Emily St. John Mandel's 'Exit Party' opens in the wake of a second American Civil War

2026-09-23 · 9 min · 5 entities

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Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel opens in the first spring after the collapse of the United States – and her protagonist, Ari, is on her way to a party. Exit Party is set in a new world emerging out of the chaos of a second American Civil War, one shaped by climate catastrophe and populated by doppelgangers. In today's episode, Mandel chats with Weekend Edition ’s Scott Simon about counterlives, recognizing “good moments” amid disaster and how the painting “Swan Dive” helped the author maintain narrative cohesion. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy