Literary Disco

On this episode, the Literary Disco trio discuss Vladimir Nabokov’s 1962 novel, less popular than Lolita but it is nonetheless complicated, maintains a rabid fan base, and has received a wide variety of interpretations. They also discuss the National Book Awards, which was happening when the episode was recorded. This episode is sponsored by Hingston & Olsen, publishers of the 2019 Short Story Advent Calendar. Don’t wait until December 1. Order your copy today, from shortstoryadventcalendar.com, and enter the promo code LITERARYDISCO at checkout to get 10% off your purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks the return of Literary Disco’s classic games! First, Rider presents Judge a Book By Its Cover, where he reads the first lines of a book and Julia and Tod must guess what the book is with no other context. Then, Tod presents Rock Paper Scissors, where Rider and Julia must decide what is a real poem, lyrics from a pop song, lines from a Jim Morrison song, or a poem written by our very own Tod Goldberg. Finally, Julia presents Bookshelf Roulette, where each host must run to his or her bookshelf and choose one book to discuss. Let the games begin! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod read and discuss a number of essays from a new collection, Apple, Tree: Writers On Their Parents, Edited by Lise Funderburg, the collection presents new essay from twenty-five writers, each examining their relationship with one or both of their parents. We discuss the essays by Ann Patchett, Daniel Mendelsohn, Mat Johnson, Kate Carroll de Gutes, and S. Bear Bergman. This week's sponsor is The Short Story Advent Calendar from Hingston and Olsen. Use promo code LITERARYDISCO for 10% off your purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Kenneth Lonergan’s play, The Waverly Gallery, which was first produced in 1999, was a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize, and in late 2018 had a Broadway revival that resulted in two Tony Award nominations. They also discuss the similarities and differences between playwriting and screenwriting, the legacy of actor William Daniels, who player Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World, and what it takes to finish writing a book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod read the strange, sometimes funny, but mostly disturbing and always feminist debut of short stories by the author Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body and Other Parties. Discussing the book, the three explore what it means to write a short story collection, how cringe-worthy storytelling can be successful, and clickbait headlines coinciding with the launch of Rider’s first play. Pour yourself a drink, turn on the lights, and enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June, the Washington Post published an article titled “Books for the Ages,” a list of book recommendations based on how old you are, going from year one to 100. This week, each host has read the book recommended for their year, and since your Literary Disco hosts are different ages we’ve read three different books. We talk about our selections, as well as the concept of age in general when it comes to reading. Should you read the right book at the right time, or is a good book a good book no matter how old you are? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod go all the way back in time, to the prehistoric days of November 1990 when a man named Michael Crichton published a little book called Jurassic Park. The book launched a franchise that spans two novels, five movies—with a sixth on the way—that has raked in $1.2 billion worldwide, multiple amusement park rides, millions of plastic dinosaur toys, and it ensured we all know the words “velociraptor” and “chaos theory.” But is the book any good? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we welcome author Anthony McCann, whose new book is called Shadowlands: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff. It’s an in-depth examination of the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in 2016 and its subsequent trial. In Literary Disco tradition, we also asked Anthony to recommend a book for us to read, and he chose Style by Dolores Dorantes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Literary Disco goes back to high school, or college, to discuss the infamous book that at some point you had to read, were told you should read, or you actually did read — or at least skimmed the Clif Notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a while since Literary Disco discussed magazine journalism. This week, Julia and Rider take into dive into three different articles that have appeared in Outside magazine over the past five years, all chosen from their “The Best Stories We’ve Ever Told” list: “Open Your Mouth and You’re Dead” by James Nestor “John and Ann Bender and Their Quest for Paradise” by Ned Zeman “The Tuber” by Wells Tower Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Rider and Tod take turns talking about their summer reading: what they’re reading, what they’re planning to read, and what they think you should read. Some of the books include Anthony McCann's Shadowlands, Ursula K. Le Guin's Always Coming Home, Peter Houlahan's Norco '80, Kelli Russell Agodon's Hourglass Museum, and more. This week's episode is brought to you by HelloFresh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Literary Disco, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss The Man They Wanted Me To Be, the new book out from Jared Yates Sexton about masculinity in America and masculinity in his own life. Before delving into the book, the three discuss the current political climate in the south, how living in California is a moral choice, the choice between avoiding a place you are against or going there to inspire change, and what going to a Trump rally is really like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod welcome their old friend Hugh Ryan to the Disco. He is the author When Brooklyn Was Queer, a look at the borough’s LGBTQ history. The trio discusses the history behind the book, the New York Public Library grant that made writing the book possible, and their time together at Bennington. Additionally, they have Hugh pick a book for them to read and discuss: a new edition of Walt Whitman’s poem, Live Oak, with Moss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod get wild as they discuss Jack London’s classic portrait of the unforgiving and brutal life of being a dog in the Klondike Gold Rush. Additionally, the trio discusses their personal relationships with wolves (and pet dogs), Jack London’s ties to Northern California, and why works like London’s are not seen as literary canon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we head back to a classic of English literature as Julia, Rider, and Tod read and discuss one of Jane Austen’s enduring novels of manners and marriage, Sense and Sensibility. Tod and Rider also give an update on their recent experiences at the AWP and Emerald City Comic Con conferences, respectively, and the debate on who is the favorite host amongst listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Terese Marie Mailhot‘s short and powerful memoir, Heart Berries. In the sledgehammer of a book, Mailhot addresses the traumas she has gone through in her life, from the sexual abuse she endured as a young child to later hospitalization for posttraumatic stress and bipolar disorders and her conflicted relationship as a parent to three children, something that has endured for multiple generations in her family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Literary Disco trio sit down with Mallory O’Meara to discuss her new book, The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Millicent Patrick, the true story of Disney’s first female animators and the only woman in history to create one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters. Mallory then picks a book for everyone to discuss, and her choice is Kill the Next One by Federico Axat, which proves to be a decisive choice. Let the fight begin! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Helen Dewitt’s novel The Last Samurai, which, they are compelled to point out, has nothing to do with the horrible Tom Cruise movie of the same name. Recently named the Best Book of the 2000s by Vulture, the Literary Disco trio debates the novel’s current relevance, the pressure of child prodigies, and how we deal with the family we’re given. Will they recommend the book? Listen to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss what each of them are reading to Literary Disco’s second generation, from Frog and Toad to The Rainbow Goblins and Barnyard Dance! Also, the three discuss whether Winnie-the-Pooh is actually any good, how animals are essential to the reading experience, and why narrative is still important in children's literature. Have a glass of milk, brush your teeth, and tuck yourself into bed, because Literary Disco is ready to tell you tonight's bedtime story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No better way to start the new month than with some of Literary Disco’s classic book games. First, Rider presents “Judge a Book By Its Cover,” where he reads the first lines of a book and Julia and Tod must guess what the book is with no other context. Then, Tod presents a new game, Rock Paper Scissors, where Rider and Julia must decide what is a real poem, lyrics from a pop song, lines from a Rupi poem, or a poem written by our very own Tod Goldberg. Let the games begin! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The debut novel from Tommy Orange has been on almost every Best Of 2018 list, but does the Literary Disco trio agree? In this week's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss the complex and multifaceted approach to identity—and how Orange avoids the usual MFA clichés—as “There, There” follows a collection of Native American characters in the build-up to a powwow in Oakland, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a new year, with your favorite literary podcast. We start 2019 with the classic tale of Tarzan. We all know the story: after the death of his parents a boy is raised by apes, and encounters humans again years later when an expedition enters the jungle. How has this story aged over time? Will Tarzan be Rider's next project? Join Julia, Rider, and Tod this week to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Drnaso's Sabrina is the first graphic novel to be nominated for the Man Booker Prize. It's also a beautiful and heartbreaking rendering of the current American psyche and a pointed commentary on how media has allowed conspiracy and paranoia to run absolutely rampant in the absence of answers. Join Julia, Rider, and Tod as they discuss this very important work, along with the graphic novel's realistic depiction of the male human body (mostly in their underwear), feeling empathy for those with views unlike ours, and a brief tangent on the recent Springsteen on Broadway Netflix special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last book club you’ll ever need. This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss the best books they read in 2018, including Tara Westover’s Educated, Arthur Krystal’s This Thing We Call Literature, and Jonathan Weisman’s (((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the holidays! A time to deck the halls, grab some eggnog, and curl up with the SCARIEST book you can find… That’s right. Christmas horror. It’s a real thing. And Blumhouse and editor Christopher Golden have put together a collection of short fiction just in time to fill you with holiday fear. Join us as Tod, Rider, and Julia have fun with this bonkers set of stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A couple months ago, Vulture published this crazy, crazy list. It’s an admittedly premature attempt to create a literary canon for the last 18 years. In this episode of Literary Disco, we discuss the titles we were surprised by, the ones we were disappointed didn’t make it, and — mostly — how few of these books we’ve actually read. Get ready to feel like you have a lot of catching up to do… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s getting cooler, the leaves are changing, time to curl up with a good book. It’s our Bookshelf Revisit for Fall 2018, an eclectic conversation that covers: Wild children and cults.WWII and China.Robertson Davies.It makes no sense, except that it’s Literary Disco! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hunter S. Thompson became a legend the moment he published this novel of a drug-fueled trip into the desert. Packed with mind-altering chemicals, extreme paranoia, and claiming to be a scathing journey to “the heart of the American Dream,” Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas established Thompson’s particular style, and purported to give voice to the disillusionment of a generation. But who was included in that generation? Has the book aged well? And what kind of effect did this story have on the city of Las Vegas itself? We explore these questions and more. Buckle up. This is bat country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You read it in high school. You remember the conch, Piggy, and a boar head on a stick… But do you remember the Beast? That a child disappears the first day on the island? How about the fact that this novel is set during an atomic war? And did you know this book was written in direct response to a 19th Century children’s book that had the same character names? It’s time for us all to re-read William Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we dive deep into a single poetry collection: Digest, by Gregory Pardlo. Digest won the 2015 Pulitzer, and with good reason. This is one of the most universally loved books we’ve had on the show. It’s incredibly personal, and yet it has enough intertextuality and historical references to keep you re-reading for days. Between bouts of effusive praise, we manage to read and analyze a couple of these magnificent poems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1920s, a disproportionate amount of people within the Osage nation were dying. The US government had forcibly relocated the Osage to a section of Oklahoma with some of the largest deposits of oil in North America. This quickly made the Osage the wealthiest people, per capita, in the world. And now they were being murdered. Corrupt local “lawmen” were incapable of producing any suspects, and any time a person claimed to have information, they wound up dead. It was up to the Federal government, with its newly formed Bureau of Investigation, to step in and try to solve the mystery. Journalist David Grann has produced the definitive account of this remarkable true story in Killers of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. As we quickly discovered here at the Disco, there’s something in this book for everyone. If you love history, crime stories, Westerns, family sagas, stories of social justice, courtroom dramas, or just downright good writing: this book is for you. So, uh, you should read it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Are we time traveling? Yes, a technical glitch set this episode back a few months…) Kristen Roupenian’s short story “Cat Person” appeared in December 2017 issue of The New Yorker, and promptly became an internet sensation. Some critics pounced, some critics praised, some men were offended, some women were offended that men were offended…and on and on it went, as these things do in this day and age. It seems there is something about this story — something about its point of view and its depiction of gender relations — that struck a nerve in the midst of #MeToo. We decided to read and discuss the story in addition to some older, and truly great, short story comps that work with similar themes. So if you read and loved (or hey, even if you read and hated) Cat Story, these are for you. “Stitches” by Antonya Nelson. And “A Real Doll” by AM Homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We didn’t mean for these episodes to be “timely,” but these days in America, that seems unavoidable. Between posting our two-parter about Dave Cullen’s Columbine, there has been another school shooting at Sante Fe High School in Texas. Our hearts are breaking, again. We can only hope to contribute to the conversation and help move our country away from this insanity. Join us for Part Two of our discussion on Columbine. We talk with Rob Bowman, the incredible English teacher who brought us the students from Part One. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Cullen’s book Columbine is an exhaustive and brilliant examination of the infamous school shooting that stunned the country in 1999. It is also one of the first books that Tod, Julia, and Rider discussed as friends. Bonding over our love for Cullen’s work is one of the reasons Literary Disco exists. In light of the fact that school shootings have only become more common, we decided to do something different with the next two episodes of the podcast. Tod reached out to his friend Rob Bowman, a high school English teacher, and asked if he had any students who might want to read Columbine. This episode, Part 1, is our discussion with the the three remarkable teenagers Rob assembled. Aiden, Renaissance, and Jada were kind enough to read Cullen’s book and come on our show to share their thoughts. Part 2 will be the follow up conversation that we had with Bowman. Guns. High School. Books. Get ready… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know, it’s a bit confusing, but some tech issues with Episode 123 means we’re skipping it for now. Instead, we zoom to the future! It’s a Bookshelf Revisit episode with a game — a new game Tod is insisting we call “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” As if there isn’t already a game called that. But first, we get to hear all about Julia and Tod getting catfished, what children’s book Julia has rediscovered, Rider’s descent into the Empire of Illusion, and Tod’s recent interview with a very successful novelist who also happens to be his brother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elif Batuman’s novel was a critical darling of 2017. We try to figure out why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our fantasy and sci-fi correspondent Will Friedle returns! And he’s picked a doozy for us to read. Piers Anthony has written dozens of hugely popular fantasy novels, and many of them are set in the magical, pun-filled land of Xanth. Will asked us to read A Spell for Chameleon, the novel that began it all. And boy, has it not aged well… We thought Sweet Valley High was rapey. There’s literally a rape trial in the first 30 pages of this book, which seems aimed squarely at 12 year old boys. Join us for this hilarious and disturbing episode, as we marvel at what was acceptable for kids to read 30 years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Egan’s a favorite author here on the Disco. But does her latest novel, the New York period piece Manhattan Beach, keep up the winning streak? It made a lot of Best Of 2017 lists, but the Disco trio is a bit divided. Are these characters realistic? Is the dialogue cliched? Even as he rambles on and on about how much he likes it, Rider admits he might be crazy… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We did it. We read the George Saunders book that blew everyone’s mind in 2017. And then we talked about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Too often, all we say about children’s books is “awwww.” Not today. Tod, Julia, and Rider dig deep into classics and new books for kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Holidays! In honor of the season, the Disco team does a holiday-themed Bookshelf Revisit. See you in the New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time for some non-fiction! One of the most popular books of 2017, The Fact of A Body is part true crime, part memoir. After a summer spent interning for a law firm in Louisiana, Alexandra Marzona-Lesnevich examines a murder case and how it resonates within her own life. It’s a dark and twisting tale involving the death penalty, family secrets, mental health, and yes, getting pregnant while in a body-cast. The Disco trio reads and discusses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been all the rage at book clubs everywhere. We read the smash hit Italian novel from Elena Ferrante. Julia is effusive. Tod is stoked. Rider is…argumentative. Typical times at the Disco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tod discovers a mysterious set of diaries. Julia reads about the tech world. Rider finds out where the sidewalk ends. It’s time for a Bookshelf Revisit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue discussing listener recommended poetry. This time, all three poems are performed live, links below. That’s right, we’re talking spoken word! (Don’t worry, Tod refrains from poet voice.) Get ready to snap your fingers and bang your bongos. Or not. Because, you know, it’s not the 1960s… Kate Tempest, Tunnel Vision, recommended by listener Jenny Colvin. Safia Elhillo, Alien Suite, also from Jenny Colvin. Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib, Dig Those Sunsets, Pony, recommended by Deej Siminoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s up with contemporary poetry? We asked you for some good recommendations, and the comments poured in to our Facebook page. On this episode, we discuss three of your poets (our next episode will focus on spoken word performances). They vary in style and substance, and will only take a few minutes to read, links below. Poetry is always an intriguing subject, and even though this is a short reading, we managed to have a wide ranging discussion. Let us know your thoughts! Gary Jackson, Magneto Eyes Strange Fruit recommended by listener Jackie Smith. Naomi Shihab Nye, Kindness recommended by listener Emily Fine. Rupi Kaur was recommended by listener Daniel Sevitt, because she is the top selling poet in the US. Here are ten of her poems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of his death, we read the Pulitzer Prize winning play Buried Child from playwright, actor, and all around cool cowboy Sam Shepard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tod, Julia and Rider discuss what they’re reading this summer. Just in time for the…end of the season. (We recorded this a few weeks back, but had some technical issues.) Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you tell me how to get How to get to Sesame Street. On this episode of the Disco, we discuss the Michael Davis book, Street Gang, a detailed history of the creation and evolution of the world’s most successful children’s TV show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like most people, you probably thought the deadliest job in America had something to do with catching fish. Well, Douglas Scott Delaney’s here to tell you all about the actual deadliest job in the country, and the saddest part is, these workers die regularly for the oh-so-noble cause of better cell service. In Tower Dogs, Delaney recounts his career climbing impossibly tall towers to fix parts, install upgrades, and narrowly escape death. It’s a workplace of rough and tumble characters, men and women who live on-the-edge, quite literally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices