Master & Disciple: The Life of Rodin and Rilke with Rachel Corbett

This episode’s guest is Rachel Corbett, the author of a brilliant book called You Must Change Your Life, which tells the story of the brief and intense relationship between renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. In 1902, Rainer Maria Rilke was a delicate young visitor from Prague in Paris, he was broke and suffering from writer’s block. He was commissioned to write a book on Rodin, who was already a renowned sculptor at the time, this is when everything changes You Must Change Your Life reveals one of the great stories of modern art and literature: Rodin and Rilke’s years together as master and disciple, their heartbreaking rift, and moving reconciliation. In her vibrant debut, Rachel Corbett reveals how Rodin’s influence lead Rilke to write his most celebrated poems and inspired his beloved Letters to a Young Poet. She captures the dawn of modernism with appearances by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Lou Andreas Salome, George Bernard Show and Jean Cocteau. In this interview I also wanted to ask Rachel about how Rodin and Rilke changed HER life, how she discovered them, and what are her favourite poems by Rilke and her favourite sculptures by Rodin. I know this might sound cliche, but When I was reading this book I was getting a strong feeling as if I am reading the script for the second part of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. Get the Book: You Must Change Your Life by Rachel Corbett Follow Rachel on Twitter 📩  If you love reading, join my monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/he7YKD 🎧 Get Audible Trial: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=artidote-21