Episode 408: A Discussion of Paul Fussell’s Class, with Vanessa Blakeslee!

February 29, 2020

Episode 408: A Discussion of Paul Fussell’s Class, with Vanessa Blakeslee!

Episode 408 of The Drunken Odyssey, your favorite podcast about creative writing and literature is available on Apple podcasts, stitcher, spotify, or click here to stream (right click to download, if that’s your thing.)

This week, my occasional co-host, Vanessa Blakeslee, and I discuss Paul Fussell’s entertaining treatise, Class: A Guide Through the American Status System. While this is clearly not a craft book, a sociological understanding of the American class system can add layers to your characterization, or so John found when he discovered this gem back in the early 1990s. Paul Fussell (1924-2012) possessed a gorgeously sardonic wit when not hiding in academia.

John Vanessa Sailboat — Someday John will own a sailboat, and become truly, deeply, fatally lost, and happy.

TEXTS DISCUSSED

Paul Fussell Class Paul Fussell BAD Image result for the official preppy handbook Fussell Thank God

NOTES

This episode is sponsored by the excellent people at Scribophile.

TDO Listeners can get 20% of a premium subscription to Scribophile. After using the above link to register for a basic account, go here while still logged in to upgrade the account with the discount.

Craft of Fiction Writing, Episode

Class: A Guide Through the American Status System, Miami Book Fair International, Paul Fussell, Vanessa Blakeslee

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thedrunkenodyssey

2 responses to “Episode 408: A Discussion of Paul Fussell’s Class, with Vanessa Blakeslee!”

D J Rout

March 1, 2020 at 7:09 pm

I don’t know whether the podcast is changing or I’m changing (and if it’s the later, is the podcast changing me?) but here we have another couple of books that I’m actually going to buy. Is TDO suffering the same dumbing-down as the rest of America (and Australia, let’s face it)? NO! I refuse to believe that at ep 408, but what will happen at episode 500? I’m going to say that TDO is making me smarter, but not so smart as to no longer enjoy the books I used to enjoy. I am finding out about ones I will like though.

This may seem a bit garbled but I’ve been reading poetry all morning.

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thedrunkenodyssey

March 1, 2020 at 7:31 pm

On Sundays I like to read whiskey and drink poetry, which sustains me until Monday, from which there is no escape.

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The Drunken Odyssey is a forum to discuss all aspects of the writing process, in a variety of genres, in order to foster a greater community among writers.