Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.

Episode Summary

Novelist Boris Fishman talks about The Unwanted, a novel of migration, betrayal, and survival set in an unnamed, war-torn country. Fishman explores how lies—meant to protect—can fracture a family even in the face of collective trauma. It’s a moving portrait of a child’s resilience, a father’s compromise, and a mother’s reckoning, all raising one urgent question: What would you do to survive?

“There’s an implicit question in the novel: what would you do, you, person living in comfort and privilege?” – Boris Fishman

Then, journalist Sophie Gilbert joins us to discuss Girl on Girl, a searing critique of how pop culture has shaped—and often undermined—feminist progress. Gilbert analyzes the commodification of “girl power,” the rise of reality TV, and the mainstreaming of misogyny through media and porn. Through sharp insight and personal reflection, she maps the cultural backlash against women and explores how we might reclaim agency and rewrite our story.

“Porn kept showing up in my research. It was always there, shaping the messaging.” — Sophie Gilbert

Connect with WV:

Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 

You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!

Key Words: Boris Fishman The Unwanted, Sophie Gilbert Girl on Girl, Feminism and pop culture, misogyny in pop culture, emigration narratives, porn and backlash to feminism

You Might Also Like: Boris Fishman, A REPLACEMENT LIFE

Continue reading →