Writer Siri Hustvedt on James Baldwin’s Complexity

Notes from America with Kai Wright

In the third episode of “Notes on a Native Son,” host Razia Iqbal sits down with the celebrated writer of novels and essays, Siri Hustvedt. When Hustvedt was invited to record a conversation for the podcast about her favorite passage from the work of James Baldwin, the timing in so many ways couldn’t have been worse — it turned out to be the last few weeks of life for her husband, writer Paul Auster. However, a few weeks after his passing, Hustvedt reached out to say that she was ready.

She felt that re-reading and talking about Baldwin would somehow be a balm for her grief. Hustvedt describes how Baldwin’s novels “possessed” her as a young reader and discusses his intricate ability to recognize the oppressor within, even as he gave a voice to the oppressed.

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Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.