Jonathan Lethem on Literary--Genre Cross-Pollination and Brooklyn Identity

Resources

Books

• "The Ecstasy of Influence" by Jonathan Lethem - A compendium of Lethem's nonfiction writing.
• "Brooklyn Crime Novel" by Jonathan Lethem - Lethem's latest release, a novel about his upbringing in Brooklyn.
• "Cartoons" by Kit Schluter - Forthcoming book of short stories, parables, or pieces described as enigmatic, convulsive, and surrealist.
• "Hopscotch" by Julio Cortázar - A novel with a fractured methodology that can be read in different orders.
• "Collected Stories" by Julio Cortázar - Recommended as the best place to start with Cortázar's work.
• "Yoga" by Emmanuel Carrère - Carrère's most recent book, which Lethem was a third of the way through.
• "60 Stories" by Donald Barthelme - Suggested as a good entry point for Barthelme.
• "The Burrow" by Franz Kafka - Included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Investigations of a Dog" by Franz Kafka - Included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Report to an Academy" by Franz Kafka - A story about an ape taught language by humans, included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Aesop's Fables" by Aesop - Included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Sirius" by Olaf Stapledon - A British science fiction novel about a super intelligent dog, included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "My Dog Tulip" by J. R. Ackerley - A non-fiction literary work about a dog, included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London - Included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Desertion" by Clifford Simak - A short story included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Flush" by Virginia Woolf - A novel about a cocker spaniel, included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "Elizabeth Costello" by P. G. Wodehouse - A novel and stories about an advocate for animal rights.
• "The House of the Dead" by Fyodor Dostoevsky - A book Lethem read at age 12 that was galvanizing.
• "Black Spring" by Henry Miller - Mentioned in relation to Miller's Brooklyn work.
• "The Alexandria Quartet" by Lawrence Durrell - A quartet of novels Lethem read.
• "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury - Science fiction books Lethem's mother steered him towards.
• "The Caves of Steel" by Isaac Asimov - Science fiction books Lethem's mother steered him towards.
• Agatha Christie stories - Books Lethem's child is currently reading.
• "Dog Soldiers" by Robert Stone - Considered one of Stone's most important books.
• "Flag for Sunrise" by Robert Stone - Considered one of Stone's most important books.
• "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene - Considered a classic Greene novel.
• "The Comedians" by Graham Greene - A Greene novel Lethem loves.
• "The Quiet American" by Graham Greene - A Greene novel Lethem loves.
• "Brighton Rock" by Graham Greene - An earlier Greene novel, described as an amazing book.
• "Advertisements for Myself" by Norman Mailer - A persona book by Mailer that Lethem recommends.
• "Burmese Days" by George Orwell - A book that disturbed Lethem as a child due to its depiction of colonialism and white privilege.
• Short stories by W. Somerset Maugham - Mentioned in relation to Maugham's short stories and the conundrums of colonialism.
• "Passage to India" by E. M. Forster - Mentioned in relation to Forster's work and the pressure of colonialism and white privilege.
• "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith - Mentioned as an example of contemporary British fiction that engages with similar themes.
• "Mother Love" by Lynne Tillman - A book described as a "killer" and healthily, vividly, and intentionally disturbing, particularly for those dealing with elder care.
• "Cosmicomics" by Italo Calvino - Mentioned as an example of whimsical tales that Lem's work is compared to, but Calvino does it better.
• "Solaris" by Stanisław Lem - One of Lem's greatest novels, though the English translation is noted as significant.
• "His Master's Voice" by Stanisław Lem - Considered Lem's greatest masterpiece, though highly philosophical.
• "Memoirs Found in a Bathtub" by Stanisław Lem - A surrealist book by Lem that Lethem is devoted to.
• "The Investigation" by Stanisław Lem - A sleek, alienated thriller by Lem.
• "Chain of Chance" by Stanisław Lem - A sleek, alienated thriller by Lem.
• "Solaris" by Stanisław Lem - A masterpiece, but not a starting point due to its density.
• "Roadside Attraction" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky - Russian science fiction writers worth reading.
• "The Ugly Swans" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky - Russian science fiction writers worth reading.
• "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick - Recommended for literary readers unfamiliar with science fiction.
• "A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K. Dick - Recommended for literary readers unfamiliar with science fiction.
• "The Transmigration of Timothy Archer" by Philip K. Dick - A masterpiece and a good gateway for science fiction-resistant readers.
• "Martian Time Slip" by Philip K. Dick - Recommended for readers who love wild science fiction.
• "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by Philip K. Dick - Recommended for readers who like the wild stuff.
• "Ubik" by Philip K. Dick - A trippy, surreal novel, good for those interested in Dick's druggy and fun side.
• "Maze of Death" by Philip K. Dick - A later, more surreal novel that doesn't make conventional sense.
• "Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said" by Philip K. Dick - A novel that doesn't make conventional sense but is a great trip.

Videos & Documentaries

• "F for Fake" by Orson Welles - Mentioned as an example of an essay film.

Research & Studies

• "The Invention of Taste" by Pierre Bourdieu - Mentioned in the context of how class distinctions are made.

Tools & Software

• Ubik spray can - A spray product from Philip K. Dick's novel "Ubik" that reverses entropy.

Articles & Papers

• "What It Would Be Like to Be a Bat" by Thomas Nagel - A famous essay included in the "Animals in Fiction" syllabus.
• "The Open" by Giorgio Agamben - A portion of an essay taught in the "Animals in Fiction" course.

People Mentioned

• Jonathan Lethem - The author and guest of the podcast.
• Jesse Pearson - Host of the podcast and founder of Apology magazine.
• Kit Schluter - Author of the short story collection "Cartoons."
• Julio Cortázar - Writer whose work is compared to Kit Schluter's.
• Richard Brautigan - Writer whose work is compared to Kit Schluter's.
• French Surrealists - Artists and writers who may have influenced Kit Schluter.
• Raymond Roussel - Writer who may have influenced Kit Schluter.
• Giorgio de Chirico - Painter whose writings might have influenced Kit Schluter.
• Max Ernst - Artist whose collage novels might have influenced Kit Schluter.
• Emmanuel Carrère - Author of the book "Yoga."
• Lisa Ann Auerbach - Jonathan Lethem's colleague who facilitated the meeting.
• Donald Barthelme - Writer whose sense of freedom is energizing for writers exploring surreal or metafictional themes.
• Tracy Mctrotter - Biographer of Donald Barthelme.
• Franz Kafka - Writer whose works were on the syllabus for "Animals in Fiction."
• Aesop - Author of "Aesop's Fables."
• Olaf Stapledon - Author of "Sirius," a science fiction novel about a dog.
• J. R. Ackerley - Author of "My Dog Tulip."
• Jack London - Author of "The Call of the Wild."
• Clifford Simak - Author of the short story "Desertion."
• Virginia Woolf - Author of "Flush," a novel about a cocker spaniel.
• P. G. Wodehouse - Author of "Elizabeth Costello."
• Charles Darwin - Mentioned in relation to his essay on what it would be like to be a bat.
• Thomas Nagel - Author of the essay "What It Would Be Like to Be a Bat."
• William Faulkner - Author of "The Bear."
• Donna Haraway - Author of theoretical essays about animal life.
• Giorgio Agamben - Author of the essay "The Open."
• Fyodor Dostoevsky - Author whose work Lethem read as a child.
• Henry Miller - Author whose work Lethem read as a child.
• Anaïs Nin - Author whose work Lethem read as a child.
• Lion Feuchtwanger - German Jewish novelist whose family sagas Lethem read.
• Norman Mailer - Author whose work Lethem read as a child.
• Erica Jong - Author whose work Lethem read as a child.
• Lawrence Durrell - Author of "The Alexandria Quartet."
• Ray Bradbury - Science fiction author whose books Lethem devoured.
• Isaac Asimov - Science fiction author whose books Lethem devoured.
• Agatha Christie - Author of mystery stories.
• Robert Stone - Author mentioned for his incredible writing, particularly in "Dog Soldiers" and "Flag for Sunrise."
• Dennis Johnson - Writer who was reportedly heavily influenced by Robert Stone.
• Graham Greene - Writer whose structural aesthetics and ability to make compelling stories strongly influenced Robert Stone.
• William Carlos Williams - Author of "Paterson," a book compared to "Brooklyn Crime Novel."
• John Dos Passos - Author of the "U.S.A. Trilogy."
• Chris Marker - Filmmaker whose essay films are compared to "Brooklyn Crime Novel."
• Adam Curtis - Filmmaker whose work is compared to "Brooklyn Crime Novel."
• Orson Welles - Filmmaker, mentioned in relation to "F for Fake."
• Sherwood Anderson - Author of "Winesburg, Ohio," a book compared to "Brooklyn Crime Novel."
• Iris Murdoch - British novelist whose commitment to novelistic form meant a lot to Lethem.
• Muriel Spark - British novelist whose commitment to novelistic form meant a lot to Lethem.
• Ben Okri - Writer who grabbed hold of the same aesthetic tradition as Zadie Smith and Salman Rushdie.
• Salman Rushdie - Writer who grabbed hold of the same aesthetic tradition as Ben Okri and Zadie Smith.
• Lynne Tillman - Author of "Mother Love."
• John Ashbery - Poet whose work Lethem returns to, even without fully understanding it.
• Philip K. Dick - Science fiction author whose work Lethem is deeply familiar with and has tattooed.
• Ursula K. Le Guin - Science fiction author whose work someone might enjoy if they like Sam R. Delany.
• Sam R. Delany - Science fiction author whose work someone might enjoy if they like Ursula K. Le Guin.
• William S. Burroughs - Author whose style might appeal to readers who enjoy the wilder side of Philip K. Dick.
• Stanisław Lem - Polish science fiction writer, described as a very different writer from Philip K. Dick.
• Arkady and Boris Strugatsky - Russian science fiction writers, rivals to Stanisław Lem.
• Robert Heinlein - Science fiction author who, along with Asimov, might have been imagined as a peer by Lem.
• Arthur C. Clarke - Science fiction author who "gets there a couple of times."

Organizations & Institutions

• Pomona College - Where Jonathan Lethem teaches.
• City Lights - Publisher of Kit Schluter's forthcoming book.
• Columbia University - Where Richard Lethem (Jonathan's father) was affiliated.

Courses & Educational Resources

• "Animals in Fiction" seminar - A course taught by Jonathan Lethem at Pomona College.

Websites & Online Resources

• Apology_Zine (Instagram) - Where to find more of the podcast "Apology."
• Apology Reviews (Substack) - Where to find more of the podcast "Apology."
• Patreon.com/apology - Where to support the podcast "Apology."

Other Resources

• Bach - Arranged and performed by Cyrus Germani for the podcast's music.
• Cyrus Germani - Performed and arranged the music for the podcast.