#286 | Great Literary Quotes #1: Nami Mun on Grief, Love, and Regret
Quick SUMMARY:
Douglas Vigliotti introduces a new segment, "Great Literary Quotes," highlighting memorable passages from previously featured books. He spotlights “Miles from Nowhere” by Nami Mun from episode #95, sharing a powerful excerpt and discussing its emotional depth and craftsmanship. The novel, about a homeless Korean teenager in 1980s New York, is praised for its raw honesty and literary quality. Douglas encourages listeners to revisit the book and check out the companion newsletter for more recommendations.
Listen to the episode:
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TOPICS COVERED IN the EPISODE:
Introduction of New Segment: Great Literary Quotes (00:09) - Host introduces the new segment, explains its purpose, and mentions moving away from advice-based content.
Overview of "Miles from Nowhere" and Newsletter Promotion (01:15) - Host introduces the featured novel, "Miles from Nowhere," and promotes the podcast’s companion newsletter.
Summary and Personal Connection to the Novel (02:17) - Host summarizes the novel’s plot, shares personal admiration, and notes its significance as the podcast’s first featured book.
Craft and Execution in Transgressive Fiction (03:29) - Discussion on the importance of precise writing in transgressive fiction and the novel’s flawless execution.
Reading and Analysis of Selected Passage (04:41) - Host reads a chosen passage from the novel and analyzes its emotional depth, writing quality, and thematic paradox.
Thematic Reflection and Final Quote (06:08) - Host reflects on the passage’s themes, shares a final quote from the book, and encourages listeners to read it.
Closing Remarks and Contact Information (07:13) - Host wraps up the episode, provides ways to subscribe, connect, and learn more about the podcast and his work.
Final Thank You and Newsletter Reminder (08:12) - Host thanks listeners and reminds them about the newsletter and website for more information.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome back to “Books for Men”, a podcast to inspire more men to read and bring together men who do. So this week I am opening up a brand-new segment called Great Literary Quotes. So you might notice that I've already turned away from shit. I tell my friends, not because I'm totally abandoning it, but I just, I don't know, I get kind of sick of giving advice. It makes me a little bit uncomfortable, despite what you may think on the other side. So I just need a break from it every now and then. And I think that this is a good, every other week segment to sprinkle in there, because what I am going to do with it is feature great passages or quotes from books that I've already featured on the podcast. So I have a big enough backlist now that there is a lot to pull from, and also, there's a lot that you have probably forgotten about. Or maybe you're a new listener. And in that case, I want to remind you of some of the great books that we've already featured on the podcast.
01:15 - So these won't be a reiteration of those old episodes. Obviously, I'll be linking the corresponding episode in the show notes, but today's is on the first-ever novel I shared on the podcast back in August 2022, and it was titled “Miles from Nowhere” by Nami Mun. I will share a lot more about the quote that I have selected to share with you, why and what I think you will gain from it, and all that good stuff. But first, I did want to remind you of the companion newsletter that goes to this podcast, which is just a once-a-month email, rounding up all of the episodes from that month, complete with book and author information, all of my favorite quotes, episode summaries, and additional book recommendations. So if that sounds like something that you are interested in, or maybe you're ready to sign up, then all you have to do is head over to the website BooksforMen.org. All right. So let me get to the bulk of this episode. And that is sharing a passage from Nami Mun’s “Miles from Nowhere”.
02:17 - So just as a reminder, this is a novel about a homeless teenage Korean girl who is trying to navigate the streets of New York City in the 1980s, specifically the Bronx. And her adolescence is marked with homeless shelters, addiction, and demeaning jobs. And it's a very gritty, raw, but impactful novel that will offer you a snapshot of this girl's life, shoes that you probably would never be able to walk in otherwise. And to be honest, it's probably one of my favorite novels of all time. That's why I chose to share it as the first-ever episode. I didn't go back and listen to that episode. You can for more details on the book, of course, but the reason why I didn't listen to it is that I'm afraid to do so. It was four years ago, and I don't know what it sounded like or how I cobbled that first episode together. Nonetheless, it is there and it will be linked in the show notes if you want to learn more about it. It is a flawlessly executed novel in my eyes, and interestingly, it is Nami Mun's only novel, which to me just makes it even better.
03:29 - And in many ways, it was a book that on some level inspired me to want to write fiction. And for me, anytime you write about anything transgressive, it just amps up the need to be precise with the execution and really on point with the craft element. Which, of course, all of this is subjective, but in my viewpoint, it could detour into quote-unquote trash. If you are not really at the top of your game when you are dipping your toe in this type of water. And I just love that high-wire act of really combining things that are in your face and gritty and raw, but also with pitch-perfect craft, so to speak. All right, so without further ado, let me share with you the passage that I chose from the book that I wanted to elevate, highlight and showcase for you. Nami Mun writes: “I felt a tiny collapsing in my chest, and it took me a moment to correctly identify the pang. Not as grief, but as jealousy. I hadn't loved my mother the way he had loved his wife.
04:41 - I had left her when she needed me most. And in the end, she died in a car, completely alone, with nothing but the sound of metal crushing her. I couldn't grieve for her. Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't deserve to. I looked at Mr. McCommon, his hands smothering his face, his chest flinching. He had no idea that grief was a reward, that it only came to those who were loyal to those who loved more than they were capable of. He had a garage full of her belongings, and all I had was my guilt. It took on its own shape and smell and nestled in the pit of my body. And it would sleep and play and walk with me for decades to come.” I mean, there's just so much there to chew on. Mostly, of course, something I already alluded to. If you read that and you can't see how amazingly written it is, then I think it requires some analysis on what you consider to be great writing, because it hits everything that you would want it to hit from an emotional standpoint, from a wit standpoint, from a sentence level execution standpoint.
06:08 - And now maybe these are the things that impress me, and they don't impress you as much. But I will say that even if you look thematically at what it's talking about, there's a paradoxical look at life through this, right? So what we perceive to be one thing is actually the opposite. So she's jealous of the grief, and Mr. McCommon doesn't realize that the grief is a reward for how much he has loved her. These are all things that look to be one thing, but they are something else. There's such an honesty in what she is saying, and that, to me, is what makes it resonate so much. I don't want to beat it with a dead horse, because it really just stands on its own, and I just want it to show it to you, and hopefully it will inspire you to go read the book, because that is a good example of how the whole book feels, and I can't speak highly enough about it. I will end it with one quick little quote. It was on the quote card for the episode.
07:13 - So if you go to the episode page on Books for Men, I usually have a quote card up, and this one was life's only as bad as you make it out to be. It's got nothing to do with the way it is. All right, so that's all I've got. I'm going to try to keep these shorter. I hope you enjoyed this first edition of Great Literary Quotes. If you did, I want to remind you that you can, one, of course, go back, listen to the episode, but also to click subscribe on whatever podcast platform you're listening to this on, because it's the best way for new listeners to find the show and, in return, inspire more men to read. If you want to reach out to me, there are two ways to do so: on Instagram @DouglasVigliotti.com. It's the only social media that I have, or via my website, DouglasVigliotti.com. Maybe you want to check out my latest book, “Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story”. In that case, you could visit AristotleforNovelists.com. Last but not least, I wanted to thank you so much for listening and remind you that if you want more information on this podcast specifically, which includes signing up for that newsletter I mentioned at the top of the episode, then all you have to do is head over to the website BooksforMen.org.
