In this engaging discussion, Susie Boyt, an acclaimed author known for her novels and memoirs, shares her insights on the intricate emotional landscapes in her work. She explores themes of guilt, duty, and redemption through poignant character journeys. The conversation touches on her admiration for Henry James and how encounters with artistic icons shape her writing. Boyt also reflects on navigating loss and the complexities of friendship, highlighting the delicate balance between cruelty and sentimentality in communication.
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Mourning Speech Rehearsed by Jean
Jean rehearses a heartfelt speech to comfort her dying friend Ruth and discusses how Ruth might like to be mourned.
The scene captures tender attempts to balance grief, memory, and the comforting rituals after death.
insights INSIGHT
Characters Demand Continued Attention
Susie Boyt wrote her short story as a natural extension of Loved and Missed, feeling the characters wouldn't leave her alone.
Writing from a secondary character's perspective opens new emotional dimensions and narrative complexity.
insights INSIGHT
Friendship Beyond Family
Boyt explores whether friendship can stretch beyond family ties to offer deep forms of caring and responsibility.
She reflects on the complexities and sometimes strained realities of family and friendship bonds.
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In 'Seven Types of Ambiguity,' William Empson delves into the intricate and multifaceted nature of meaning in poetry. He argues that ambiguity, often seen as a flaw, is actually a powerful and enriching element of literature. Empson identifies and analyzes seven distinct forms of ambiguity, illustrating how these ambiguities contribute to the layered complexity and emotional resonance of poetic works. Through detailed examinations of poems by authors such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Donne, and Eliot, Empson demonstrates how ambiguous language can open various dimensions of meaning, enhancing the reader's experience and understanding of the text. First published in 1930, the book has been revised in 1947 and 1953 and is recognized as a landmark in English literary criticism and a foundation of the New Criticism school of literary theory[2][4][5].
Loved and Missed
Loved and Missed
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Susie Boyd
The dream songs
John Berryman
The Dream Songs is a profound poetry collection by John Berryman, combining '77 Dream Songs' and 'His Toy, His Dream, His Rest'. It explores themes of love, loss, vitality, and despair through a dream-like narrative. The poems are characterized by their vivid lyricism and emotional depth, featuring Henry as a complex character embodying modern existential struggles.
In this episode of the Granta Podcast we speak to Susie Boyt, the author of seven novels, most recently Loved and Missed, and the memoir My Judy Garland Life.
We discuss Susie Boyt’s short story, ‘All Being Well’, from Granta 171: Dead Friends, and consider the function of ghosts, Henry James, and how to be mourned.
Leo Robson is a cultural journalist whose work has appeared in the London Review of Books, the New Yorker, and the New Left Review, among other publications. He is the author of The Boys (2025).