Center for the Literary Arts co-directors Danielle Dutton and Ignacio Infante appeared on the November 20 episode of The American Vandal podcast to discuss the mission and work of CLA.
Produced by the Center for Mark Twain Studies and hosted by Washington University alum Matt Seybold, The American Vandal featured Dutton and Infante as part of its "Criticism LTD" series examining the state of literary criticism and literary studies, which features interviews with more than two dozen scholars, working critics, and other influential creators (among them John Guillory, Anna Kornbluh, Christopher Newfield, Sheri-Marie Harrison, and WashU’s Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado).
According to Listen Notes, The American Vandal's listenership ranks in the top 5% of more than 3.2 million podcasts across the globe.
Dutton and Infante spoke of their collaborative efforts to expand the scope of literary arts at WashU through the recent launch of the CLA, while making the university a destination for authors and creative practitioners of all stripes.
"It's been really interesting to work together, making all these connections between what have often been siloed communities and programs on campus, doing things that would logically interest each other and overlap," Dutton said.
"I think the connecting piece is to highlight that creative work is important, and that creative work takes time," Infante said. "We're fortunate to be in a city in which writing and literary arts have been central to the history of St. Louis. There's a legacy there."
Highlighting some of the key aspects of the CLA and its most innovative and impactful dimensions in their conversation with Seybold, Dutton and Infante appear at the 33-minute mark of the Nov. 20 episode. You can listen to The American Vandal on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.
