Passive Aggressive vs. ‘Massive Aggressive’ With Novelist Elizabeth Strout
Summary
Host Anna Sale interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout about her latest novel, *The Things We Never Say*, and her exploration of midlife, loneliness, and aging. Strout discusses her unconventional path to writing, including a stint in stand-up comedy that helped her find her authentic voice, and reflects on her upbringing in Maine. The conversation covers themes of mortality, the influence of Carl Jung, and the quiet resilience of her characters.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Elizabeth Strout and her new novels
Sponsors: TD Bank and Gab
Aging, turning points, and the significance of age 57
Dreams, Carl Jung, and the pain of midlife divorce
Early career fears and living in a fourth-floor walk-up
Law school, gerontology, and observing loneliness in department stores
Sponsors: Blueland, Bill, and Quince
Taking a stand-up comedy class to find her voice
Childhood in New England: isolation and observing people
Religion, ministers, and the desire to understand others
Sponsor: Ollie Kids Sleep
Moving to New York: culture shock and public conflict
Meeting her husband through her writing
Returning to Maine and finding beauty in the landscape
Perspectives on death, acceptance, and cleaning up
Credits and show support information
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