Zadie Smith
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
I now know the Cosby show was not an accurate representation of the great majority of black life at that point in America.
And of Bill Cosby, of course.
But shows like that, it was all fascinating to me.
I mean, there's decrepitude, like you can't see me, but I'm speaking to you with an eye patch on because I've got macular degeneration.
So I had an operation on my right eye.
So there's that feeling of vulnerability.
Again, I'm rarely ill, rarely having any physical difficulties.
So there's that shock of like, oh, yeah, here it comes.
this reminder of your human weakness.
Trying to work out what kind of a sick person you're going to be.
Are you going to be the kind who talks about it endlessly on the radio?
Are you going to be the kind who just soldiers on bravely and barely mentions it?
I always love that line of Salman Rushdie.
He says, our lives teach us who we are.