In this week’s podcast we investigate rumours of the death of the personal essay. Then we watch Hounds of Love, Ben Young’s cinematic portrait of a serial-killer marriage. And finally we explore the consolations and cultural complexities of identifying with a spirit animal.
Links to pieces discussed:
‘The Personal-Essay Boom is Over’ by Jia Tolentino in The New Yorker.
Khalid interviewed at The Writers Bloc on ‘Anatomy of: A Personal Essay’.
The trailer for Hounds of Love.
Helen Macdonald’s New York Times Magazine essay, ‘What Animals Taught Me About Being Human’.
Recommends:
Khalid recommends The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker.
Mel recommends Wonder Woman.
Dion recommends The Selfishness of Others: An Essay on the Fear of Narcissism by Kristin Dombek.