MEMORY, RICH MEMORY
As the leaves change and we head into fall and back-to-school season, I’m hankering for that academic feeling of sitting amongst classic tomes with the scent of leather and a gently crackling fire in the air. If you’re in the same boat, I have to recommend episode 15 of the Paris Review podcast titled “Memory, Rich Memory.” Let Salmon Rushdie read you the beautifully written letter of apology from Dylan Thomas to his editor. Feel the educated intrigue as poet Sharon Olds identifies the sexual solution to America’s singles problem. Allow yourself to be haunted, disconcerted, and perhaps even triggered by Alexandra Kleeman’s story “Fairy Tale—which, trust me, is anything but. And ponder the value of a memory as Devendra Banhart reads the legend of “The Woe Shirt.” This is adult story time and will leave you feeling richer of mind and spirit. It takes me back to the university days of enjoying literature for its own sake—which feels very much missing from adult life. And even if you’re listening on a 99-degree LA day, go ahead and pour a glass of hot cocoa or red wine, and throw a wool blanket by your feet to complete the effect.
—Emmanuelle Stahler, VP Audio
