022 The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra

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If, like Julia, you are obsessed with books about deeply meaningful coincidences, then you’ll love this multi-generational book of stories by Anthony Marra about every human’s fight to not be erased. The Tsar of Love and Techno spans 60 years, 3 Russian cities, 3 regime changes, 9 major characters, and even multiple planets in the solar system, all centered around a very well-traveled painting of the countryside. Join us as we try to untangle this very elaborate, expertly-crafted plot and recount the many times we unexpectedly laughed or cried, or both at once.

Things in the episode:

• Anthony Marra’s website

• A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

• What’s a casette tape again?

• Censorship of images in the Soviet Union

• Greek Chorus

• What is a Gulag?

• Chechen-Russian conflict

• Intergenerational Trauma

• The last Tsar of Russia

• Kit Kittredge and the Great Depression

Recommendations:

• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (and the HBO adaptation)

• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (and the 2019 film adaptation)

• Some Luck by Jane Smiley

Next Week:

• Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

• Watch her TED Talk here!