Did Gerard Witness a Lynching?

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In his biography, Evolution of Desire, Gerard claimed he had witnessed a lynching. But if one traces the chronology of that claim, it's not obviously true. If we fact check that claim, can it be verified? Or is he just making that up? No. That was a writer's trick. I was interviewing Jean-Marie Gourillon in Paris and was at one time,. Renee said many people were his best friends.

As a little girl, Cynthia Haven loved reading classic works of literature. At sixteen, she began her career as a reporter. And years later, those two interests converged as they led her to interview and write books about three writers and thinkers whom she also came to call mentors: René Girard, Czeslaw Milosz, and Joseph Brodsky.

Cynthia joined Tyler to discuss what she’s gleaned from each of the three, including what traits they have in common, why her biography of Girard had to come from outside academia, Milosz’s reaction to the Berkley Free Speech Movement, Girard’s greatest talent—and flaw—as a thinker, whether Brodsky will fall down the memory hole, why he was so terrible on Ukraine, why Cynthia’s early career was much like The Devil Wears Prada, the failings of Twitter, and more.

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Recorded May 18th, 2022 Other ways to connect

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