Philip Roth! To Jon’s delight, the boys spend the bulk of this episode ruminating on the style, method, and subject matter of Philip Roth, using the opening of The Human Stain as the springboard for the conversation. They also offer a quick update about their writing, revision, and submission process.
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Topics & Reading Discussed
- The opening of Philip Roth’s The Human Stain is a solid introduction to the author.
- Jon recommends you start with The Ghost Writer, but Portnoy’s Complaint, Sabbath’s Theater, Operation Shylock, and American Pastoral are also good books to check out.
- While you’re investigating Roth, be sure to read Claudia Roth Pierpont’s literary biography Roth Unbound.
- The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Rain Main, Copperhead Road, and the Royal Rumble: 1988 was a pretty good year.
- Brian is enjoying Tony Earley’s first collection of short stories, Here We Are in Paradise (especially the wrestling story, “Charlotte”).
- Jon recommends Jon Ronson’s new book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, though in truth you could get the gist of his argument here at the NY Times.
- To spite misguided college protests, go pick up a copy of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, which was recently under dispute at Duke.