Cultural critic Margo Jefferson deconstructs her nervous system… or at least explains to Roxane how the culture, not just family, has made her who she is. She talks about her new memoir, which situates cultural criticism alongside personal memories. Also, Roxane reflects on what memoirists reveal, and don’t reveal, to their readers.

Mentions:

●     C.J. Hauser’s essay “The Crane Wife” https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/07/16/the-crane-wife/

●     C.J. Hauser’s memoir “The Crane Wife” https://bookshop.org/books/the-crane-wife-a-memoir-in-essays/9780385547079

●     Margo Jefferson’s “Negroland” https://bookshop.org/books/negroland-a-memoir/9780307473431

●     Margo Jefferson’s “Constructing a Nervous System” https://bookshop.org/books/constructing-a-nervous-system-a-memoir/9781524748173

Credits: Curtis Fox is the producer. Our researcher is Yessenia Moreno. Production help from Kaitlyn Adams and Meg Pillow. Theme music by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Sugiura.