John Schad’s experimental biography, Paris Bride: A Modernist Life, mixes fact and fiction as it speculates on the life of one of his ancestors, Marie Schad. Confronted with scant archival fact, John turns to literary pastiche and quotation to imagine her early-twentieth-century life by thinking alongside modernist writers. Long-time friend of the podcast, Alexandra Harris, a writer and literary critic who specialises in literary modernism, joins this discussion to give her insights on the literary context.

Keywords: twentieth-century, modernism, experimental biography, post-criticism, family history.

Find out more about:

John Schad:

• Book: Paris Bride: A Modernist Life (2020)


• John is Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Lancaster. See profile.

Alexandra Harris:

• Website: https://www.alexandraharris.co.uk/


• Twitter: @AlexHHarris

The Oxford Centre for Life-Writing:

• Website: https://oclw.web.ox.ac.uk/


• Twitter: @OxLifeWriting

If you'd like to be more involved, access exclusive events and attend our online book club, then join our Friends Scheme. We also offer writing groups and mentoring to those working on their own writing projects.

The Oxford Centre for Life-Writing is based at Wolfson College, University of Oxford.

Artwork by Una. Edited by Charles Pidgeon.