The B.E.E. Podcast - 2/1/20 - Blake Nelson - SILVER
Added 2020-02-02 01:04:20 +0000 UTCNovelist Blake Nelson and Bret Easton Ellis discuss being heckled at Portland's Powell's, delivering a punk aesthetic in a mainstream package, the critical reappraisal of John Updike and bailing on Gordon Lish.
Comments
Love a Gordon Lish anecdote.. a true original... and a ballsy writer as well as editor. Great talk! thx.
Kenny Curwood
2020-07-25 18:52:12 +0000 UTCThis guy is so much cooler than the other writer guest who bad-mouthed him.
Jett
2020-07-21 22:57:19 +0000 UTCGreat guest
Jett
2020-06-25 21:39:50 +0000 UTCFun interview. Recently bought The Red Pill & American Psycho for a laugh and if they trigger me then all the better. Novels should trespass on our mental safe spaces.
Benjamin Terpstra
2020-05-30 07:12:21 +0000 UTCIt's weird what Bret says about "hot" muscular big dicked guys getting all the ladies--in my experience ugly small dicked motherfuckers frequently land incredibly beautiful women, while the hot ones are often terrible because they have no game, and frequently women feel like they're at a disadvantage with men too pretty. Otherwise, I think I agree with most of what Bret says about the whacked up way women often talk about how they want romance to go versus what they actually respond to; not to mention "hot"'s a little on the subjective side. But I am now very interested in reading Mr. Nelson's book, never heard of this writer. Love that Ellis is giving us books to read. I loved The Mars Room and Lili Anolik's book Eve Babbington; though Tommy Orange's book wasn't stylistically in their class it was fresh and warm. I would have Mr. Ellis would be looking for the dark disturbing angry books more often than not.
Joseph A Aisenberg
2020-03-21 03:49:46 +0000 UTCGreat guest. I'm surprised Bret did not take the bait when Nelson mentioned his beliefs were far more severe.
BrienPiechos
2020-02-25 15:52:48 +0000 UTCI'd hang out with Blake Nelson, his voice didn't bother me, reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell
Erick
2020-02-23 16:21:20 +0000 UTCGreat podcast , I'm going to look for his books! Ty
Erick
2020-02-19 18:22:41 +0000 UTCLove being introduced to writers like Blake Nelson of whom I wasn’t previously aware. Keep up the good work!
Dave
2020-02-17 07:53:35 +0000 UTCShouldn't trump idealogy*
Clarke
2020-02-15 20:27:16 +0000 UTCNathan, I think BEE's ongoing point is that idealogy should trump aesthetics. Not that idealogy is irrelevant and shouldn't be discussed. Just that art shouldn't be dismissed or venerated just for its idealogy. Since Nelson's book is idealogical, and against the grain of the prevailing idealogy, it's only natural that the idealogy of the book is discussed. And most of the discussion is where he found this idealogy, how he researched the book etc. Seems perfectly reasonable to discuss.
Clarke
2020-02-15 20:26:55 +0000 UTCWell I enjoyed We Were Liars and that was apparently YA.
Clarke
2020-02-15 20:22:45 +0000 UTCAnyone send money to cosplay girls on patreon?
Erick
2020-02-15 10:26:34 +0000 UTCAm I the only one who thinks that Blake Nelson sounds like Joe Pesci?
PeZ
2020-02-14 18:09:58 +0000 UTCBlake Nelson: I wrote a tedious novel with no market that no one wanted to publish but it's not my fault, it's the baddies at the progressive publishing houses like Simon & Schuster. You know, the flaming lefties that publish John Bolton. Usually this kind of I Am A Victim narrative that Nelson banged on about at length makes Bret throw up.
Nathan Duin
2020-02-11 21:48:39 +0000 UTCIt was interesting. Aesthetics over ideology rules the first part of the podcast and then the Blake Nelson starts blathering on about reappraising art through an ideological lense. A lens he formed by reading a gaggle of doofuses on Reddit. He's very careful not to read anything that might challenge his new freedom loving worldview. Pick a lane. Your liberal friends tell you to not censor Girl but your RNC friend tells you to change it, so you do, like a coward. Freedom! Fuck yeah!
Nathan Duin
2020-02-11 21:36:53 +0000 UTCYou didn't know this writer because the vast majority of his books are slight YA novels. I wish you luck getting stuck into that.
Nathan Duin
2020-02-11 21:19:20 +0000 UTCIn my opinion, Blake Nelson wasn't a very good choice. I would have liked to hear more of his actual opinions but he just acted like a born again conservative without actually saying anything. Still, his origin story was quite interesting. And his voice was scary... he shouldn't do podcasts;)
Sven Safarow
2020-02-11 14:44:11 +0000 UTCHilarious choice! it would be Fred Armisen Part II, but this time closer to a mud-fight.
Raúl
2020-02-10 14:34:37 +0000 UTCProbably my favourite interview since Chuck P. Very refreshing to hear from a right of centre writer. Very interesting subject matter. I didn't know this writer and I'll be getting stuck into the book(s). Great review of Parasite too. I was so depressed after seeing so many CGI soups last year hitting all the same narrative beats acceptable to Chinese censors. Parasite was so refreshing.
Clarke
2020-02-09 13:17:33 +0000 UTCUmm, this guy was really dumb.
Lydia
2020-02-09 07:27:07 +0000 UTCSorry. Adding my voice to the chorus disliking this episode. Giving up literature for politics. He took the pill. Zzzzzzzzx
Mark Russ
2020-02-08 21:50:18 +0000 UTCFucking great beggining breakdown of all movies that came out towards the end of the year
Michael Hassiepen
2020-02-07 13:04:49 +0000 UTCBlake sounds like he’s smiling as he’s talking. Not a criticism! An observation.
Binyamin Ironstone
2020-02-07 01:42:01 +0000 UTCthe guy sounds like eric cartman. i don’t know for sure if it just his manner of speaking but it seems like he laughs nonstop at his unfunny stories non stop through the episode.
Oleg
2020-02-06 17:42:50 +0000 UTCTFW when Blake Nelson realizes there’s no difference between the Democrat and Republican parties.
Eric Macom
2020-02-06 14:11:19 +0000 UTCWoah interesting podcast. Blake seemed crazier and crazier as it went on though... sorta seemed like he read too much garbage manosphere shit and went a little nuts. it's 2020; we should be leaving political parties, not joining them. either way, seems like a nice enough dude and will definitely read his new book
Chris Boyland
2020-02-06 00:44:52 +0000 UTCComing from Bret, I found it hilarious :D
T
2020-02-05 20:19:28 +0000 UTCBret, please re-edit this podcast so that this person isn't triggered.
Michael Walsh
2020-02-05 02:15:32 +0000 UTCGood monologue, as usual. I found this guest irritating. Funny how Bret always criticizes people who put ideology over aesthetics and then didn't challenge Nelson when he proclaimed his love for MIDWAY because of the right wing politics he found in it and then went on to say he needed to experience all the art he used to enjoy through his new ideology. At least Bret wrapped it up quickly after that.
Jason
2020-02-04 18:29:14 +0000 UTCThe latest guests sounded almost interchangeable, mostly uninteresting. Supporting characters, placeholders, avatars. I am not suggesting that the conversation should be necessarily conflictual to be interesting, but the homogeneity of themes and positions is becoming monotonous. How about inviting Andrea Long Chu?
John Doe
2020-02-04 17:07:54 +0000 UTCI watched Little Women in spite of myself (I hated the book) and now I can hate both the book and the film. it was so, so, so silly and patronising (and highly confusing, as if Gerwig didn't decide what she was filming). Besides, as you yourself said, Alcott didn't want to write about girls, but Gerwig pretends there was no interest in such themes. I don't understand how Gerwig thought she deserved to be nominated for Best Director (though she compared herself to Shakespeare), so I guess I'll just offend you on twitter for liking film I couldn't stand, though I admit it looked gorgeous. And I'm a woman :D. In all honesty, none of the films which were nominated this year fascinate me that much, not even Parasites, which artistry and intelligence I appreciated, but that I think lost force with the final blood bath. I'm more interested regarding the Best Male Actor and Best Documentary, as I'd like Edge of Democracy to win.
Filipa de Araújo
2020-02-04 04:44:07 +0000 UTCBret crying cultural doomsday over chub porn is maybe the most embarrassing thing I have ever listened to.
Michael MacGowan
2020-02-04 01:29:42 +0000 UTCBlake Nelson has a fine voice. A little high-pitched, a little soft, but very clear. It seems some people are extremely bothered by what he has to say and blame his voice for it.
Arch Friend
2020-02-03 10:29:46 +0000 UTCSure, if you're spending two hours with someone then a radio-friendly voice helps. But "the MOST important requirement"? No way.
Alex Bielovich
2020-02-03 09:39:50 +0000 UTCRichard Yates ! Most underrated writer in American fiction. Really wanna hear more of Bret's thoughts about his work.
Billy Vega
2020-02-02 17:58:24 +0000 UTCBukowski, Henry Miller? Same here. Updike too? Yes. As a Bernie supporter who accepts the reality of Trump, I’ll be scooping the Red Pill once I finish the Goon Squad. Great interview! Super to hear an episode so soon after last. Keep it going, Bret. Flu be dammed!
Brian Rooney
2020-02-02 17:43:29 +0000 UTCBeside their body of work or whatever they have going on at the moment, I think the most important requirement for your guests should be what they 'sound' like. I swear, 5min into the interview and I wanted to punch the guy in the throat. I couldn't finish the podcast and this isn't the first time. I remember one of your female guests from last year with a voice like nails on a chalkboard.
Mathieu Borcard
2020-02-02 16:44:30 +0000 UTCCheered out loud to finally hear an American pronounce 'McKay' properly
Graeme
2020-02-02 10:15:46 +0000 UTCDig the intro monologue though
Paul McConalogue
2020-02-02 03:57:44 +0000 UTCThis guy bores the bollocks off of me.
Paul McConalogue
2020-02-02 03:50:27 +0000 UTC
