#20: M.T. Anderson 2016

Rewrite Radio

Episode 20 of Rewrite Radio features MT Anderson at the 2016 Festival of Faith & writing and his talk titled “The Sacred and the Strange.” MT, or Tobin as his friends call him, talked about how paying attention to what might be considered “unusual” religious practices can help us see our own faith with new eyes. He says literature has a similar power to help us see our lives more clearly, by taking what we think we know and putting it at a distance, making it strange. Tobin has written over 40 books for young adults, including The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, which won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and Feed, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His first graphic novel, Yvain: The Knight of the Lion, came out earlier year. And his next novel, Landscape with Invisible Hand is set to come out September 2017. Joining us to talk about the sacred and the strange is Tara Isabella Burton, who also spoke at the 2016 Festival. Like Tobin, she’s observed religious practices from all corners of the globe writing for National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, and Al Jazeera, among many other publications. She’s currently the religion writer for Vox. Her first novel, Social Creature, comes out next summer. Many thanks to M. T. Anderson. Check out his website at mt-anderson.com, and follow him on Twitter @_MTAnderson. Thanks also to Tara Isabella Burton. You can learn more about her at www.taraisabellaburton.com, and follow her on Twitter @NotoriousTIB.