Objects Jabber, Complain and Enlighten In Ruth Ozeki's 'The Book of Form and Emptiness'

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 (Danielle Tait)

"Please... be quiet!" That's the desperate plea that becomes a constant refrain for 13-year old Benny Oh, the protagonist of Ruth Ozeki's new novel "The Book of Form and Emptiness." After his beloved father dies, Benny starts literally to hear "things" - from the old lettuce that sighs from the refrigerator to the stapler that yaks away unbidden. Benny comes to find solace in a library and discovers "the Book" that will narrate his story. We talk to Ozeki about the novel and the Zen philosophy that informs it.

Guests:

Ruth Ozeki, author, "The Book of Form and Emptiness;" professor of English language and literature, Smith College

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