Episode · The Book Review · 2019-10-18
Thomas Chatterton Williams on The Book Review: books mentioned
Thomas Chatterton Williams on ‘Unlearning Race’
Gilbert Cruz discussed Self-Portrait in Black and White by Thomas Chatterton Williams, Poisoner In Chief by Stephen Kinzer, and Losing my cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams. Thomas Chatterton Williams discussed Racecraft by Barbara J. Fields and others. Alexandra Alter discussed The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, Quichotte by Salman Rushdie, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Şafak, An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma, and Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann. Jennifer Szalai discussed Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, She Said by Jodi Kantor and others, Mindf*ck by Christopher Wylie, Targeted by Brittany Kaiser, and Antisocial by Andrew Marantz. Parul Sehgal recommended The cost of living by Deborah Levy, and discussed The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy. Dwight Garner discussed Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Self-Portrait in Black and White
Discussed“Thomas Chatterton Williams will be here to talk about his new Memoir self-portrait in black and white”
Where to get it
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Poisoner In Chief
Poisoner in Chief by Stephen Kinzer is a historical nonfiction book detailing the life of Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA’s clandestine efforts to develop mind control and chemical weapons during the Cold War.
Discussed“Steven Kinser will be here to talk about his new book poisoner in Chief Alexander alter will give us an update from the publishing World Plus”
Where to get it
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Racecraft
Discussed“one of the books that made the biggest impression on me is called racecraft the soul of American in equality by Barbara and Karen Fields”
Where to get it
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The Testaments
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel that serves as a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, exploring the inner workings of the regime of Gilead years after the original events.
Discussed“so the U Margaret Atwood won for the Testaments which is never heard of it”
Where to get it
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Girl, Woman, Other
Discussed“the other novel that won is titled girl woman other and it's very experimental”
Where to get it
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Quichotte
Discussed“the other finalists included Salon rushy he was on the short list for his new novel kote”
Where to get it
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10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
Discussed“another author on the short list was elif Shaak for her novel 10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World which also sounds somewhat experimental”
Where to get it
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An Orchestra of Minorities
Discussed“another finalist was Choi Obama for an orchestra of minorities which is about a Nigerian poultry farmer who falls in love with a woman after he stops her from jumping to her death”
Where to get it
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Ducks, Newburyport
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann is a massive, highly experimental stream-of-consciousness novel told almost entirely through a single, sprawling sentence spanning roughly one thousand pages.
Discussed“and finally the only American on the short list this year is Lucy Elman who was chosen for her novel Ducks Newber Port which is highly experimental”
Where to get it
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Catch and Kill
Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow is a deeply reported investigative account detailing the efforts to uncover widespread sexual abuse and subsequent cover-ups in media and entertainment.
Discussed“the most recent one and the one that I guess you know the book that a lot of people are talking about right now is Catch and kill by Ron and pharaoh and Ronan Pharaoh as I'm sure a number of listeners know is the journalist who wrote about Harvey Weinstein”
Where to get it
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She Said
She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey is a gripping investigative journalism book that chronicles the New York Times reporters' efforts to break the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment story and ignite a cultural movement.
Discussed“and so Pharaoh's book is similar to Jodi and Megan's book in the sense that it's really about how he came to the story and how he reported it”
Where to get it
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Mindf*ck
Discussed“so the two books one I can't say the whole title but it's called mind and then it's F asterisk CK by Christopher Wy and the other is called targeted by Britney Kaiser”
Where to get it
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Targeted
Discussed“so the two books one I can't say the whole title but it's called mind and then it's F asterisk CK by Christopher Wy and the other is called targeted by Britney Kaiser”
Where to get it
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Antisocial
Antisocial by Andrew Marantz is a non-fiction book that explores online extremists, techno-utopians, and how digital platforms have hijacked the American conversation.
Discussed“and about antisocial so it's antisocial by Andrew morance who's a staff writer for the New Yorker and and before Trump was elected president in 2016 morance had already started reporting on members of the alt-right”
Where to get it
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The Man Who Saw Everything
Discussed“so I reviewed the new Deborah Levy book with the terrifically ironic title The Man Who Saw everything”
Where to get it
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The cost of living
The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy is a deeply reflective memoir that explores the realities of middle age, independence, and female identity following the dissolution of a marriage.
Recommended“it's part of her living autobiography series and it's called the cost of living and it's just about a writer's life”
Where to get it
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Frankissstein
Discussed“Janette winterson has a new novel it's called Frankenstein not Frankenstein but Frank kiss Stein”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“it was Margaret Atwood who has won before she won in 2000 for the blind assassin and a less well-known author Bernardine avisto who is a British author of Nigerian and British descent”
“it's her you know her incredibly highly anticipated sequel to The handmaid's Tale”
“I mean you reviewed another whistleblower book not so long ago the Edward Snowden book permanent record and that one you said was co-written by co-written or ghostwritten by the novelist Josh Cohen”
“and her other books include sexting the cherry and a very good Memoir called why be happy when you can be normal”
“our our readers will remember Janette wierson is the English writer who became famous I think in 1985 for her somewhat autobiographical novel oranges are not the only fruit”
“and her other books include sexting the cherry and a very good Memoir called why be happy when you can be normal”