Episode 30: Sailing on the SHIP OF FOOLS Artwork

Great American Novel

Few literary terms are more hotly debated, discounted, or derided than the "Great American Novel." But while critics routinely dismiss the phrase as at best hype and as at worst exclusionary, the belief that a national literature commensurate with both the scope and the contradictions of being American persists. In this podcast Scott Yarbrough and Kirk Curnutt examine totemic works such as Herman Melville's Moby-Dick and Toni Morrison's Beloved that have been labeled GANs, exploring their themes, forms, and reception histories, asking why, when, and how they entered the literary canon. Readers beware: there be spoilers here, and other hijinks ensue...

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Great American Novel

Episode 30: Sailing on the SHIP OF FOOLS

November 10, 2024 • Scott Yarbrough and Kirk Curnutt • Season 3 • Episode 30

A couple of weeks ago—after this episode was recorded, but before it was edited and posted—the famous author Stephen King posted online his top ten novels of all time—and among them was Katherine Anne Porter’s Ship of Fools. This 1962 book was the first novel by Porter, a great American writer who had mostly worked in the short story genre and as a journalist and editor. The novel tells of a German passenger liner traveling from Mexico to different ports of Europe in the 1930s. It presents a multinational, highly varied cast of characters. Ship of Fools received rave reviews at first, before then suffering through the obligatory critical backlash. The film rights sold for what at the time was a kaboodle of money and the movie was nominated for and received a number of Academy Awards. Hosts Kirk Curnutt and Scott Yarbrough wrestle with these questions: is this work a great American novel after all? Are we all fools bound on an eternal quest for understanding or relevance or fares with inclusive food and drinks? Why did the author take thirty years (almost) to finish the book? Come steam away with us as we sort it out.

Listeners are warned as always: there be spoilers here!

The film audio clips are from the trailer to Ship of Fools, directed and produced in 1965 by Stanley Kramer and starring Vivien Leigh and Lee Marvin, among others. Released by Columbia Pictures.

The show music is by Lobo Loco. The intro song is “Old Ralley,” and the outro is “Inspector Invisible.” For more information visit: https://locolobomusic.com/.