The Novel Workshop

The Novel Workshop is a monthly podcast that presents long-form criticism of contemporary fiction. If you're into that kind of heady stuff, join us!

The Netanyahus 06/27/2022

The Netanyahus In this, our season finale, we discuss what happens when a novel's emotional question goes unanswered. (A hint: Esther becomes quite the unhappy camper.) /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/23543780

The Swimmers 04/18/2022

The Swimmers In this episode, we tackle the big one—what separates a novel from a collection of short stories? Is the difference significant or nonexistent? /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/22824485

My Sister, the Serial Killer 03/07/2022

My Sister, the Serial Killer In this month's episode, we discuss both the anti-realist novel and the trauma plot. Are they mutually exclusive or can they coexist? /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/22356617

Oh William! 01/03/2022

Oh William! In this month's episode, we discuss the constraints of reliability and whether a narrator (especially a first-person narrator) can ever be trusthworthy. "It's all quite strange to me," says Alonzo. /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/21655118

Harlem Shuffle 12/06/2021

Harlem Shuffle Esther and Alonzo finally disagree. "Whitehead has divided this house." Whose interpretation is right? Check out this month's sprawling episode—On Beauty, Fences, and "Sonny's Blues" are all discussed—to find out. /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/21385205

The Four Winds 11/01/2021

The Four Winds This week, we discuss narrative pacing and the subtle art of wonder. Special thanks to the Library of Congress: Charles L. Todd and Robert Sonkin migrant workers collection (AFC 1985/001), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/20998358

The Midnight Library 10/04/2021

The Midnight Library In this episode, we discuss the tension that can arise when a text fails to distinguish its protagonist's level of intelligence from its author's earned wisdom. /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/20687939

Episode 1: Where the Crawdads Sing 09/06/2021

Episode 1: Where the Crawdads Sing In this month's episode, we discuss the responsibility of the omniscient narrator and what goes awry when that responsibility isn't taken seriously. /episode/index/show/thenovelworkshop/id/20384750

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