From The Archives: Dua & Max Porter On ‘Grief Is The Thing With Feathers’
Summary
Dua Lipa hosts author Max Porter to discuss his novel *Grief Is the Thing with Feathers*, exploring its unique three-voice narrative involving a father, his sons, and a talking crow. They delve into themes of grief, the creative process, and Porter’s admiration for poet Ted Hughes. Porter performs dramatic readings from the book, including the mischievous Crow’s perspective, while discussing how art helps process loss and find beauty in pain.
Topics discussed
Pepsi Zero Sugar commercial
Introduction to Max Porter and Grief is the Thing with Feathers
The beauty of strangeness and experimental writing
Max Porter's background as an editor and creative process
Maintaining naivety and authenticity in art
The three voices: Dad, Crow, and the Boys
The Crow as a trickster and multifaceted metaphor
Visual thinking and drawing as part of writing
Max Porter reads a passage from the Crow's perspective
Pepsi Zero Sugar commercial
Personal grief, loss, and the book's impact on readers
Giving permission to feel mad and disoriented by grief
Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and separating art from the artist
The book's ending and the necessity of uplift
Music vs. Literature and a reading from the Dad's perspective
Film adaptations and closing remarks
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