Kafkaesque

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Book cover, ''Kafkaesque''

Writer Franz Kafka died relatively unknown in 1924, but today his name has been immortalized in the term “Kafkaesque.” It's a word used to describe the surreal realities of the modern world, so it’s no surprise that Kafka is more popular now than he ever was in his lifetime. Writers John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly have put together a new anthology of stories called "Kafkaesque" (Tachyon/2011). It includes stories written by Kafka, inspired by Kafka and reminiscent of his style. Host Frank Stasio talks to Kessel, a professor in the English Department at North Carolina State University about the creative writing collection and why today’s readers can relate to Kafka’s works.