The Work of Literary Fiction (w/ Iris Smyles)

Oliver Bateman Does the Work

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The Work of Literary Fiction (w/ Iris Smyles)

All the words we haven't written

Oliver Bateman Does the Work

Apr 05, 2024

Transcript

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Contact — Iris Smyles — *Iris Smyles does the work*

In this vintage episode from 2022, I talked to Iris Smyles about her book Droll Tales, the work of writing, the consistency of the Red Lobster, the artistic compromises made by Sylvester Stallone, and the emptiness of phrases like "I hate writing, but I love having written."

Suggested reading

Smyles, "Embracing My Weird," https://www.vogue.com/article/iris-smyles-personal-style-green-shoes-miss-peregrines

"Fortune Cookies," https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/fortune-cookies

"Ship of Wonks," https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/ship-of-wonks/361610/

"Adventures in Self-Promotion," https://www.splicetoday.com/writing/adventures-in-self-promotion

review of Droll Tales, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/24/books/review/droll-tales-iris-smyles-a-blind-corner-caitlin-macy-sleeping-alone-ru-freeman-fruiting-bodies-kathryn-harlan.html

Bateman, "The 'Rocky IV' Director's Cut is Sylvester Stallone's 'Citizen Kane,'" https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/rocky-iv-directors-cut

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Oliver Bateman Does the Work

The continuation (from "What's Left?") of Oliver's interviews with people about the interesting work they do + solo episodes covering assorted academic topics.

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