Episode 23: "Being Here is Everything" by Marie Darrieussecq, translated by Penny Hueston w/ special guest Tara Cheesman
Paula Modersohn-Becker, Marie Darrieussecq, Tara Cheesman
Hello!
We’re back after a much longer than planned layoff. The start of the year slowed a few things down but we’re back to a regular schedule. Moving forward we’ll be posting every other week and the next few episodes are backlist focused with a return to Muriel Spark coming soon.
We kick off 2024 by welcoming Tara Cheesman to the podcast with her recommendation, Being Here Is Everything: The Life and Times of Paula Modersohn-Becker by Marie Darriussecq, translated by Penny Hueston. Tara is a freelance critic, former judge of the Best Translated Book Award, and she brings us our first work of nonfiction. We have an absolutely fascinating conversation on art, motherhood, representations of women, and a lot more. And recommend a small syllabus of titles to dig into.
Titles/authors mentioned:
Imperium by Christian Kracht, translated by Daniel Bowles
Nathalie Léger: Suite for Barbara Loden, Exposition, The White Dress
Éric Plamondon: Apple S and Mayonnaise
Jean Echenoz’s biographical novels: Running, Lightning, Ravel
Sharks, Death, Surfers by Melissa McCarthy
Kate Zambreno: Book of Mutter and To Write As If Already Dead
Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton
Jazmina Barrera: On Lighthouses and Linea Nigra
Georges Perec: Ellis Island, I Remember, An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris
To hear more from Tara follow her on Instagram: @taracheesman or subscribe (and you should!) to her Substack: Ex Libris.
We’re thrilled to be back in your ears and hope you’ll dig into this and maybe a couple of the other titles we threw out there!