Larissa Pham — ”I think everyone woke up to just how impossible it is to survive.”

Slow Stories

Art creates space for understanding, introspection, and intimacy. These themes are especially at play in the work of artist and writer Larissa Pham. You may recognize Larissa’s work from her bylines in esteemed publications, including The Paris Review Daily, or in the case of this episode, from her brilliant work of creative nonfiction, Pop Song, which is described as “a book about distances, near and far. The miles we travel to get away from ourselves, or those who hurt us, and the impossible gaps that can exist between two people sharing a bed.”

In this vibrant essay collection—at once vulnerable and incisive—Larissa examines modern intimacy through analysis and personal reflection against the backdrop of an increasingly digital-first world. With a critic’s eye and an artist’s heart, Larissa also draws connections between works of art and acts of life as she navigates heartbreak and searches for meaning.

During a time when connection has taken on a whole new level of importance, Larissa’s genre-defying work reminds us to honor the power of art, intimacy, and self. In this interview, she shared more about the role of pace and paying attention in her writing practice, her thoughts on consumption in our digital age, and the distances she’s overcome creatively—and beyond. This episode opens with a reading by poet Devon Walker-Figueroa.