Thursday, September 10, 2009

Richard Yates Podcast

I've just listened to a superb podcast about Revolutionary Road, which you can download here. The presenter Ramona Koval interviewed two guests: Blake Bailey, the author of a highly acclaimed biography of Richard Yates and Stuart O'Nan, whose 1999 Boston Review article about Yates has been credited with spearheading the author's revival.

Both Bailey and O'Nan made two very quotable comments about Revolutionary Road, which succinctly sum-up the novel's appeal:

"It's not about the American suburbs. It's about the terrifying gulf between who we are and who we wish we were." - Blake Bailey

"It's about that fear of being exposed for the average person that you are." - Stuart O'Nan

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3 comments:

  1. Harry Tournemille2:23 am

    Love Yates. The man's prose is so precise and wrought with empathy.

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  2. Steerforth4:40 pm

    I've ordered Blake Bailey's book, as his brief comments on Yates's childhood left me wanting to know more.

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  3. Brett9:40 pm

    Thanks for the link. Haven't read Yates, but I like O'Nan's novels very much.

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