790 Madness and Myth (with Natasha Joukovsky) | My Last Book with Kimberly Lau

In this episode of The History of Literature, host Jack Wilson explores the intersection of myth, madness, and modern life through a conversation with novelist Natasha Joukowsky about her new novel, *Medium Rare*. The discussion begins with a personal anecdote about Wilson’s decision not to run for a train during a rush hour at a station—highlighting the absurdity of modern urban anxiety and the paradox of civilized humans behaving like animals. This sets the stage for a deep dive into the novel’s central metaphor: the NCAA March Madness tournament as a modern-day Icarus myth. Joukowsky explains the astronomical odds of a perfect bracket—far more improbable than commonly believed—and uses the 2019 University of Virginia basketball team’s improbable run from humiliation to championship as a real-life counterpoint to the mythic fall and rise. The novel centers on Phil Fayton, an exceptionally average Washington, D.C. lobbyist whose obsession with filling out a perfect bracket leads to a surreal, mythic journey. Through the lens of Greek mythology—particularly Icarus and Cassandra—Joukowsky examines the illusion of exceptionalism, the fleeting nature of fame, and the quiet dignity of the ordinary. The episode also features a poignant conversation with fairy tale scholar Kimberly Lau, who shares her choice for her last book: Angela Carter’s *The Bloody Chamber*, a work that inspires awe, intellectual stimulation, and aesthetic delight. The episode concludes with reflections on the enduring power of myth, the joy of literary conspiracies, and the idea that art can be both timeless and deeply rooted in the present.