DeepSummary
This episode features an interview with Miranda July, an actor, filmmaker, and writer, about her new novel 'All Fours'. The novel explores themes of marriage, desire, and perimenopause, and July discusses how her own life experiences influenced the book's writing. She talks about the 'cliff' metaphor representing the transition to midlife and the changes that occur during this period.
July explains how the book aims to honestly portray the experiences of a woman in the middle of her life, including the physical and emotional changes that come with age. She shares how conversations with other women and healthcare professionals informed her understanding of perimenopause and how writing the book allowed her to create space for herself.
The interview touches on July's approach to writing sex scenes and the role of dance in her work. July reads an excerpt from the novel and discusses the intersection of fiction and reality in her writing process.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Miranda July's new novel 'All Fours' explores the experiences of a woman navigating midlife, including the physical and emotional changes that come with perimenopause.
- July draws inspiration from her own personal journey and conversations with other women to honestly portray the realities of aging and womanhood.
- The novel delves into themes of marriage, desire, and the body, as well as the role of dance and movement in self-expression.
- July's writing process involves balancing fiction with authentic experiences, embracing vulnerability and discomfort to capture genuine emotional truths.
- The 'cliff' metaphor represents the transition to midlife and the sense of uncertainty and change that can accompany this period.
- July aims to give voice to often-overlooked or stigmatized aspects of women's experiences, such as menopause.
- The novel blurs the lines between fiction and reality, with July's own life influencing the narrative and vice versa.
- July's approach to writing sex scenes involves capturing the complexity and truthfulness of the experience, beyond fictionalized narratives.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I really think it probably began in my forties, having this new grim feeling about the future, which was weird because I'm like a very excited, hopeful person.“ by Miranda July
- “Dibs on menopause, something that literally no one wants dibs on. But I felt like I was the man for the job.“ by Miranda July
- “I wrote so much stuff that just flowed out. That was so fun to write, so exciting. And then I would go back and I'd think, that's not really true, which is so easy to do because so much of sex is about kind of a story, right?“ by Miranda July
- “And there was even something about, like, the embarrassment of that, you know, it's that kind of embarrassment that lets you know, like, you're onto something.“ by Miranda July
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Episode Information
The New Yorker Radio Hour
WNYC Studios and The New Yorker
5/21/24