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Political Fictions (w/ Vinson Cunningham)

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Aug 31, 2024

Guest

Vinson Cunningham

Vinson Cunningham, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of 'Great Expectations,' joins to explore the journey of a young black man during Obama's historic campaign. They delve into the interplay of politics, race, and faith, discussing how personal narratives shape political identities. Cunningham draws parallels between his own experiences and contemporary figures like Kamala Harris. The conversation also touches on literary influences from Ralph Ellison to Saul Bellow, emphasizing how fiction and faith intertwine with political narratives.

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INSIGHT

Harris Inherits Obama's Legacy

Kamala Harris's political style echoes Obama's, impacting discussions of race, faith, and identity.
Cunningham's novel offers a lens to analyze these themes.

insights

INSIGHT

Politics as Theater

Analyzing politics through a theatrical lens is crucial because modern campaigns prioritize performance.
Vinson Cunningham's theater background allows him to understand the staged nature of politics.

insights

INSIGHT

Theatrics Don't Cheapen Politics

Focusing on the theatrics of politics doesn't cheapen the discourse; it reflects how politics operate.
Politicians, since Kennedy, have recognized and utilized the performative aspect of campaigning.

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Exploring the Intersection of Fiction, Religion, and Politics

01:25 • 2min

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Housekeeping and Introduction to Fictional Exploration

03:07 • 2min

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Fiction and Faith: Navigating Politics and Personal Narratives

04:50 • 34min

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Exploring Identity through Literary Influences

38:32 • 3min

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Navigating Identity and Political Consciousness

41:48 • 20min

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Navigating Political Identity and Theatrical Realities

In 'Sacred Hoops', Phil Jackson shares his journey as a coach, blending basketball strategies with spiritual insights from Zen Buddhism and Native American traditions. The book offers lessons on teamwork, mindfulness, and personal growth, applicable beyond sports to everyday life. Jackson recounts his experiences with the Chicago Bulls and the development of the triangle offense, emphasizing the importance of unity and selflessness in achieving success.

Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison

In 'Invisible Man,' Ralph Ellison tells the story of a nameless black protagonist who navigates the surreal and often hostile world of 20th-century America. The novel begins with the narrator living in an underground room, reflecting on his life and the various ways he has experienced social invisibility. He recounts his journey from a small Southern town to Harlem, involving experiences with racism, a brutal 'battle royal,' and his involvement with the Brotherhood, a civil rights group. The narrative delves into themes of identity, power, and the struggle for self-definition in a society that refuses to see him. Through his experiences, the narrator grapples with the complexities of being a black man in America, ultimately leading to a profound exploration of invisibility and the search for one's true self.

Late Admissions

Glenn Loury

The Berlin stories

Christopher Isherwood

The Berlin Stories is an omnibus published in 1945, combining two of Christopher Isherwood's novels: *Mr. Norris Changes Trains* (1935) and *Goodbye to Berlin* (1939). The work is set in Jazz Age Berlin between 1930 and 1933, a period marked by the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The stories are semi-autobiographical, reflecting Isherwood's own experiences living in Berlin during this time. The characters include the enigmatic Arthur Norris, a masochistic and possibly communist businessman, and Sally Bowles, a young English cabaret singer based on Isherwood's friend Jean Ross. The novels portray a city of debauchery and despair, where characters live in ignorance or defiance of the impending national catastrophe. The work merges fact and fiction, providing a vivid and often comic yet poignant portrayal of marginal characters in a city on the brink of chaos.

Ravelstein

Roser Berdagué Costa

Saul Bellow

SANTILLANA EDICIONES GENERALES SL

Published in 2000, 'Ravelstein' is a biographical roman à clef that tells the story of a friendship between a university professor, Abe Ravelstein, and a writer. The novel is set against the backdrop of Ravelstein's impending death from AIDS and explores his intellectual and erotic attachments. The narrator, Chick, reflects on Ravelstein's life and their shared experiences, delving into themes of Jewish identity, intellectual culture, and the significance of Ravelstein's death as the end of an era. The novel also follows Chick's own near-death experience and his eventual decision to write Ravelstein's memoir.

Gilead

Marilynne Robinson

In 'Gilead', Marilynne Robinson crafts a deeply personal and introspective narrative through the eyes of John Ames, a 76-year-old pastor writing to his seven-year-old son in 1956. The novel explores themes of faith, forgiveness, and redemption as Ames recounts his life, his family's history, and the tensions between his abolitionist grandfather and his pacifist father. The book is a meditation on the human condition, highlighting the beauty in everyday moments and the profound bond between fathers and sons. It won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Lincoln at Gettysburg

The Words That Remade America

Garry Wills

In this book, Garry Wills examines the profound impact of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on American history. Wills argues that Lincoln's speech, delivered during the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery in 1863, was meticulously crafted and drew heavily from the Declaration of Independence. The book compares Lincoln's speech to that of Edward Everett, also delivered on the same day, and explores how Lincoln's address reshaped Americans' views of their founding documents. Wills also delves into Lincoln's rhetorical style, highlighting his use of precise language and rhetorical devices.

Great Expectations

Charles Dickens

Great Expectations is a classic novel by Charles Dickens that chronicles the life of Pip, a young orphan living in the marshes of Kent. The story begins with Pip's encounter with an escaped convict, Abel Magwitch, which sets off a chain of events that changes his life. Pip inherits a large fortune from an anonymous benefactor, which he uses to become a gentleman. However, his journey is marked by his unrequited love for Estella, the adopted daughter of the eccentric Miss Havisham, and his eventual discovery that his benefactor is not who he expected. The novel explores themes of social class, love, rejection, and the search for true identity, set against the backdrop of early 19th-century England.

Today, we're joined by one of our favorite writers and thinkers, Vinson Cunningham, to discuss his excellent debut novel, Great Expectations, which tells the story of brilliant-but-unmoored young black man, David Hammond, who finds himself recruited — by fluke, folly, or fate — onto a historic presidential campaign for a certain charismatic Illinois senator. A staff writer at the New Yorker, Vinson also worked for Obama's 2008 campaign in his early twenties. (He bears at least some resemblance to his protagonist.) And his novel provides a wonderful jumping-off point for a deep discussion of political theater, the novel of ideas, race, faith, the meaning of Barack Obama, and the meaning of Kamala Harris.

Also discussed: Christopher Isherwood, Saul Bellow, Garry Wills, Ralph Ellison, Marilynne Robinson, Paul Pierce, and Kobe Bryant! If you can't get enough Vinson, check out his podcast with Naomi Fry and Alexandra Schwartz, Critics at Large.

Sources:

Vinson Cunningham, Great Expectations: A Novel (2024)

— "The Kamala Show," The New Yorker, Aug 19, 2024

— "Searching for the Star of the N.B.A. Finals," The New Yorker, June 21, 2024

— "Many and One," Commonweal, Dec 14, 2020.

Saul Bellow, Ravelstein (2001)

Garry Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg (1992)

Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)

— Shadow and Act (1964)

David Haglund, "Leaving the Morman Church, After Reading a Poem," New Yorker Radio Hour, Mar 25, 2016.

Phil Jackson, Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior (1995)

Glenn Loury, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative (2024)

Matthew Sitman, "Saving Calvin from Clichés: An Interview with Marilynne Robinson," Commonweal, Oct 5, 2017

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