{"podcast":{"title":"Critics at Large | The New Yorker","slug":"critics-at-large-the-new-yorker-6612611","podcast_index_feed_id":6612611,"rss_url":"https://publicfeeds.net/f/5868/critics-at-large","website_url":"https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/critics-at-large","image_url":"https://f.prxu.org/5868/images/d31d50f8-9222-4f9e-85c3-069b023d7612/CAL-TILE-FINAL.jpg","author":"The New Yorker (audio_production@condenast.com)","episode_count":136,"summary":"Critics at Large is a weekly culture podcast from The New Yorker. Every Thursday, the staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss current obsessions, classic texts they’re revisiting with fresh eyes, and trends that are emerging across books, television, film, and more. The show runs the gamut of the arts and pop culture, with lively, surprising conversations about everything from Salman Rushdie to “The Real Housewives.” Through rigorous analysis and behind-the-scenes insights into The New Yorker’s reporting, the magazine’s critics help listeners make sense of our moment—and how we got here.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-02T18:19:04.282547+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/critics-at-large-the-new-yorker-6612611"},"episode":{"title":"The Truth of Toni Morrison","slug":"the-truth-of-toni-morrison","published_at":"2026-02-19T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/critics-at-large-the-new-yorker-6612611/the-truth-of-toni-morrison","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/critics-at-large-the-new-yorker-6612611","url":"https://play.prx.org/listen?ge=prx_5868_fb1ce83c-ce0e-40e3-9a47-d4039e497d34&uf=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicfeeds.net%2Ff%2F5868%2Fcritics-at-large","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pdrl.fm/cf3795/tracking.swap.fm/track/uJwtcKQUPuqBQPfusm59/dovetail.prxu.org/5868/fb1ce83c-ce0e-40e3-9a47-d4039e497d34/tnycriticsatlarge_021926_tonimorrison_v2.mp3","summary":"Toni Morrison was many things in her lifetime—Nobel laureate, renowned author, Princeton professor, and generous mentor to young writers. Her appeal translated seamlessly to the internet, where old interview clips still bubble up regularly on social media, reminding us of her sharp wit and commanding presence. But, as Namwali Serpell argues in a new book of essays, “On Morrison,” this undeniable star persona risks eclipsing the genius—and complexity—of the eleven novels she wrote. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz dive back into these works to rediscover the writer as she was on the page. The hosts discuss Morrison’s début novel, “The Bluest Eye”; “Beloved,” which is widely regarded as her masterpiece; and “Jazz,” the experimental 1992 novel believed to be her personal favorite. Throughout her career, she insisted on writing flawed, dynamic characters rather than paragons of virtue. “The Morrison project is to put Black life, and particularly the lives of Black women, at the very center of literature—but to do it in a way that’s true to character and to human experience,” Schwartz says. “The people she’s writing about are damaged, are greedy, are jealous, are sad . . . and also are generous, and loving, and hurt and trying to heal.” Read, watch, and listen with the critics: “ On Morrison ,” by Namwali Serpell “ Toni Morrison, the Teacher ,” by Vinson Cunningham ( The New Yorker) “ The Bluest Eye ,” by Toni Morrison “ Song of Solomon ,” by Toni Morrison “ Toni Morrison and the Ghosts in the House ,” by Hilton Als ( The New Yorker ) “ Jazz ,” by Toni Morrison “ Beloved ,” by Toni Morrison “ Sula ,” by Toni Morrison “ Black Writers in Praise of Toni Morrison ” (The New York Times ) “ The Blue Period: Black Writing in…","meta_description":"Toni Morrison was many things in her lifetime—Nobel laureate, renowned author, Princeton professor, and generous mentor to young writers. Her appeal trans…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3104,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/critics-at-large-the-new-yorker-6612611/episodes/the-truth-of-toni-morrison/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/critics-at-large-the-new-yorker-6612611/the-truth-of-toni-morrison.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}