Rachel Cusk, award-winning author, reads and discusses Marguerite Duras' unique short stories. They explore Duras' writing style evolution, themes of loss, injustice, and power dynamics in her works. The conversation delves into religion, dreams, and the emotional depth of Duras' characters, showcasing the complexity and artistry of both authors.

Critically acclaimed author Rachel Cusk explores her innovative approach to storytelling in her novel Parade, challenging literary norms and delving into themes like the female condition, violence, and marriage. The discussion also touches on motherhood, personal identity, gender roles in the art world, and the evolution of narrative voices.

In this engaging discussion, critically acclaimed novelist Rachel Cusk, known for her innovative narrative styles, joins Adam Biles, Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company in Paris. They dive into the themes of Cusk's latest novel, Parade, exploring its unique feminist perspectives and her evolving identity as a writer. The conversation also highlights the intricate relationship between an artist's biography and their work, and the challenges women authors face in authentically expressing their experiences amidst societal expectations.

Critically acclaimed writer Rachel Cusk and Adam Biles discuss themes of age, authority, and creativity in fiction, exploring post-biological female experiences and storytelling challenges. They reflect on the interplay between suffering, creativity, bodily violence, and self-identity, emphasizing art's resonance with a wide audience. Additionally, the chapter briefly touches on efficiency in event management and shopping benefits, and the power of podcasts for communication and brand elevation.

In an essay specially commissioned for the podcast, Aisha Sabatini Sloan describes rambling around Paris with her father, Lester Sloan, a longtime staff photographer for Newsweek, and a glamorous woman who befriends them. In an excerpt from The Art of Fiction no. 246, Rachel Cusk and Sheila Heti discuss how writing her first novel helped Cusk discover her “shape or identity or essence.” Next, Allan Gurganus’s reading of his story “It Had Wings,” about an arthritic woman who finds a fallen angel in her backyard, is interspersed with a version of the story rendered as a one-woman opera by the composer Bruce Saylor. The episode closes with “Dear Someone,” a poem by Deborah Landau. To check out Captioning the Archives, the book Aisha Sabatini Sloan created with her father, Lester Sloan, visit McSweeney’s. This episode was sound designed and mixed by John DeLore, and mastered by Justin Shturtz.