Jennifer Egan has spent a lifetime thinking about what makes a good story — to good effect. Her novels have received many awards and recognitions, including the Pulitzer Prize for “A Visit From the Good Squad.” Its companion book and her latest work, “The Candy House,” was named one of The New York Times’s 10 Best Books of 2022.
They say that one of the best ways to become a good writer is to read, but in this episode, Egan demonstrates what writers can learn from other art forms. For her, the music of Chopin exemplifies how “surprise, inevitability, variability [and] multiple fronts of action” can craft an unforgettable narrative — even without words.
The performance of Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 featured in this episode is by Krystian Zimerman and comes from his 1988 Deutsche Grammophon record, "Chopin - 4 Balladen - Barcarolle - Fantasie."
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Víkingur Ólafsson on the Unpredictable Futurism of Rameau
Garth Greenwell on Finding Refuge in the Music of Britten and Pears
Rowan Williams on Bach and the Daily Discipline of Silence
Dexter Filkins on Tension, Tenderness, and Ravel
Marin Alsop on Beethoven and Humanity’s Infinite Potential
Nathalie Joachim on the Connection Between Brahms and Haiti
Elizabeth Day on Jacqueline du Pré’s Elgar and Navigating Loss
Damien Sneed on Dreams, Family and Franz Liszt
Deborah Frances-White on Chance Encounters and Mozart
Tom Hiddleston on Arvo Pärt and the Infinite
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30. Esther Perel on Peace
29. Krystal Hawes on Imperfection
28. Dessa on Patience
27. Jesse Eisenberg on History
26. Christopher Wheeldon on A Journey
25. Megan Reid on What Changed My Life
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