The bathroom seems right for filming an Anne Carson reading. The things in that space are universal, familiar to everyone. And yet, the action there is always extremely private (unless you’re us! and then you make journalist Hermione Hoby read one of her favorite books in there!) This is also the status of Carson’s work, which is always written just for you (everyone) and yet is completely remote. In Autobiography of Red, Carson invents a new genre–the only contemporary poetry ever beloved! Wish we were joking!–that pays homage to the verse of Greek poet Stesichorus, but also erases all sense of what makes a work Classic. It’s great, and we love Hoby’s take on it. Sorry if talking about bathrooms earlier made you think of poop. Hoby’s sweet voice will absolutely undo it.
Video Editor: Edison Koo; Music by The Range
