On culture in the time of coronavirus. Plus: novelist Eimear McBride

This week has been dominated by the spread of coronavirus. The situation is changing so fast that we decided to publish a couple of days early. In the first half of this episode, Gris and Lilah discuss how coronavirus is already changing daily life — and how it might impact culture in the longer term. Will we lose our fear of missing out? What will the 'experience economy' look like? And can the thrill of a live performance be replicated online? The second half of the episode is an escape from all that: Gris meets the Irish novelist Eimear McBride, who wrote the literary sensation A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing. They discuss one-night stands, middle-aged women in literature, and her new novel Strange Hotel.

We’d love to hear how you’re doing in these strange and scary times, and in particular which TV shows, films and books are bringing you comfort. We’ll put a selection of your recommendations in our next episode. You can tweet us at @FTculturecall or email us at culturecall@ft.com. Stay safe, and stay in touch.

Links from the episode:

Let us know what you think of Culture Call (and win a pair of headphones): ft.com/culturecallsurvey

Henry Mance’s FT piece ‘Will coronavirus change how we live?’ (paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/8044788c-5e05-11ea-b0ab-339c2307bcd4

Trend forecaster Emily Segal discusses the experience economy on Culture Call: https://www.ft.com/content/d5f298c8-ca35-43bd-af3c-fdc5c4c7edf7

The New Yorker on the Netflix show Love is Blind: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/how-love-is-blind-transcends-the-norms-of-reality-television

FT review of Jenny Offill’s novel Weather: https://www.ft.com/content/5050a052-4766-11ea-aee2-9ddbdc86190d

FT review of Eimear McBride’s novel Strange Hotel: https://www.ft.com/content/5fd7880a-3ddf-11ea-b84f-a62c46f39bc2

‘Today I Learned That Not Everyone Has An Internal Monologue And It Has Ruined My Day’:

https://insidemymind.me/2020/01/28/today-i-learned-that-not-everyone-has-an-internal-monologue-and-it-has-ruined-my-day/

New York Times interview with Jeremy O Harris, our next podcast guest: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/28/theater/jeremy-o-harris-slave-play.html

Episode in which Lilah recommends Jeremy O Harris’s Slave Play: https://www.ft.com/content/c71cfeee-1ca8-4b07-be68-a05500c6067

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