A.M. Homes: "The Unfolding" of American Democracy
laura flanders show

Salman Rushdie praised A.M. Homes' latest novel, The Unfolding as, "A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifyingly close to the unfunny truth." In this episode, A.M. and Laura discuss political fiction, women writers and the unraveling of American democracy. Homes is an American writer best known for her novel The End of Alice, about a convicted child molester and murderer and Music for Torching, about the run-up to a school shooting. The Unfolding, written in the decade before the January 6th Insurrection, is similarly anticipatory. It follows a Republican donor plotting a mob assault on Washington. It was published this September 6th. Also included, a clip of a solidarity reading at the New York Public Library in support of Rushdie. And a commentary from Laura on the reality journalism of the late Barbara Ehrenreich. "I definitely want to make work that is about prompting a conversation. That is not about creating characters that make people feel, I love that guy. You don't have to like them, but I want people to have questions, to debate, to wonder about things." - A.M. Homes. "Where we are right now, which I would say is very, very dangerous, is some people have lost track of what is a fact, what is actionable, what is real. The problem with that is.... absent any consensus on what is real and true, all bets are sort of off."- A.M. Homes. Guest: A.M. Homes: Author, The Unfolding.

Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 324

About Laura Flanders Show:

THE LAURA FLANDERS SHOW is an award-winning public affairs series that reports on community-led initiatives across the U.S.

creating a more inclusive society.

Host Laura Flanders - a New York broadcast journalist, author and contributing writer to The Nation - talks with experts and people on the front lines of artistic, cultural, social and economic movements.

Each episode blends reporting with in-depth interviews of leaders in the arts and small business world, profiling individuals and organizations uplifting and revitalizing their communities.




NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham

WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton

WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene

W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover

W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg

Cable and Satellite Channels


NHPBS Five Channels

NHPBS - 11.1

Explore - 11.2

World - 11.3

Create - 11.4

Kids - 11.5

All of our channels and NHK World Japan are streaming LIVE ONLINE and on the PBS App, available on most devices.

Learn More


 

Community Impact

NHPBS NHPBS Passport Passport

This Old House | E20 | Suburban Victorian | Let it Show
Ask This Old House | E20 | Hang Shades, Steep Landscaping | Ask This Old House
Bring Them Home | Bring Them Home - ASL
Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time | Athletes of God
Antiques Roadshow | Castle Farms, Hour 2
Henry David Thoreau | Several More Lives to Live
Nature | Baby Steps | Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti
History with David Rubenstein | Marie Arana
American Masters | Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [EAD]
White with Fear | White With Fear
The Forsytes | Episode 1
America's Stairway | America's Stairway
The Making of The American Revolution | The Making of The American Revolution
The Count of Monte Cristo | Episode 4: The Red Room
Tradfest | 'a haon'
Finding Your Roots | Artistic Roots
Lover, Beloved | Lover, Beloved
Great Performances | Movies for Grownups® Awards 2026 with AARP
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History |
NOVA | Mammal Origins
Austin City Limits | Leon Thomas
Secrets of the Dead | The Quest for Camelot
Safe Harbors: Lighthouses of Maine | Safe Harbors: Lighthouses of Maine
A Fuller Education | A Fuller Education
North to New York: The Great Migration in NY's Capital Region | North to New York: The Great Migration in NY's Capital Region
Bigger than Africa | Bigger Than Africa
Independent Lens | Vivien's Wild Ride
The Puzzle Lady | Episode 1
All Creatures Great and Small | Episode 1: Gathering the Flock