In this episode, Kassia and Dylan discuss the Japanese novel Tun-huang written by Yasushi Inoue and translated by Jean Oda Moy. This work of historical fiction imagines how a trove of early Buddhist sutras came to be hidden in caves along the Silk Road for centuries. We talk about the book’s criticism of education, bureaucracy, and materialism, as well as the significance of freedom, preservation, and translation.
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Returning guest Michael Barron joins us to discuss Roberto Bolaño's "curio" published near the end of his life. We talk about Bolaño's universe, his...
Translator Robert Chandler joins us to discuss his journey with Vasily Grossman, Stalingrad versus Life and Fate, and Grossman's representation of totalitarianism.
In this clip, we discuss the power of words versus images and compare Colette and Clébert's notions of vagabondage. To hear the full episode,...
