OLIVE KITTREDGE and THE END OF THE JEWS
May 8th, 2008
We talk with novelists Elizabeth Strout and Adam Mansbach. Strout’s new book, OLIVE KITTREDGE, uses a collection of short stories to create a novel about the inhabitants of a coastal town in Maine. Strout explores the complex humanity of her characters as they evolve over time, revealing checkered depths of light and dark.
And Adam Mansbach also explores ambiguity — of cultural boundaries, marginality and continuity–in his new novel, THE END OF THE JEWS. He examines the thin line between appreciation and appropriation, as his largely Jewish characters connect with African American culture — jazz and hip-hop — to create a more fluid sense of identity. Mansbach was the founding editor of the pioneering ’90s hip hop journal Elementary, and also worked for the legendary jazz drummer Elvin Jones for several years as a roadie.
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