Unburied Books

Welcome to Shorts, a miniseries where we interview the publishers of new and daring work. This week we're talking to Eric Obenauf, who, along with his partner, cofounded the small, Ohio-based press Two Dollar Radio. We hear how their youthful idealism has evolved over the years, find out what kind of writing piques their interest, and discover which of their books Barry Manilow might enjoy.

In this extended teaser, we share the first three of seven "chapters" discussing one of the foremost Chinese classical novels, Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin. With over 400 characters, the novel details everyday life in the Qing dynasty as well as some of the most extraordinary scenes put to paper. It's our longest episode ever. Hear the complete version on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

We discuss Patrick Hamilton's 1947 novel The Slaves of Solitude with Spinster September creator Nora. The story concerns Miss Roach, an unmarried woman scraping through WWII on the outskirts of London. The episode covers the meaning of spinsterdom, Hamilton's black humor, and how crisis skews perspective. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384

We test Dylan's theory that all stories can be classified as either an Iliad or Odyssey by going through the list of NYRB Classics that we've covered.  Listen to the full episode on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Author, journalist, and critic Renata Adler joins us in person for a discussion of her novels Speedboat and Pitch Dark, both reprinted as NYRB Classics. We also talk about her career in journalism, reactions to criticism, and thoughts on persona.

In this episode, we break from our usual format and discuss a recent "literary" road trip through New England. We share our thoughts on the Moby-Dick-centrism of Herman Melville's Arrowhead and on Edith Wharton's humble writer's retreat The Mount, which could reasonably accomodate a pod of whales, not to mention Henry James, Howard Sturgis, and friends. In Lennox, we run into the owner of The Bookstore, who was recently the subject of a bittersweet documentary entitled Hello, Bookstore. To hear all this and more, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Critic Merve Emre joins us to discuss Oğuz Atay's short story collection Waiting for the Fear, newly translated from Turkish by Ralph Hubbell. These eight stories, inflected with humor and dread, deal with characters on the margins of society. We talk about the theme of alienation, Atay's relationship to Russian literature, and why so many of the stories take the form of letters. Want to hear more Unburied Books? Sign up for our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Critic Steven Moore joins us to discuss his two-volume alternative history of the novel. He refutes popular claims that the novel is a European invention and tells us why constant innovation is the form's true tradition. Hear the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384 Link to pre-order The Adventures of Lady Egeria: https://sublunaryeditions.com/products/the-adventures-of-lady-egeria  

Writer and Portuguese translator Padma Viswanathan joins us to discuss her translation of São Bernardo by Graciliano Ramos. The book follows the story of Paulo Honório, an enterprising field hand who goes on to own the land where he once toiled. We talk about finding the narrator's voice, the many layers of irony, and Graciliano's political perspective. Read more about our guest's work here: https://padmaviswanathan.com/ Read one of the author's municipal reports: https://lithub.com/how-to-break-in-to-publishing-if-youre-a-smalltown-brazilian-mayor-in-the-1930s/ And, if you're up to it, peruse our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384  

Chinese translator Canaan Morse returns to explain how Eliot Weinberger's critical (and often cutting) analysis can help us see classical writing in new ways. Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84429384