In 'All Fours,' Miranda July tackles love, sex and reinvention in middle age
Jan 2, 2025
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Miranda July, an innovative writer and filmmaker, discusses her latest novel, All Fours, which challenges societal norms about women in middle age. She shares insights from her interviews with women navigating perimenopause and menopause, revealing their desires for reinvention. July emphasizes the importance of community and connection as women redefine their identities through life transitions. The conversation touches on themes of love, loss, and the exhilarating possibilities that come with embracing change later in life.
Miranda July's novel 'All Fours' highlights the vibrant stories of middle-aged women seeking reinvention beyond traditional narratives of marriage and motherhood.
The podcast explores the profound connection between hormonal changes and romantic experiences, emphasizing how aging can reveal new desires and complexities in love.
Deep dives
Exploring the Challenges of Midlife for Women
The discussion highlights the cultural limitations imposed on women in middle age, as expressed through the main character in Miranda July's book, All Fours. After experiencing milestones like marriage and motherhood, women's stories seem to fade from societal narratives, leaving them feeling as though their lives have reached a conclusion. This oversight in cultural representation leads to a sense of disillusionment, as many women struggle to find guidance and acknowledgment for their evolving identities and desires. The author emphasizes that behind the silence is a vibrant community engaged in honest conversations about their bodies, relationships, and longings during this crucial period of life.
Reimagining Love and Hormonal Transitions
The podcast delves into the connection between love and biological changes, particularly during perimenopause, and how these transitions reshape romantic experiences. Miranda July asserts that every love story is intrinsically linked to hormonal narratives, questioning what love entails during this transformative phase. As women navigate these changes, they often unearth aspects of themselves that were previously neglected, creating room for fresh desires and experiences. Insights from interviews with women and experts reveal that while aging brings losses, it also invites a richer and more complex understanding of life, love, and the body’s journey, ultimately redefining the middle-aged experience.
Writer and filmmaker Miranda July says the popular imagination sort of drops off once a woman gets married and has kids. Her new novel All Fours turns that on its head – it's a story about an artist in her 40s who departs from her husband and child on a road trip that takes her to some very unexpected places. In today's episode, July speaks to NPR's Brittany Luse about the interviews she conducted with women going through perimenopause and menopause for this book, and the whisper network with her friends that fueled her protagonist's deep desire for something new.
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