S6 Ep. 36: Time, Trump, and Trauma: Matt Bell Talks Living on a Political Mobius Strip

Writer Matt Bell joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss the eerily familiar run-up to the 2024 presidential race, as well as his latest novel, Appleseed. Referencing his recent craft book, Refuse to Be Done, Bell talks about how literature frequently uses repetition and non-linear chronology to mimic the experience of trauma. He also explains how expanding Appleseed’s timeline helped him to consider the possibility of redemption after disaster. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Matt Bell Appleseed Refuse to Be Done A Tree or a Person or a Wall Scrapper In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods Others: The Dark Tower by Stephen King Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer Losing Music by John Cotter Time’s Arrow by Martin Amis Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Beloved by Toni Morrison The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone and Michael Smolli “Rhyming Action” by Charles Baxter Hyperobjects by Timothy Morton The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry Eleutheria by Allegra Hyde The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins Trump Town Hall Shows His Second-Term Plan: Shattering Even More Norms - The New York Times Pod Save America | Crooked Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices