I tore through this one in no time, but it is more of a prose poem than a novel. It is beautifully written and thoughtful, but there is essentially no plot and no one really changes from the beginning to the end of the book. An excellent example of literary fiction, but not everyone’s cup of tea. I like this kind of book if I want to feel elite and smart, but usually I like my fiction to tell a good story. I guess I’m a bit old fashioned that way. Or maybe I just prefer non-fiction and only dip into fiction when I want to be entertained.
Red Valkyries in Slovak!
A new translation of Red Valkyries!
Spotted in the Hugendubel in Erfurt
One copy of the English paperback! In a relatively small city like Erfurt, this feels like a real triumph!
Signing paperback copies of Everyday Utopia in Dublin
I was working at the National Library of Ireland and popped into a nearby bookstore, Hodges Figgis, to buy myself a new journal, and lo and behold, I spotted my book on the “factual favorites” table. The kindly staff let me sign the copies they had in stock.
2024 Reading Challenge: Psalm for the Wild-Built
I loved this little novella so much, that I actually wrote a good old fashioned piece of fan mail to the author:
Dear Becky Chambers,
I'm a cultural anthropologist and a 53-year-old professor of Russian and East European Studies at Penn that never has time to read for leisure. It was snowing in Philadelphia today so I stayed in bed and did something I almost never do: I read your wonderful little book, Psalm for the Wild-Built, cover-to-cover on my stomach and under my covers in my pajamas like a teenager. It was the most luxurious thing in the world and it so suited the message of your book.
Anyway, as I fellow author, I always love it when readers reach out to tell me how much they were moved by my words. So I just wanted to do the same.
No expectation of a reply here; just know that your writing reached out on a cold winter's day in Philadelphia and made this sometimes cynical intellectual smile.
In solidarity,
Kristen R. Ghodsee
A 2023 Notable Book for Behavioral Scientist →
So pleased for this recognition
The paperback covers are here
It looks like my UK paperback of Everyday Utopia will appear in May followed by the US paperback in late July. Both presses have redesigned the covers to appeal to a broader audience, with Bodley Head in the UK completely reconceptualizing the cover and the subtitle. I like them both a lot, although they are quite different.
My Year in Reading for The Millions →
Marxism and Mistletoe: A Gift Guide for Lefties →
Check out my holiday gift guide!
New podcast episode and free book offer! →
A new episode of A.K. 47 has posted. In it Kristen Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy."
Just in time for the holidays, the first 15 listeners in the United States who email Alexandra.kollontai.podcast@gmail.com will receive a free, signed, and dedicated copy of Everyday Utopia: What 2000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life.
Please be sure to send your address and the text of your dedication. Books will be sent via Media Mail and may take 7-10 business days to reach you depending on your distance from Philadelphia. Only available for listeners in the United States.
Nice shout out in the Atlantic →
A lovely day in Princeton
I was invited to teach a seminar at the university and took some time to poke around in Labyrinth Books and visit Professor Piet Hut at the Institute for Advanced Study.
My conversation with Lauren Goode for WIRED's Have a Nice Future podcast →
Listen or read the transcript now
My interview with the amazing Sean Illing for the Gray Area podcast →
I adored this conversation with Sean Illing. Read the transcript or listen to the full podcast on whichever platform you use.
A clip from my interview with Sean Illing
Fall book tour!
Join me in person at the following venues. More information available on my events page.
A Video of my City Lights Live! event from July 19th →
Tomorrow at 10:00am (EST) - Livestream with Mexie (Total Liberation Podcast) →
Tune in for a fun conversation with Mexie of the Total Liberation Podcast at 10:00am (EDT) or 16:00 (CET)
Pub Date in Belgium! →
And the first translation is out!
Scenes from my May 24th book event with Joan Wallach Scott at the Institute for Advanced Study
Thanks very much to Andrea Kane for her lovely photographs!
