Helen Oyeyemi: Peaces

Eric and Daya speak with the acclaimed short story writer and novelist Helen Oyeyemi. Born in Nigeria, Oyeyemi grew up in England, and her first novel, the Icarus Girl was published while she was still in high school. Her other work includes the short story collection What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, along with five other novels, including Mr. Fox, Gingerbread and Boy, Snow, Bird. In 2013, she was named one of Granta‘s Best Young British Novelists.  She joins us today to talk about her latest novel called Peaces, published this past month. Peaces is about two young lovers, Otto and Xavier Shin, who board an unusual train to celebrate their unofficial honeymoon. Accompanied by their pet mongoose, the two begin to explore the cars and the meet the three other passengers on board. The book can be described as a madcap existential mystery at the center of which is a question about how we see other people and what it means to be seen or not seen. Rachel Kushner returns to recommend The Autobiography of Chuck Berry. And there's also special bonus gushing over the recently completed season of Drag Race.