes

Mentioned by Amor Towles as an author whose work improved over time.
217 snips
Amor Towles: The Secret to Telling a Great Story
Mentioned by Ellie Anderson as a novel depicting the decline of strong referentials.
92 snips
Hyperreality
Mentioned by Jon Mooallem in a discussion about Noah Baumbach's film adaptation of the novel.
The Sunday Read: ‘How Noah Baumbach Made “White Noise” a Disaster Movie for Our Moment’
Recommended by November Kelly in relation to the events in the episode.
Episode 180: Times Beach
Mentioned by Paul Elie as a fantastically worldly book set in a college town, questioning the nature of belief.
Episode 2547: Paul Elie on Art, Faith and Sex in the 1980s
Mentioned by Kate Cocker as a book that has had a huge impact on her understanding of love.
What Love Really Is
Mentioned by Craig while discussing the obsession with packaging and its representation in modern society.
'Plastic Ghosts and Trash Immortals: Our Afterlife as Waste' with Nicolas de Warren
Mentioned by Alissa Wilkinson as the source material for Noah Baumbach's film adaptation.
The case against movie trailers
Mentioned by Rafael Winkler as a source for illustrating the relationship between cynicism and ideology.
Slavoj Žižek's The Sublime Object of Ideology with Rafael Winkler
Mentioned by Caroline Cake for a quote that broke her brain about nostalgia being a product of dissatisfaction and rage.
The *Real* Reason Republicans Are Desperate to Impregnate You
Mentioned by Brian Lehrer as a book iconic for the 1980s.
100 Years of 100 Things: Best Sellers
Mentioned during the discussion of Microsoft Build conference announcements.
Jordan Edwards: ML Engineering and DevOps on AzureML
Mentioned by Jacke Wilson as an example of a book with a journey as a central element.
658 "The Snow Fairy" by Claude McKay | Literary Journeys (with John McMurtrie)
Recommended by Jeff's friends, Mary Holland and Jeffrey Fisher, and described as a really good book written in 1984.
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