MODERN ATHENAS Episode 5: In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri, a discussion of identity, alienation and belonging

MODERN ATHENAS

Have you ever felt adrift and alone, as though you don’t belong to any one community?
Have you ever been to a foreign country, and not known the language?
Have you ever set out to learn a new skill or area of knowledge and been left frustrated by being unable to grasp the skill as quickly as you would have liked?
In Other Words is centered around the themes of identity, alienation and belonging. As we discuss this book and the author’s use of language to traverse these difficult topics, we invite you to consider your own life and your own feelings of identity and belonging.
00:00-2:40 Intro and Summary of the Book
2:41-6:48 The Lake Metaphor: Facing Challenges
6:49-12:31 The Pocket Dictionary: Security Blankets
12:32-15:20 Language as a Relationship
15:21-23:15 The Locked Gate Opens: Jumping off into the Unknown
23:16-33:58 The Gardener: Importance of Imperfections
33:59-42:01 Discipline in Learning
42:02-45:52 Being Comfortable with Self
45:53-47:49 Why do I Write?
47:50-52:48 Never Reaching Perfection
52:49-58:25 It Will Never Be Enough
58:26-59:18 Outro and Next Episode