Radical Writing on Guardian Books podcast

The history of the American left gets a personal treatment in Jonathan Lethem's latest novel, Dissident Gardens, while the feminist and radical Lynne Segal examines the confusions and contradictions of contemporary attitudes to ageing in her book Out of Time. Both feature on this week's Guardian Books podcast, focusing on radical writing.


According to the feminist and activist Lynne Segal, the palimpsest of experience which older people bring to the the world is an unavoidable part of a long life. She talks about the problem with ageing well, how growing old throws gender divisions into sharp relief and how literature allows us to step back from the cliches of the moment.  She examines the confusions and contradictions of contemporary attitudes to ageing in her book Out of Time: The Pleasures and the Perils of Ageing.

What happens to a revolutionary when the revolution never comes? Jonathan Lethem looks back at the history of the American left in his latest novel, Dissident Gardens, examining it through the life of a fiery New York activist, Rose Zimmer. 

Listen to the podcast in full, here.

Join Lynne Segal at JW3 on March 11th as she speaks about the pleasures and perils of ageing alongside Anne Karpf.