1.1 Do Great Novels Set the Standard or Challenge it? Kelly Rich and Teju Cole (AV)

Novel Dialogue kicks off with the writer and photographer Teju Cole and literary critic Kelly Rich of Harvard University talking about “saying yes to the text” as the first rule of good literary critical reading. But they also consider what happens when the urge to affirm a text gets swept up in the larger social and political dilemmas of our time.  How do we celebrate great works of literature and art while also questioning the standards that have historically granted some writers “greatness” and left others out due to race, gender, and national background?  In this episode, we look for ways of preserving excellence while also questioning greatness.

Mentioned in the Episode

Rachel Cusk
George Lamming
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
George Bridgetower

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