This week, Amile & Phoebe venture further back in time with James Baldwin’s 1956 masterpiece, Giovanni’s Room. As they discuss the social climate that forced Baldwin & his characters into literal and figurative exile, they consider the extraordinary subversiveness of writing so openly about gay desire in the 1950s.
But the conversation quickly becomes about more than sexuality. They unpack masculinity, respectability & the uncomfortable ways in which lovers can become collateral damage for those who are afraid to be known.
From the claustrophobic sanctuary of Giovanni’s room to the tragedy of choosing belonging over honesty, they reflect on the familiar patterns of emotional detachment that run throughout the novel.
This episode pairs well with:
Happy listening,
A&P
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