{"id":12840,"date":"2020-01-20T18:45:46","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T23:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/?p=12840"},"modified":"2020-01-20T18:48:50","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T23:48:50","slug":"episode-358-daniel-mendelsohn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/chimeraobscura.com\/vm\/episode-358-daniel-mendelsohn","title":{"rendered":"Episode 358 – Daniel Mendelsohn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Virtual Memories Show 358:
\nDaniel Mendelsohn<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/virtualmemories\/Episode_358_-_Daniel_Mendelsohn.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>

Podcast: Play in new window<\/a> | Download<\/a><\/p>

Subscribe: Spotify<\/a> | TuneIn<\/a> | RSS<\/a> | More<\/a><\/p>\n

“Achilles is a hero who is mesmerizing without being penetrable, whereas Odysseus I think I understand (perhaps hubristic to say that).”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>His wondrous new collection, Ecstasy and Terror: From the Greeks to Game of Thrones<\/a>\"\" (NYRB), brings a dizzying array of Daniel Mendelsohn<\/a>‘s critical-essayistic-memoir pieces together. We sat down to talk about the work of the critic and the drama that makes for a great critical piece, as well as the temptation to make a name by going after easy targets, his need to criscross genres and categories with personal writing and criticism, and why his negative review of Mad Men<\/em><\/a> got him more pushback than anything else he’s written. We get into his amazing 2017 memoir, An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, and an Epic<\/a>, its gorgeous structure and its insight into Homer and our present day, while we try to suss out why the great Greek translators have either produced a great Iliad<\/em> or a great Odyssey<\/em>, but not both (he’s working on a new translation of The Odyssey<\/em>). We also discuss the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the nature of contemporary mythmaking, my pet theory about the tragedy of Achilles in the Iliad<\/em>, Emily Wilson’s question about Odysseus’ true homophrosyne<\/em>, the role of erudition in criticism, how institutions like The New Yorker, New York Review of Books, Paris Review<\/em> etc. handle succession, our love of the finale of The Americans<\/em>, his one conversation with Philip Roth, and SO<\/em> much more. Give it a listen!<\/a> And go buy Ecstasy and Terror: From the Greeks to Game of Thrones<\/a>\"\" and An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, and an Epic<\/a>\"\"!<\/p>\n

“When you start as a critic, there’s a great drive to make your mark and be noticed.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n