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Doomtree member Dessa draws inspiration from a plethora of different sources for her work as a rapper, singer, and author. Perhaps nothing had as great an impact on her storytelling, however, as Dave Eggers’ 2000 memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
On this episode of The Spark Parade, Dessa discusses why she feels so passionately about the book. She speaks on her first interactions with it, her understanding of “creative nonfiction,” and the misconceptions that surround storytelling. She also dives into how her first encounter with Eggers and his work left her feeling phony before she embraced the book.
“I come off as such a poser, and perhaps I am, or was,” she elaborates. “I remember reading a bunch of dudes named David. Someone else was like, ‘Well, have you read Eggers?’ And they were going to a reading that Eggers was putting on for this book. So, I went to the book reading — what a total poser — not having read the book.”
She continues to speak about Eggers’ specific style of writing in Staggering Genius, the differences between marketing campaigns and performance art, and the danger of becoming a gimmick.
Listen to Dessa talk about A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius in this episode of The Spark Parade. Please also take the time to like, review, and subscribe to The Spark Parade wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.
Host Adam Unze (The Opus) explores creativity in all its forms on The Spark Parade by asking musicians, artists, comedians, and other creators to share the single cultural work that has most inspired them. Whether it comes from the world of music, film, comedy, visual art, or literature, we all have something that sparks our own creative desires. On The Spark Parade, guests reveal the single piece of art that ignites within them to fire of creation.
This month, we’re on a mission to spread the word about The Spark Parade. If you love our show as much as we like bringing it to you, we need you to hop over to Apple Podcasts, hit the follow button, and leave us a review. Not only is it a quick and easy way to show your support, but it’ll also give you the chance to win some exclusive Consequence merch. Then, head to this link and submit your info along with a screenshot of your review. We’ll be shouting out our winners in December, so make sure to follow and review soon. Thank you for all your support and for helping The Spark Parade grow!
