What Survival Stories Tell Us (and Should We Listen?)
On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss the perennial appeal of survival stories. They trace the theme of man versus nature from early novels like Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” to new releases like “Heart of the Beast,” ...Show more
Introducing: “The Journey,” from In the Dark
“The Journey,” a five-part audio investigation by Ava Kofman, unravels the mystery of how Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, a wealthy Los Angeles couple, obtained dozens of children through nearly as many surrogates—and exposes a scandal that threatens to undermine the entire surroga ...Show more
This week, the fellas are back discussing Alenka Zupančič's Problemi essay, 'Lying on the Couch'. How does the psychoanalytic framework allow us to make sense of culture and lying, what is the asymmetry of a truth and a lie, and what did we think of the new Beatles song? Mike is ...Show more
In this episode, the ladies dissect the history of tattoos and the many meanings they take on in different social and cultural settings. Digressions include a review of the award-winning girlboss car sex film Titané, a cult leader reaching new heights of hair bravery, and an exte ...Show more
The ladies break down the concept of gentrification, its historical legacy that explains the housing crisis today, and share your own stories about having lived through it. Digressions include Julia's candle obsessions, the redemption of West Elm Caleb, and whether or not horseba ...Show more
This week, Thea Lenarduzzi and Lucy Dallas are joined by the writer and critic Mary Norris to discuss the phenomenon that is Margaret Atwood – surely her kind of success requires a method? A new collection of essays and talks sheds some light; Sujit Sivasundaram, the author of ‘W ...Show more