kjersti skomsvold – Three Percent

Revisiting “Monsterhuman” by Kjersti Skomsvold

Chad Post — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 20:17:03 +0000

As part of Women in Translation Month—and to shine a spotlight on some of our best Two Month Review seasons—I thought I would repost information about a few relevant TMR seasons that might be of interest. First up is . Here’s the jacket copy:

When Kjersti A. Skomsvold was seventeen years old and about to start engineering studies at college, she found herself almost unable to move. “Laid out like a relic” in a nursing home, she listens to an old woman dying, watches her boyfriend drift away, and makes compendious lists of her worries (that she will have to go speed-dating in a wheelchair, that she will be afraid and in pain for the rest of her life). She also begins to compose a novel on Post-it notes that she sticks on the wall above her bed.

Monsterhuman��is an autofictional tour de force–a funny, sad, astoundingly energetic novel about suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, the power of writing, and twenty-first-century literary life.

And here are links to each episode along with info on which pages were covered.

Episode 1: Pages 1-45 (, , )

Episode 2: Pages 46-92 (, , )

Episode 3: Pages 93-143 (, , )

Episode 4: Pages 144-180 (, , )

Episode 5: Pages 180-225 (, , )

Episode 6: Pages 226-274 (, , )

Episode 7: Pages 275-316 (, , )

Episode 8: Pages 316-360 (, , )

Episode 9: Pages 360-406 (, , )

Episode 10: Pages 407-448 (, , )

Enjoy!

And while you’re here, you should get a copy of�� and be ready for Season Twenty of TMR starting on September 6th!

TMR 9.09: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 360-406)

Chad Post — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 22:40:16 +0000

Translator Becky Crook comes on this week’s podcast to talk about the process of working on��Monsterhuman, all the things that she couldn’t quite get in there, ones she’s very proud of, the reasons why she thinks the book works, and much much more!

Only one episodee left! You can watch the episode on pgs 407-448 live on YouTube, or listen to it on Thursday the 26th.��Also, all of our past episodes are available on our in case you want to catch up on anything.

This week’s music is “” by Better Oblivion Community Center.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker SHORTLIST!!

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And follow Patrick on and for hot takes and pictures of Vermont bookstores.

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.08: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 316-360)

Chad Post — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 13:00:45 +0000

This week, Brian is AWOL BUT Patrick Smith brings his A-game. He and Chad talk about the self-conscious humor in��Monsterhuman, awkward interactions, the shape and evolution of the narrative as a whole, some info about��The Faster I Walk, the Smaller I Am, and much more. A very fun episode that opened as awkwardly as ever . . .

Only two episodes left! And because Chad’s going to be in London for a week, we’ll be broadcasting one more��episode on YouTube this week. (The audio podcast version will release as usual on Thursday 9/19.) That said, here are links to the final two YouTube streams: (pgs 360-406), and (pgs 407-448).

Also, all of our past episodes are available on our in case you want to catch up on anything.

This week’s music is “” by Hallelujah the Hills.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker SHORTLIST!!

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And follow Patrick on and for hot takes and pictures of Vermont bookstores.

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.07: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 275-316)

Chad Post — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 14:55:07 +0000

Although this episode isn’t as funny as last week’s discussion of “,” it does get into some of Brian’s neuroses about his��forthcoming book, which is entertaining. They talk a lot about Skomsvold’s humor, about the creepy ways in which various photographers and interviewers treat her as a young female artist, and the bit where John O’Brien of Dalkey Archive Press makes an appearance. Focusing on aftermath of the publication of her novel The Faster I Walk, the Smaller I Am, “East of the River” is one of the most compelling sections of���ѴǲԲ��ٱ��ܳ��and can be read on it’s own. Even if you haven’t read it, you’ll definitely enjoy this podcast.

Only three episodes left! And because Chad’s going to be in London for a week, we’ll be broadcasting two episodes on YouTube next week. (The audio podcasts will release as usual on Thursday 9/12 and 9/19.) That said, here are links to the final three YouTube streams: (pgs 316-360), (pgs 360-406), and then back to normal, with the final episode on (pgs 407-448).

Also, all of our past episodes are available on our in case you want to catch up on anything.

This week’s music is “House vs. House” by Blanck Mass.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker SHORTLIST!!

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.06: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 226-274)

Chad Post — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 15:40:55 +0000

Caitlin Baker from joins Chad and Brian this week to talk about “The Herring Factory” from Kjersti Skomsvold’s��Monsterhuman. After a strong pitch for nominating Brian for “Best Local Author” in��City Paper’s��annual voting, they get into the book itself, talking about the meta-textual moment of Kjersti writing in the third-person and acknowledging it doesn’t quite work, about the relationship with mentors, about whether or not the character is happy, about the sly humor found throughout this book, about her Harold Pinter dream, getting old, and much, much more.

This week’s music is “Comeback Kid” by Sharon Van Etten.

Next episode will cover pages 226-274 and will be livestreamed on next Wednesday. (All of our past episodes are available on our in case you want to catch up on anything.) You can find the complete reading schedule here.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker Longlist.

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Also, follow on Twitter, and buy some books from !

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.05: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 180-225)

Chad Post — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 12:30:33 +0000

Tom Flynn from Volumes opens up today’s episode with a reading from Brian’s first book, . Then, along with Chad, they break down the rest of “The Human School” from��Monsterhuman, talk about how much they love Skomsvold’s voice and sense of humor, look at the way in which she starts playing with first- and third-person narration in the opening bits of “The Herring Factory,” and crap on Ben Lerner a little bit. Good fun!

This week’s music is “Please Take Me With You” by Broken Social Scene.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker Longlist.

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Also, follow on Twitter, and buy some books from !

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.04: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 144-180)

Chad Post — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:30:34 +0000

Even though the first few seconds (“On today’s Two Month Review we’ll be talking about . . . “) got cut off, Chad gives his most professional podcast introduction to date, before he and Brian talk about the , the cyclical nature of chronic illness, the idea of plot points vs. events, and reasons their respective spouses would give for leaving them. (Maybe an all-time TMR highlight.)

This week’s music is “” by The Regrettes.

Next episode will cover pages 180-225 and will be livestreamed on next Wednesday. (All of our past episodes are available on our in case you want to catch up on anything.) You can find the complete reading schedule here.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker Longlist.

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And foll0w Marius on .

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.03: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 92-143)

Chad Post — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 14:07:46 +0000

In this episode, Chad and Brian applaud Kjersti for not getting back together with her ex-boyfriend, talk about circular structures, about the evolution of her written voice, about Antony and the Johnsons, the myth-making behind Babe Ruth, and much more.

This week’s music is “Patterns Prevail” by Young Guv.

Next episode will cover pages 144-180 and will be livestreamed on next Wednesday. You can find the complete reading schedule here.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker Longlist.

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And foll0w Marius on .

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.02: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 46-92)

Chad Post — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 12:30:40 +0000

One of the funniest TMR episodes in weeks, Chad and Brian crack each other up over writerly anxieties, the sharp wit Kjersti displays in this section, the White Claw Phenomenon, writer vs. author vs. journaler, Kjersti’s distain for bad poetry (and TV) about chronic fatigue syndrome, pop culture references from the early-1990s, and much much more. They do also talk quite a bit about the book itself, how Skomsvold is creating a sort of narrative consciousness, the evolution of the book’s voice (in lieu of a strong forward-moving plot), and other craft elements.

This week’s music (maybe the music for the rest of the season?) is “Storyline Fever” by Purple Mountains.

Next episode will cover pages 93-143 and will be livestreamed on next Wednesday. You can find the complete reading schedule here.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker Longlist.

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And foll0w Marius on .

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.

TMR 9.01: Monsterhuman by Kjersti Skomsvold (pgs 1-45)

Chad Post — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:30:46 +0000

The new season of the Two Month Review starts here! Through the end of September we’ll be discussing Kjersti Skomsvold’s��Monsterhuman, translated from the Norwegian by Becky L. Crook. Marius Hjeldnes from joins Chad and Brian to provide a bit of background on Skomsvold, on trends in Norwegian literature, on that whole “dice” thing, and much more. They cover the first three sections of the book, laying out the main themes and ideas that set-up this novel about a young woman suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, trying to rebuild her sense of self by becoming a writer. An incredibly interesting, episodic novel that you should be able to dive into, even if you don’t read every page.

This week’s music comes directly from the opening sections, featuring some really tough songs: “Hole in the Head” by Sugababes and “Never Easy” by Kurt Nilsen.

Season 10 will be the first English-language title to be included, , which was just named to the Booker Longlist.

Follow and for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And foll0w Marius on .

And be sure to preorder Brian’s book,��, which is coming out this fall from BOA Editions.

You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to It really helps people to discover the podcast.