156. Susan Taubes — Divorcing with Rosemary Kelty

Image Credit: New York Times

When 'Divorcing' was first published in 1969, the critic Hugh Kenner penned a review for the New York Times that dismissed its author, Susan Taubes, as 'a quick-change artist donning the garments of other writers.' Tragically, merely days after the review's publication, Taubes took her own life. However, in recent years, there has been a profound reassessment of her work. In 2020, New York Review Books released a new edition of 'Divorcing,' marking a pivotal point in bringing her writings back into the spotlight. Her oeuvre, once relegated to obscurity, has now been compared to the literary prowess of her close friend Susan Sontag, as well as luminaries Renata Adler and Margaret Atwood. Guest Rosemary Kelty joins us to discuss Taubes and ‘Divorcing.’