Just who do you think you are?
Stop actin' like some kind of star
Just who do you think you are?
Take it like a man, baby, if that's what you are'Cause I'm movin' on up, you're movin' on out
Movin' on up, nothin' can stop me
Movin' on up, you're movin' on out
Time to break free, nothin' can stop me, yeah
When Heather Small of the early 90s rhythm outfit M People sang those words, I wonder if she was—in some small way—protesting the oppression of a capitalist class system that requires any attempt at social mobility to be performed individually and not as a collective?
Then I read the rest of the lyrics and understand she was likely bemoaning some shabby ex who sounds like a right weasel.
Still, we must wonder.
For certain, I know the “novel” Change by Édouard Louis is focused on social mobility and all the personal and political struggles that come with it.
I know this—in a large part—thanks to the excellent chat I had about the book with the brilliant poet and author, Keiran Goddard.
Indeed, welcome to The Library of Lazy Thinking Podcast, with me, your host, Glenn Fisher.
As you may well know by now, in each episode, I'm joined by a guest from the world of books and culture to talk about a specific book they'd like to put in the library.
There's no plan and no agenda, just two people lazily thinking about literature.
If you enjoy the show and would like to help us (and get your hands on a coveted Library of Lazy Thinking bookmark, sticker, and pin badge), you can become a supporter of the library by upgrading your subscription.
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In this episode, as I say, my very special guest is the poet and author, Keiran Goddard. We discuss his pick for the library, the 2024 novel Change by Édouard Louis.
About Keiran
Keiran Goddard is a writer and social commentator. He is the author Strings (2013), For The Chorus (2016) Votive (2019), Hourglass (2022) and I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning (2024). His books and articles have been published internationally and he is writes regularly for the Guardian. He is represented by Clare Conville at CW.
About Édouard
Édouard Louis is the author of The End of Eddy, History of Violence, Who Killed My Father, A Woman's Battles and Transformations, and Change, and the editor of a book on the social scientist Pierre Bourdieu. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, making him one of the most celebrated writers of his generation worldwide.
Links to obscure (and not so obscure) things mentioned in this episode
Order Change by Édouard Louis and Keiran’s most recent novel, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning from my local independent bookshop in Sheffield here.
You can find a link to Keiran’s original review of the book for the Guardian here.
Find Kerian on Instagram here.
Find Glenn on Instagram here.
Find The Library of Lazy Thinking on Instagram here.
About the Library
The Library of Lazy Thinking is a place to hang out and learn more about books. The library is free—like all libraries should be. But if you’d like to support the library, you can make a small monthly donation by becoming a paid member (and get an exclusive The Library of Lazy Thinking bookmark, sticker, and pin badge). All donations go back into the library, helping to organize live events, exclusive merchandise, and more podcasts.
About Glenn
Glenn Fisher is a writer—wait, Glenn Fisher is me. I’m the one writing this. Let’s drop the third-person act. My writing has been published in online literary journals Lunate, The Paris Bitter Hearts Pit, 3am Magazine, Dogmatika, and Litro Magazine. I write about books and interview other writers and artists here in The Library of Lazy Thinking. I live in Sheffield and work as a freelance copywriter. I have had a best-selling non-fiction book published on the subject called The Art of the Click. It was published by Harriman House and shortlisted for Business Book of the Year. It has been translated into Simplified Chinese and Korean. I also have a dog called Pablo. He is harder to translate. Indeed, most of my life revolves around trying to understand his often unreasonable demands. Meanwhile, I am currently working on my first novel.
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