Overview

In this episode of "The Book I Had to Write" podcast, Paul interviews Josh Lambert, author of The Literary Mafia: Jews, Publishing, and Postwar American Literature.  Josh shares the story of how the term 'Jewish literary mafia' came about in the 1950s and 1960s. They delve into the problems of gatekeeping and publishing's lack of diversity, and ask whether a 'literary mafia' could point to ways to make the industry more inclusive.

Discussed

Editor Gordon Lish, most famous for cutting Raymond Carver's stories, but who was instrumental in championing Jewish writers like Cynthia Ozick

The concept of the Jewish literary mafia, the evolution of literary representation, and the importance of diversity.

The experiences of Jewish women writers in the 20th century publishing industry

The phenomenon of "whisper novels" as a way for women to address their experiences in the publishing industry

Exploring tokenism and lack of diversity in the publishing industry

Buy the Book

The Literary Mafia: Jews, Publishing, and Postwar American Literature is available fromBookshop | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Credits

This episode was produced by Chérie Newman at Magpie Audio Productions. The theme music is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions.

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