TMR 16.1: “Roberto Bolaño Overview” [2666]

Season 16 is here! At long last, Bolaño’s 2666 takes center stage, and Chad and Brian are joined by translator and Bolaño enthusiast, Katie Whittemore. In this opening episode, they discuss the myth-making of Bolaño’s biography, they talk about sudden fame, the grind of the artist, and of the way that everything is read as genius once someone is declared a genius. They talk about Last Words on Earth by Javier Serena and Katie Whittemore, and they preview 2666 talking about the “black holes” of the novel (which ties into Bolaño’s “Infrarealist Manifesto”) and discussing the not-quite-bestselling Caitlyn Reads 2666. 

This week’s music is “Airplane Rider” by Air Miami.

If you’d prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian’s book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie’s translations, especially Four by Four and Last Words on Earth. 

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter’s activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.