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Sam is joined by returning KYE all-stars Jamelle Bouie (of the NYTimes) and John Ganz (of Unpopular Front) for a spirited discussion of the 1984 film "The Little Drummer Girl," starring Diane Keaton — an adaptation of John le Carré's 1983 novel of the same name.

We approach the film — which, it turns out, is not very good — with the same analytical rigor that Jamelle and John bring to their own podcast, "Unclear and Present Danger," which focuses on the post-Cold War thrillers of the 1990s. We wind up talking about why the film doesn't work and about le Carré's ambiguous approach to spy fiction, in particular, how his perspective differs from other British chroniclers of Cold War espionage, like Ian Flemming and Graham Greene.

In what ways does le Carré's approach represent an essentially (small-c) conservative disposition? And why is it so attractive to all of us? Listen to find out!

Recommended Reading:

Sam Adler-Bell, "The Father of All Secrets," The Baffler, Dec 2022.

Laura Marsh, "The Nonconformist," NYRB, Feb 2022.

Nicholas Dames, "Coming in from the Cold," n+1, Spring 2018.

John le Carré, The Little Drummer Girl, Hodder & Stoughton, 1983.

Tim Cornwell ed., A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré, Random House, Jan 2023.