26: Eric Beck Rubin (School Of Velocity)

2020-11-09

Charlie and Eric Beck Rubin (School Of Velocity) discuss the representation of the Holocaust in literature, using classical music as a literary device, having a main character whose person limits the opportunity for dialogue through his obsession with another, and the reader being a writer. Please note that the first reading contains sexual content. Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into...

Please note that the first reading contains sexual content.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-26-eric-beck-rubin

Wikipedia's article on Imre Kertész
Wikipedia's article on Georges Perec
Wikipedia's article on Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated
Wikipedia's article on Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier
The full quote on reading and writing, by the writer Jonathan Lethem, is: "Reading and writing are the same thing; it's just one's the more active and the other's the more passive. They flow into each other."
Wikipedia's article on John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany
Czerny's School Of Velocity on YouTube

Eric has written many articles on cultural history – among them are:
'Not Again'
'Georges Perec, Lost and Found in the Void: The Memoirs of an Indirect Witness' (requires a JStor account to access)
'Avoided: On Georges Perec'
'Sisyphus in Kertész's Fatelessness' (opens in a PDF)

Eric's literary podcast 'Burning Books'

Question Index

00:41 Tell us about your PhD on the Holocaust in literature
03:13 What musical instruments do you play?
04:12 Favourite classical musician?
05:10 I know that reviews say School of Velocity is like The Great Gatsby – is there anything in this?
06:11 Why The Netherlands for the story?
13:48 It's a while until anyone but Dirk and Jan are given any dialogue. Is this something you'd considered doing throughout?
16:58 How did you go about choosing the classical music that Jan plays?
19:11 Can you talk about your choice to use Czerny's music as the title and in the context of your characters?
20:44 Do you see Jan and Dirk as having loved each other?
32:20 Do you think it would've been possible for Dirk to narrate the story from his side?
33:41 How much affect did Dirk's parents have on him?
35:38 How important was Lena's inclusion in the story?
37:39 Where did the idea of using this 'musical tinnitus', enough to cause sickness, come from?
39:10 What's next?