In Faces in the Crowd, the narrative unfolds through multiple, fragmented perspectives, touching upon literary worlds, city life, and the ghosts that are present in our everyday lives. In this episode, John Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas discuss the symbolism of the orange tree, the humor that interlaces the book’s melancholic atmosphere, and the changing cultural attitudes towards death and grief throughout the past thousand years.This episode was originally released to subscribers in October 2020. The Life’s Library Discord and subscriptions are now closed after a wonderful three years of reading together. Check out past books at www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com, Twitter, and Instagram.Episode transcript.Life’s Library logo by Bethany Mannion.
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36:57
Space Struck
“Oh! I'm sorry for stepping on your / shadow! and Please be careful! My shadow is caught in the wheels / of your shopping cart." In this episode, John Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas discuss Paige Lewis’s debut poetry collection in all of its playful, moving, relatable, romantic, and fantastical glory.This episode was originally released to subscribers in September 2020. The Life’s Library Discord and subscriptions are now closed after a wonderful three years of reading together. Check out past books at www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com, Twitter, and Instagram.Episode transcript.Life’s Library logo by Bethany Mannion.
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39:31
Blonde Roots
In Blonde Roots, Bernardine Evaristo imagines a history where “Aphrikans” enslaved “whytes.” What systems would be different, and what would remain similar? In this episode, John Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas discuss what it means to reframe historical narratives and the difficulty of asserting one’s personhood when structures of power refuse to acknowledge one’s humanity.This episode was originally released to subscribers in July 2020. The Life’s Library Discord and subscriptions are now closed after a wonderful three years of reading together. Check out past books at www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com, Twitter, and Instagram.Episode transcript.Life’s Library logo by Bethany Mannion.
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29:16
Journey to the Center of the Earth
John Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas selected Journey to the Center of the Earth as a bonus public domain pick for Life’s Library during the first months of the pandemic. In this episode, they discuss the novel and the 1959 movie, contemplating topics of translation, abridgement, Romantic awe, and the story’s surprising relevance to modern times.This episode was originally released to subscribers in May 2020. The Life’s Library Discord and subscriptions are now closed after a wonderful three years of reading together. Check out past books at www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com, Twitter, and Instagram.Episode transcript.Life’s Library logo by Bethany Mannion.
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29:12
All Systems Red
As the first guest curator for Life’s Library, Hank Green selected All Systems Red, a science fiction novella about a self-aware cyborg named Murderbot. In this episode, Hank and Martha Wells, the author, discuss writing characters that are smarter than themselves, which real-life show Murderbot’s favorite soap is based on, and the dystopia of our corporate world.This episode was originally released to subscribers in April 2020. The Life’s Library Discord and subscriptions are now closed after a wonderful three years of reading together. Check out past books at www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com, Twitter, and Instagram.Episode transcript.Life’s Library logo by Bethany Mannion.
Österreich