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'The Definitions' features dorm room conversation – with a dystopian twist

Posted

January 12, 2026

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Matt Greene’s new novel The Definitions starts with new college dormmates getting to know each other. But there’s a dystopian twist: The students have survived a virus that has erased people’s memories. Nameless students attend school at The Center, where they’re told their memories will one day return to them. In today’s episode, Greene chats with NPR’s Lauren Frayer about the philosophy of language, the pandemic, and some unresolved questions from his book.

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with a dystopian twistMatt GreenesThe DefinitionsThe CenterNPRs Lauren FrayerNPR Privacy Policy

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