"...I had no idea of how it worked because we had never talked about it."
— Roz Chast
I hope my readers and listeners have taken the time to give a listen to the Time to Read episode with Roz Chast about her new book, 'Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?' It's about twice as long as most and I hope readers hear a level of emotion that is unusual. It's indicative of the book and the thoughts it makes you think.
'Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?' is a great, pretty fun book to read, especially given that it deals with an emotionally overwhelming subject. To be sure, it was clear to me that even now, Chast, who is a consummate artist, finds the book fraught with emotion. She's still involved, and always will be. Moreover, the book is about a subject that I have experience with myself. So there is a temptation to insert myself into the interview, which I tried and (so far as I hear), managed to avoid.
Graphic novels offer an entire extra set of things to talk about, to wit, the illustrations and comics, which are not the same thing. Chast employs both and hybrids of both to excellent effect. Her style allows her to write about real life and portray it in a manner that feels real. And her sense of balance between prose and illustration, which we discussed quite specifically, is perfect.
Every writer has a unique approach to how they create. Some outline and know in advance, and other operate from a place of complete intuition. Chast is in the latter camp, and manages to be amazingly articulate about a process that by definition she herself does not necessarily easily, if at all, understand. She's able to give us verbal glimpses of a swirling creative canvas.
Chast also managed to be frank about the money. For anyone who has been in this situation, the money is a BIG DEAL. On one hand, you hope and think your parents have saved up for their retirement. On the other hand, you hate to see them spend it at an alarming rate paying someone to take care of them. And then there is the other aspect. When your parents' money runs out, the children are next in line to pay. In any event, dealing with the financial details is something of a nightmare. Chast and I managed to have a crispy, clear conversation about real money and real charges and what happens when this happens.
All of this of course, I think, takes a toll on Chast. She puts herself and her family out there in the book. Talking about things the family was uncomfortable discussing, even alone. She has reader reactions to deal with, and when you write a book of this great depth and artistry, and devote that artistry to the people you love most, reader reactions have a much different impact. An inarticulate criticism can feel like, and might indeed be, a hurtful, personal insult. This is all to say that Roz Chast is not simply a great artist; she's also a brave artist. You can hear real bravery on display by following this link to the MP3 audio file.
07-08-14 UPDATE:Podcast Update: Time to Read Episode 170: Roz Chast, 'Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?'
Click image for audio link.
Here's the one-hundred seventyth episode of my series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. Hitting the two(three[?])-year mark, I'm going to make an effort to stay ahead, so that podcast listeners can get the same sort of "sneak preview" effect that radio listeners get each Friday morning. This week, I'm way behind, but who knows what the hell might happen. I am hoping to get back up and stumbling. I have lots of great books in the hopper to review and lots of great interviews to podcast.
My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.
08-21-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report : Senator Claire McCaskill is 'Plenty Ladylike' : Internalizing Determination to Overcome Sexism [Incudes Time to Read EP 211: Claire McCaskill, Plenty Ladylike, plus A 2015 Interview with Senator Claire McCaskill]
Agony Column Podcast News Report : Emily Schultz Unleashes 'The Blondes' : A Cure by Color [Incudes Time to Read EP 210: Emily Schultz, The Blondes, plus A 2015 Interview with Emily Schultz]
07-05-15: Commentary : Dr. Michael Gazzaniga Tells Tales from Both Sides of the Brain : A Life in Neuroscience Reveals the Life of Science
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."
04-21-15: Commentary : Kazuo Ishiguro Unearths 'The Buried Giant' : The Mist of Myth and Memory
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro : ".... by the time I was writing this novel, the lines between what was fantasy and what was real had blurred for me..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Marc Goodman : "...every physical object around us is being transformed, one way or another, into an information technology..."
Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It
