5. Simone Schwarz-Bart - The Bridge of Beyond
In this episode, Amy and Kim discuss Simone Schwarz-Bart’s masterpiece of Caribbean literature, The Bridge of Beyond. Translated from the French by Barbara Bray, the award-winning novel tells the story of three generations of Guadeloupean women whose lives are intertwined with the history of their people and the island where they make their home. Join Amy and Kim as they unpack some of the themes; discuss Schwarz-Bart’s use of magical realism, parables, and myths; and try to pin down what makes reading the novel such a transcendent experience.
Discussed in this episode:
Homage a la Femme Noir by Simone Schwarz-Bart
The Last of the Just by André Schwarz-Bart
Video interview with Simone Schwarz-Bart (in French)
Love Poems by Pablo Neruda
The New York Times podcast Nice White Parents
Circe by Madeline Miller