This week, we talk to the author Elif Batuman about her new novel ‘Either / Or’. The book is set in the 1990s, and follows Elif’s fictionalised alter ego, Selin, as she navigates life as a Harvard student. Elif reflects on looking back at the ’90s from a contemporary perspective and talks about what we’ve learnt since. Then, we hear about feedback from deputy FT Magazine editor Esther Bintliff. We live in a culture obsessed with feedback. But what kind of feedback is actually effective?
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Links and mentions from the episode:
– Either/Or by Elif Batuman is available in all good bookstores.
– Esther’s piece on feedback, https://www.ft.com/content/a681ac3c-73b8-459b-843c-0d796f15020e
– Bradley Whitford describing the three-step reaction on WTF with Marc Maron http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-909-bradley-whitford
– If you want to hear Kim Scott talking about Radical Candour at Inbound Bold Talks, 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj9GLeNCgm4
– Elif Batuman is on Twitter @BananaKarenina. Esther is on Twitter @estherbintliff.
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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.
Silicon Valley clip in this episode is courtesy of HBO.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com