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Every book Jennifer Schuessler recommended on podcasts
Jennifer Schuessler appears as a guest on The Book Review, where she engages in substantive discussions concerning children's literature, historical trauma, and contemporary nonfiction. Schuessler discusses reading Emmanuel Carrère's short novel Class Trip, noting that it was sent to her by a colleague named Barry. In other segments addressing political and historical themes, Schuessler examines Scholastique Mukasonga's works, mentioning that she reviewed the author's book The Barefoot Woman and describing it as a companion piece to Mukasonga's earlier book, Cockroaches, which details the horrors of her childhood. Expanding on literature regarding the Rwandan genocide, Schuessler discusses Philip Gourevitch's critically acclaimed book We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, noting that she reread it while writing her own work because it is a truly great book. Additionally, Schuessler explores contemporary social phenomena by referencing Jon Ronson's bestselling book So You've Been Publicly Shamed, using it to analyze the history and mechanics of public shaming. Through these discussions, Schuessler demonstrates a rigorous critical approach to literature dealing with history, psychology, and human behavior.
Books recommended by Jennifer Schuessler
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Class trip
Discussed“so Barry again has sent me another one of his books and the one that I'm reading right now is class trip which is a short novel”
Where to get it
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Cockroaches
Discussed“it's a companion to her first book cockroach which is more explicitly about the horror and what she was able to learn and her childhood”
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So You've Been Publicly Shamed
So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson is a thought-provoking non-fiction exploration of modern digital outrage, the mechanics of internet mobs, and the severe psychological toll of public humiliation.
Discussed“I also looked at more contemporary books like John Ronson's book so you've been publicly shamed which is a book that I think when it came out six or seven years ago it was a bestseller”
Where to get it
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The Barefoot Woman
The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Jordan Stump, is a poignant memoir that preserves the memory of the author's mother and the daily lives of Rwandan women before the devastating genocide.
Discussed“I reviewed a book by Scholastic mukasa called the Barefoot woman”
Where to get it
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We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families
Discussed“yeah cockroach and the Philip gorovich yeah the gorovich is a really great book and I reread it when I was when I was writing writing this book”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Joys of Children’s Literature | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Immaturity in American Politics | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 3 |
| The Science Behind Mental Afflictions | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |