Tell Me What You're Reading No. 46: Steph Kent on Hamnet and Call Me Ishmael
Steph Kent, co-founder, with her husband Logan Smalley, of the Call Me Ishmael project joined me to discuss Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell, the book I have recommended more than any other over the last few years.
Hamnet is a work of fiction, but it’s based in part on certain core facts on which O’Farrell builds this beautiful, devastatingly sad story, albeit with a sweet ending, of the impact of Hamnet’s death on his family, and its relationship to the writing of Hamlet.
The book is a master class in the use of detail to tell a story, and the production of Hamlet produces a beautiful, poetic and moving conclusion. I frequently describe Hamnet as one of the best books I have ever read.
Shakespeare is never mentioned by name in the book. I realized who Hamnet’s father was when I read of his letters home reporting on rival playhouse owners, crowds and costumes. Leaving Shakepere’s name out of the narrative is a useful tool to avoid Shakespeare stealing the limelight, which is left to his wife Agnes, who is a strong, mystical and intriguing presence throughout the book. I greatly admired Agnes, and I also was deeply moved by the grief of both Agnes and Shakespeare over the loss of their son.
Steph and Logan’s Call Me Ishmael project invites readers to celebrate the books they love. Anyone can call Ishmael at 774.325.0503 and leave an anonymous voicemail message about their favorite book. Thousands of readers have called and over a million readers have listened to this library of stories.
Steph and Logan joined me on the podcast in November 2019: Ep. 20: The Call Me Ismael Project; Steph Kent and Logan Smalley
What Steph is Reading
The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O”Farrell
Reviews The New York Times | The Guardian | The Washington Post
Barnes and Noble #PouredOver
Sharks in the Time of Saviors, by Kawai Strong Washburn
Reviews The New York Times | The Settle Times | San Franciso Chronicle | Los Angeles Review of Books
Figuring, by Maria Popova
Reviews The Guardians | Los Angeles Review of Books | The New York Times | The Washington Post
Website: Brain Picking; The Marginalian
Booth, by Karen Joy Fowler
Reviews The New York Times | The New York Times Book Review | The Guardian | The Washington Post | The Telegraph | Slate | NPR
Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White - reading with one year old August
Reviews The Guardian | The New Yorker | The New York Times
What Howard Has Recently Read
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong is a sad, tense, poetic, and highly celebrated auto-fictional portrait of a poor, gay, young Vietnamese immigrant growing up in violence ridden inner city Hartford. Originally recommended by documentarian and creator of Subway Book Review, Uli Beutter Cohen, who I had on the podcast a few years ago.
Reviews NPR | NPR | The Guardian | The Los Angeles Times | The New Yorker | The New York Times | The Telegraph | Harvard Review | Los Angeles Review of Books | The Brooklyn Rail
Yellowface, by R.F. Kuang, a Golden Notebook book club selection, may also have a touch of auto-fiction. It’s a satirical, mocking treatment of the publishing industry, and also of cultural appropriation. Reminded me in some ways of Jean Hanff Korelitz’ great novel The Plot.
Reviews The New York Times | Chicago Review of Books | NPR | The Harvard Crimson | The Guardian | The Washington Post
American Dirt NYT controversy
The Bad Art Friend Saga TNY
And for pure fiction, The Storied Life of A.J. Firkey, by Gabrielle Zevin, given to me by our friend Jill Singer, is a quirky little novel that takes place mostly in a bookstore, so I really enjoyed it. Perfect beach read.
Reviews The Washington Post | The Globe and Mail | NPR
And my recent non-fiction …
Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America, by Patrick Phillips; recommended by my friend Steve Palmer. A stark reminder of the horrors of slavery and its legacy. Heartbreaking to read, but very worthwhile.
Reviews The New York Times | The New Yorker | New York Journal of Books | Chicago Tribune | The Santa Fe New Mexican | NPR
House of Glass: The Story of a Twentieth Century Jewish Family, by Hadley Freeman. Fleeing the pogroms in Poland for what appeared to be the safety of France; safe until it wasn’t, and likely really never was. Recommended by my friend Madeleine Horrocks in Milan. Always relevant, unfortunately.
Reviews Reviews The Guardian | The Financial Times | The Telegraph | The Times | Evening Standard | The Times Literary Supplement | The Washington Post | San Francisco Book Review
Avid Reader, by the recently deceased Robert Gottlieb; a great memoir by the most acclaimed book editor of the last 50+ years. It's essentially a history of the rich cultural life of New York. I loved it.
Reviews The New York Times | The Washington Post | The New York Review of Books | The Guardian | The Christian Science Monitor | New York Journal of Books
Obits The New Yorker | The Atlantic
The Critic’s Daughter: A Memoir, a compelling, emotionally wrenching but warm and loving memoir, by Priscilla Gilman, a former professor of English literature at Yale and Vassar. Hoping to get Priscilla on the podcast sometime soon.
Reviews The New York Times | The Washington Post | New York Journal of Books | The Los Angeles Times | The Wall Street Journal
And finally, Fire in the Straw - Notes on Inventing a Life, a beautiful as well as anguished memoir by writer, publisher, legendary fly fisherman (and my podcast guest of a few years ago) Nick Lyons. Very moving.
Reviews The Wall Street Journal | Fly Fisherman
Other Books Discussed
Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
Reviews The Atlantic | Wired | The Guardian | The New Yorker | NPR | The New York Times | The New York Times | The Booker Prize | Chicago Review of Books | Berkeley Fiction Review | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | The Los Angeles Review of Books | The Seattle Times | Financial Times
George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo (Kansas City Public Library)
Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami
Reviews The New York Times | The New Yorker | The Guardian
a visit from the goon squad, by Jennifer Egan
Reviews The New York Times | The Guardian | Pulitzer Prize | The Los Angeles Times | The Washington Post
10th Anniversary Reviews The Harvard Crimson | Entertainment Weekly
The Candy House, by Jennifer Egan
Reviews The New York Times | The New York Times | NPR | The Guardian | The Atlantic | Los Angeles Review of Books | The Irish Times | San Francisco Chronicle | The New Republic | The Washington Post | The Wall Street Journal | Slate | The New York Review of Books | The Times (UK) | The Economist | The Telegraph | More: Book Marks Reviews
