The novelist Jonathan Franzen discusses religion, the ethics of writing characters of a different race, and his deliberate evolution away from literary formalism and “po-mo hijinks.” As Broadway reopens, the theatre critics Vinson Cunningham and Alexandra Schwartz discuss whether the record-breaking number of plays by Black playwrights this season is a sign of things to come or a short-term response to the racial reckoning that began in 2020. Plus, the music critic Amanda Petrusich discusses three tracks from a playlist for a new baby.
Jonathan Franzen Talks with David Remnick About “Crossroads”
The novelist discusses religion, the ethics of writing characters of a different race, and his deliberate evolution away from literary formalism and “po-mo hijinks.”
Broadway’s Unusual Reopening
The critics Vinson Cunningham and Alexandra Schwartz discuss whether the record-breaking number of plays by Black playwrights this season is a sign of things to come.
Amanda Petrusich Picks Three Rock Classics for Baby
It’s hard for a critic to select songs for a person who has never heard music. Petrusich offers picks from Aretha Franklin, Paul and Linda McCartney, and the Velvet Underground.
The New Yorker Radio Hour is a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker.
More News
What’s Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend reading and listening
This Japanese airport hasn’t lost luggage in three decades
Lawyer Up