About this episode

Rachel Kushner discusses her novel The Mars Room, exploring themes of prison life and societal structures through the story of Romy Hall.

American author Rachel Kusher talks about her award-winning novel, The Mars Room. The novel follows Romy Hall, as she begins two consecutive life sentences at Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility, after killing her stalker. The story weaves between the two sides of Romy’s existence. First, the prison world where women struggle for the bare essentials of life. Second, the San Francisco of her youth, The Mars Room strip club where she once danced, and days spent with her angelic seven-year-old son, Jackson. Gritty, daring and sometimes darkly comedic, The Mars Room is both a searing, and deeply empathetic exploration of the American penal system. Rachel answers your questions about her years of research into prison life, how her protagonist came to be, and if wider societal structures mean some people are pre-determined to end up behind bars. Presenter: Harriet Gilbert

People in this episode

Host: Harriet Gilbert

Guest: Rachel Kushner

Topics covered

• prison life
• American penal system
• women's experiences
• literature
• motherhood
• societal structures

Keywords

• The Mars Room
• Rachel Kushner
• prison
• women
• American literature
• motherhood
• San Francisco
• penal system

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Mars Room

Places: San Francisco, Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the World Book Club podcast page.