Backlisted

The whole of the next hour and a bit is dedicated to the work of Graham Greene – a writer we have long wanted to tackle. We cover several representative pieces – not necessarily the most famous of Greene’s work – and try to apply a fresh perspective to his long and sometimes controversial career.

We start somewhere near the beginning with The Name of Action from 1930, a book Greene himself wanted suppressed...

The books featured (with rough timings where they appear in the show) are:

The Name of Action, 1930 (11'34)

The Ministry of Fear, 1943 (18'15)

The Quiet American, 1955 (30'32)

May We Borrow Your Husband? & Other Comedies of the Sexual Life, 1967 (45'46)

Lord Rochester’s Monkey, 1976 (58'01)

To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops.

*If you'd like to support the show, listen without adverts, receive the show early and with extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a Patreon at www.patreon.com/backlisted

For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit backlisted.fm

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Joining John and Andy this week are Natasha McEnroe, the Keeper of Medicine at the Science Museum in London, and novelist Lissa Evans, Backlisted's old friend and the show's Original Guest, both of whom are Betty MacDonald superfans. The Plague and I (1948) is the author's unflinching and hilarious memoir of the nine months she spent as a patient at a TB sanatorium in the Pacific North West of America. We discuss this book and the eventful life of its million-selling author (The Egg and I, Anybody Can Do Anything, Onions in the Stew), are exposed to a selection of TB-related public information films and music, and there is even a 'communicable disease in literature' quiz. Also in this episode Andy is grabbed by Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper (1943) by Donald Henderson, reputedly Raymond Chandler's favourite crime novel; while John has been enjoying Olivette Otele's recently published history African Europeans, which traces a long African European heritage via the lives of individuals both ordinary and extraordinary.Timings: (may differ due to variable advert length)08:16 - Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper by Donald Henderson15:49 - African Europeans by Olivette Otele20:37 - The Plague And I by Betty Macdonald* To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops.* For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit www.backlisted.fm*If you'd like to support the show, listen without adverts, receive the show early and with extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a Patreon at www.patreon.com/backlisted

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Authors Harriet Evans (The Beloved Girls) and Francesca Wade (Square Haunting) join us to celebrate Dorothy L. Sayers's 'novel not without detection' Gaudy Night (1935), perhaps the high point in the classic series of books featuring Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey. Sayers was a feminist pioneer and we discuss her intellectual life and brilliant and unorthodox career. Also in this episode, John dips into The Art of the Glimpse (Head of Zeus), an anthology of Irish short stories edited by Sinéad Gleeson, and reads something short and magical by Dermot Healy; and Andy recommends Tessa Hadley's new book Free Love (Jonathan Cape) in these terms: "Imagine Elizabeth Taylor had written a novel inspired by Richard Thompson's Beeswing." For more information visit backlisted.fm. Please support us and unlock bonus material at https://www.patreon.com/backlisted

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Welcome to the fourth Backlisted Special. While Andy and Nicky are both ‘gathering’ for the new season which will resume at the end of the month, John and Tess are joined by the writers and critics Erica Wagner and Sarah Churchwell who boast a total of 12 previous appearances between them, covering books from Alan Garner and Nella Larsen to Thomas Pynchon and Anita Loos.

The format of these specials differs from the main show in that they feature guests choosing a number of books in an area they know and care about. For this hour-long special, Erica and Sarah have selected six pieces of modern American literature that they either love, or find interesting, or both. As you will discover, despite the eclectic nature of their choices, some surprising connections begin to emerge...

Rough Timings (may vary due to adverts):

06'32: Free to be You and Me – Marlo Thomas and Friends

15'30:‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz’ – F.Scott Fitzgerald

24'12: The Magician's Assistant – Ann Patchett

33'20: Charlotte Temple – Susanna Rowson

41'22: A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L'Engle

49'03: Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops.

For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit backlisted.fm

*If you'd like to support the show, listen without adverts, receive the show early and with extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a Patreon at www.patreon.com/backlisted

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In episode 6 of the Backlisted Podcast we're joined by Sarah Churchwell, professorial fellow in American literature and chair of public understanding of the humanities at the School of Advanced Study, the University of London (phew) to discuss 'Passing' by Nella Larsen. Also, John and Andy discuss the book they've both been reading this week, Breakdown by John Bratby.

Timings: (may differ due to adverts)

7'29 - Breakdown by John Bratby

20'16 - Passing by Nella Larsen

To purchase any of the books mentioned in this episode please visit our bookshop at uk.bookshop.org/shop/backlisted where all profits help to sustain this podcast and UK independent bookshops.

For information about everything mentioned in this episode visit www.backlisted.fm

If you'd like to support the show and join in with the book chat, listen without adverts, receive the show early and get extra bonus fortnightly episodes, become a patron at www.patreon.com/backlisted

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