This week, we are thrilled to host Lauren Oyler, one of the most influential young literary critics of her generation. Lauren’s writings have garnered widespread acclaim through her contributions for The New Yorker, Harper’s, the London Review of Books, and her celebrated novel “Fake Accounts”.
In conversation with our resident interviewer, Habib William Kherbek, Lauren discusses her latest work “No Judgement”. This highly acclaimed book comprises eight wide-ranging, critical essays that take on various particularities of contemporary culture, including the attention economy, the internet, urban spaces, social networks, the ‘Me Too’ movement, reality TV, diversity, agency, the role of criticism, gossip and her own relentless anxiety, all delivered in her distinctive jaunty style.
During their conversation, they explore Lauren’s incorporation of personal anecdotes into her writing, the rise in the popularity of autofiction, and the role of irony and ambiguity within this genre. They also delve into the author’s mindfulness of the reader, the impact of distance and proximity within a cultural dimension.
Lauren and Habib also reflect upon their shared experiences as expatriates living in Berlin while hailing from the Unites States. They touch upon the challenges of writing novels and cultural criticism, as well as the challenges they have both faced; the difficulty in defending one’s own enjoyment of a work in the face of criticism.
We are delighted to feature Lauren as our guest on this week’s episode of Creatrx Pod.
