The LRB Podcast

A psychoanalyst and critic discuss the concept of giving up as a way to succeed. They explore the idea of knowing limitations as heroism, the consequences of persistence in famous literary characters, and the balance of discipline and creativity in writing.

When Deborah Friedell and Adam Thirlwell met twenty years ago, they started a discussion about Jewish identity they are still puzzling over today. Revisiting Philip Roth’s The Counterlife (1986), an American take on British antisemitism and the escapist allure of aliyah, Adam and Deborah discuss the nuances of Jewish experience and novel-writing across the Atlantic.Find further reading on the episode page: lrb.me/jewishnovelpodWatch Judith Butler’s 2011 Winter Lecture: ‘Who owns Kafka?’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring the life of Alex Comfort, beyond 'The Joy of Sex', from evangelical child prodigy to anarchist free love advocate. Discussing his secret affair, intentional community in California, anarchist beliefs, financial entanglements, and evolution of sexual discourse.

Sumerian princess Enheduana, the world's first author, composed remarkable hymns as high priestess in Ur. Anna Della Subin discusses her new translation, challenging our ideas of authorship and literary history. They also explore the unique relationship between writing and weaving, the rediscovery of Enheduana's lost poems, the chanting quality of ancient verses, and metaphors of creation in literature.

From the Egyptian Revolution to Extinction Rebellion, the 2010s were marked by a global wave of spontaneous and largely structureless mass protests. Despite overwhelming numbers and popular support, most of these movements failed to achieve their aims, and in many cases led to worse conditions. James Butler joins Tom to make sense of the ‘mass protest decade’, sharing historical examples, theoretical approaches and first-hand experiences that help explain the defeats of the 2010s.Find further reading and listen ad free on the episode page: lrb.me/protestdecadeFind the Close Readings podcast in Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, or just search 'Close Readings'.Sign up to the Close Readings subscription to listen to all our series in full:Directly in Apple PodcastsIn other podcast apps Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seamus Perry and Mark Ford discuss Andrew Marvell's 'An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland'. Topics include the poem's impact on politics, the portrayal of Cromwell, its themes and imagery, and the interplay of arts, propaganda, and politics.

Tom Stevenson, a contributing editor at the LRB and author, delves into the overlooked Tigray War in Ethiopia. He discusses Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s role in the brutal civil war despite his Nobel Peace Prize recognition. The conversation highlights the international indifference to the humanitarian crisis and the historical context shaped by colonial influences. Stevenson also explores Ethiopia's geopolitical ambitions for access to the Red Sea, revealing the complexities of external influences and local aspirations in a turbulent region.

Were the Middle Ages funny? Irina Dumitrescu and Mary Wellesley begin their series in quest of the medieval sense of humour with Chaucer’s 'Miller’s Tale', a story that is surely still (almost) as funny as when it was written six hundred years ago. But who is the real butt of the joke? Mary and Irina look in detail at the mechanics of the plot and its needless but pleasurable complexity, and consider the social significance of clothes and pubic hair in the tale.Find the Close Readings podcast in Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, or just search 'Close Readings'.Sign up to the Close Readings subscription to listen to all our series in full:Directly in Apple PodcastsIn other podcast apps Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did the foundational event of Proust’s great novel really happen? Michael Wood talks to Tom about several English translations of In Search of Lost Time, old and new, and what they reveal about different ways of reading the novel. If the dipping of the madeleine in his tea conjures an overwhelming memory of the narrator’s childhood, it is also a challenge to the conscious mind, a product of chance that Proust suggests might easily not have occurred at all.Find more by Michael on Proust here: lrb.me/woodproustpodSign up to Close Readings Plus: lrb.me/plus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Meek, who recently reviewed 'the New TV' by Peter Biskind, joins Tom to discuss the rise of cable TV, the emergence of streaming giants, the power of showrunners, and whether the golden age of television drama is coming to an end.