How many threads lead us to cultural dissonance? In this installment of the podcast, Larry invites back to the program author Alma Katsu discussing her latest work The Fervor Larry asks how difficult is it to put a character into a crisis and how they work their way out of that situation? Alma discusses developing conflict in a story and always ask what the worst thing that can happen, then write their way out. Larry talks about how Alma’s culture growing up with a Japanese mother and being a Roman Catholic affects her writing. The book jumps from the 1927 to the 40’s and Larry posits why the basis of the story starts with a man and his family. Larry asks about the “spy balloons” from China and the balloons in Alma’s book and why are balloons so central to the story? There is also a pensive talk about how the settings are also characters in the story. In terms of memory there are 3 types, short term, long term and institutional memory. Larry asks which memory is central to the book? Alma describes how this work is different than most of her other historical horror/fiction. After a break, Larry speaks about storytelling in terms of professional wrestling. Larry watched the sport in the past and has recently began watching once again. In storytelling there are heroes and villains, but in wrestling, there are heels and babyfaces, and Larry speaks about the Netflix series Wrestlers and how the characters personal lives follow their characters.
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