31 RTB Books in Dark Times 7: Vanessa Smith (JP)

Recall This Book

U. Sydney professor Vanessa Smith–author of Intimate Strangers, and also of this lovely short piece about Marion Milner–joins John to discuss her pandemic reading. She praises a Milner (quasi)travel book, but she also makes the case for M F K Fisher and a book about the glories of hypochondria.

Tasmanian selfie: John, Vanessa, mysterious mathematician (r to l)

Then the old friends share their newfound love for spiky Australian novelist Helen Garner, doyenne of share-house feminism.

The indomitably introspective Marion Milner

Marion Milner, Eternity’s Sunrise (1987, at the age of 87)

Brian Dillon, “Tormented Hope: Nine Hypochondriac Lives“

Lytton Strachey, “Eminent Victorians” (about Florence Nightingale’s hypochondria and agoraphobia)

Jane Austen takes on hypochondria in Emma (think of gruel-eating Mr. Woodhouse) and in Sanditon

M. F. K. Fisher, “How to Cook a Wolf”

Helen Garner, “The Spare Room” (2008; rigorously honest about impending mortality)

Helen Garner, “The Childrens Bach” (1984; John and Vanessa planned a seminar on this one)

Helen Garner, “Monkey Grip” (1977; heroin, be the death of me….)

Listen to the episode here:

Read the Transcript here:

BDT Smith transcriptDownload

Upcoming Episodes: Next week, Paul Saint-Amour, Modernist to the stars (and the lucky students of U Penn) rhapsodizes about science fiction’s time travel metaphysics.