Siri_NP0 Hustvedt_NP0 is_VBZ one_CRD of_PRF America_NP0 's_POS great_AJ0 minds_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC her_DPS intellectual_AJ0 and_CJC cultural_AJ0 commentary_NN1 is_VBZ sparkling_AJ0 ._SENT In_PRP "_PUQ Mothers_NN2 ,_PUN Fathers_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC Others_NN2 :_PUN Essays_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ she_PNP engages_VVZ readers_NN2 in_PRP heady_AJ0 discussions_NN2 while_CJS simultaneously_AV0 telling_VVG entertaining_AJ0 tales_NN2 about_PRP her_DPS Minnesota_NP0 childhood_NN1 ._SENT Such_DT0 is_VBZ her_DPS range_NN1 of_PRF knowledge_NN1 —_PUN in_PRP one_CRD essay_NN1 she_PNP refers_VVZ to_PRP herself_PNX as_PRP an_AT0 "_PUQ intellectual_AJ0 vagabond_NN1 "_PUQ —_PUN that_CJT readers_NN2 can_VM0 anticipate_VVI scintillating_AJ0 discussions_NN2 of_PRF subjects_NN2 such_DT0 as_PRP psychoanalytic_AJ0 theories_NN2 ,_PUN Plato_NP0 ,_PUN Bourdieu_NP0 ,_PUN Jane_NP0 Austen_NP0 and_CJC the_AT0 Brontes_NP0 ._SENT Hustvedt_NP0 's_POS enthusiasm_NN1 for_PRP her_DPS subjects_NN2 and_CJC the_AT0 ease_NN1 with_PRP which_DTQ she_PNP discusses_VVZ them_PNP make_VVI it_PNP a_AT0 delight_NN1 to_TO0 plunge_VVI into_PRP the_AT0 deep_AJ0 end_NN1 of_PRF a_AT0 subject_NN1 previously_AV0 unknown_AJ0 to_PRP the_AT0 reader_NN1 ._SENT But_CJC the_AT0 book_NN1 begins_VVZ with_PRP a_AT0 memoir_NN1 of_PRF Hustvedt_NP0 's_POS childhood_NN1 in_PRP Northfield_NP0 ,_PUN Minn._NP0 ,_PUN especially_AV0 in_PRP the_AT0 stories_NN2 she_PNP learned_VVD from_PRP her_DPS parents_NN2 ._SENT Her_DPS mother_NN1 was_VBD born_VVN in_PRP Norway_NP0 and_CJC was_VBD a_AT0 teenager_NN1 in_PRP 1940_CRD when_AVQ the_AT0 Nazis_NN2 invaded_VVN ,_PUN and_CJC her_DPS father_NN1 was_VBD the_AT0 grandson_NN1 of_PRF Norwegian_AJ0 immigrants_NN2 who_PNQ taught_VVD Norwegian_AJ0 language_NN1 and_CJC literature_NN1 at_PRP St._NP0 Olaf_NP0 College_NN1 ._SENT In_PRP the_AT0 essays_NN2 about_PRP her_DPS family_NN1 ,_PUN some_DT0 of_PRF the_AT0 intellectual_AJ0 themes_NN2 of_PRF Hustvedt_NP0 's_POS work_NN1 are_VBB explored_VVN on_PRP a_AT0 personal_AJ0 level_NN1 ._SENT Among_PRP these_DT0 are_VBB one_PNI that_CJT comes_VVZ up_AVP continually_AV0 throughout_PRP the_AT0 collection_NN1 :_PUN What_DTQ is_VBZ a_AT0 border_NN1 and_CJC what_DTQ makes_VVZ people_NN0 uncomfortable_AJ0 with_PRP breaches_NN2 of_PRF those_DT0 borders_NN2 ?_SENT Hustvedt_NP0 argues_VVZ that_CJT the_AT0 disciplinary_AJ0 borders_NN2 constructed_VVN to_PRP separate_AJ0 fields_NN2 such_DT0 as_PRP biology_NN1 ,_PUN history_NN1 or_CJC psychology_NN1 allow_VVB deep_AJ0 study_NN1 of_PRF those_DT0 fields_NN2 ,_PUN but_CJC then_AV0 also_AV0 separate_AJ0 scholars_NN2 through_PRP the_AT0 required_AJ0 vocabulary_NN1 of_PRF each_DT0 field_NN1 ._SENT As_CJS these_DT0 fields_NN2 have_VHB become_VVN more_AV0 specialized_AJ0 ,_PUN she_PNP argues_VVZ that_CJT their_DPS different_AJ0 languages_NN2 keep_VVB them_PNP from_PRP speaking_VVG to_PRP one_CRD another_DT0 ,_PUN and_CJC thus_AV0 prevent_VVB the_AT0 sharing_NN1 of_PRF knowledge_NN1 ._SENT Hustvedt_NP0 says_VVZ that_CJT being_VBG a_AT0 writer_NN1 means_VVZ that_CJT she_PNP must_VM0 cross_VVI these_DT0 boundaries_NN2 in_PRP order_NN1 to_TO0 create_VVI her_DPS work_NN1 ._SENT Fiction_NN1 concerns_VVZ itself_PNX with_PRP human_AJ0 behavior_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC to_TO0 understand_VVI human_AJ0 behavior_NN1 is_VBZ to_TO0 explore_VVI subjects_NN2 —_PUN philosophy_NN1 to_PRP genetics_NN1 —_PUN that_CJT posit_VVB theories_NN2 of_PRF who_PNQ we_PNP are_VBB ._SENT Gender_NN1 underlies_VVZ a_AT0 number_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 essays_NN2 ._SENT Humans_NN2 have_VHB constructed_VVN borders_NN2 that_CJT determine_VVB one_PNI 's_VBZ sexual_AJ0 and_CJC gender_NN1 identity_NN1 ._SENT Those_DT0 borders_NN2 created_VVD systems_NN2 of_PRF power_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC in_PRP our_DPS current_AJ0 day_NN1 ,_PUN some_DT0 of_PRF America_NP0 's_POS most_AV0 virulent_AJ0 discussions_NN2 occur_VVB around_PRP those_DT0 boundaries_NN2 ._SENT Hustvedt_NP0 is_VBZ brilliant_AJ0 at_PRP exploring_VVG how_AVQ our_DPS various_AJ0 reactions_NN2 to_PRP disrupting_VVG boundaries_NN2 plays_VVZ out_AVP in_PRP notions_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 monstrous_AJ0 ,_PUN the_AT0 chimerical_AJ0 ,_PUN and_CJC their_DPS perceived_AJ0 threat_NN1 ._SENT And_CJC perception_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX0 the_AT0 same_DT0 as_CJS the_AT0 sensory_AJ0 experience_NN1 of_PRF "_PUQ seeing_VVG ._SENT "_PUQ "_PUQ Perception_NN1 is_VBZ founded_VVN on_PRP past_AJ0 experience_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ 
