Welcome to the fourth Backlisted Special. While Andy and Nicky are both ‘gathering’ for the new season which will resume at the end of the month, John and Tess are joined by the writers and critics Erica Wagner and Sarah Churchwell who boast a total of 12 previous appearances between them, covering books from Alan Garner and Nella Larsen to Thomas Pynchon and Anita Loos.

The format of these specials differs from the main show in that they feature guests choosing a number of books in an area they know and care about. For this hour-long special, Erica and Sarah have selected six pieces of modern American literature that they either love, or find interesting, or both. As you will discover, despite the eclectic nature of their choices, some surprising connections begin to emerge…

Books mentioned:
Erica Wagner - Mary and Mr Eliot: A Sort of Love Story; First Light; Ariel's Gift; Chief Engineer: The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge
Sarah Churchwell - The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells; The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe; Behold, America: A History of America First and the American Dream; Forgotten Fitzgerald: Echoes of a Lost America
Marlo Thomas and Friends - Free to be You and Me
F.Scott Fitzgerald - ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz’
Ann Patchett - The Magician's Assistant
Susanna Rowson - Charlotte Temple
Madeleine L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Louisa May Alcott - Little Women