Lit for Christmas

Welcome to our Saint Patrick’s Day Lit for Christmas party of Season Five! In this episode, Marty and Beth get bombed on Bailey's Mint Mudslides and discuss "Christmas Morning" by Irish writer Frank O'Connor.   BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time Beth makes a seuxal innuendo. CAUTION: You WILL get very drunk. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT Bailey's Mint Mudslide: Ingredients:...

Welcome to our Black History Month Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and Beth sip Blue Eyes and discuss Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye .   BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear Beth make a bad pun. CAUTION: You WILL get very drunk. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: The Blue Eye Ingredients: ·     2 shots Vodka ·     1 shot Blue Curacao ·     3 shots Baja Blast Mountain Dew...

Yes, we are back, Lit for Christmas party goers! Bigger and better. Apologies for our long hiatus. Life became quite complicated last year, and we had to put quite a few things on hold. However, we are here and ready to Christmas party again! In this episode, Marty and Beth imbibe in Peppermint Patties and discuss Dave Barry's The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Miracle Christmas Dog . SPIRIT...

Welcome to our Valentine’s Day Lit for Christmas party of Season Four! In this episode, Marty and Beth guzzle down Love Martinis and discuss Seven Stories of Christmas Love by Dr. Love himself, Leo Buscaglia.  BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear our 15-year-old son in the background.  CAUTION: You WILL get very drunk. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Love Martini (courtesy of https://pictur...

Welcome to our first Lit for Christmas party of Season Four! In this episode, Marty and Beth partake in a little drink called the Frodo and talk about the creator of Middle Earth, J. R. R. Tolkien, and his book Letters from Father Christmas , in celebration of what would have been Tolkien’s 132nd birthday on January 3, 2024.  BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear the words "Polar Bea...

Merry Christmas, all you Lit for Christmas partiers! Welcome to this bonus Christmas Day party!  For this special Lit for Christmas party, Marty shares his essay "Joy to the World."  BONUS POINTS:  Tell someone you love them today. TODAY'S CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: Marty Schnog Directions: Pour a mug of eggnog Add three to four shots of Bailey's Irish Cream Drink Lit for Christmas Party...

Welcome to our Christmas Eve Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and his friend and new cohost and co-drunk, Andrea, talk about the meaning of life, joy, and Christmas as they discuss Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air .  It’s an episode that’s sure to appreciate your loved ones this holiday season.  BONUS POINTS: Take a shot anytime you hear a terrible dad joke!  WARNING: THERE...

Welcome to our post-Thanksgiving Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, celebrate an early Krampusnacht as they discuss Brom’s yuletide offering, Krampus the Yule Lord .  It’s a knock-down, drag-out, to-the-death battle between Santa and Krampus!  BONUS POINTS: Take a shot anytime the word “yule” is said!  Yule be drunk before you know it! GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRES...

Welcome to a little shot of Lit for Christmas for Christmas Podcast Day! For this special episode, Marty shares some shots of Christmas poems about Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that he's written over the years!  Merry Christmas Podcast Day! BONUS POINTS:  If you already have your Christmas tree up, take three extra shots of whatever's open in the liquor cabinet. Lit for Christmas...

Welcome to our Halloween Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and Beth partake in a little drink called the Bobby Burns and talk about the King of Horror's novella "The Breathing Method" from the novella collection Different Seasons. BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear the word "breathing." CAUTION: You WILL get very drunk. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:...

WARNING: This episode contains adult language and discussion of a certain guy in red fur that may not be appropriate for small children. Welcome to our first 'ber month Lit for Christmas party of the year! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, become Merry Prankster’s as the discuss Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in honor of what would have been Kesey’s 88th birthday on...

Welcome to this late (by a few days) Lit for Christmas August party! In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, partake in a few Mars Explosions while talking about Ray Bradbury’s short-short story “The Gift” in honor of Bradbury’s 103rd birthday.  Also, learn the history of grenadine. BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear a bad Close Encounters of the Third Kind allusion. SPIRIT OF CHRIS...

Welcome to our very, very, very late Lit for Christmas in July party! In a day's time, look for our August Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, charm some Copperheads and discuss opioid addiction, foster care, and Kingsolver love. BONUS POINTS:  Take a drink every time Marty or Madeline make a bad exorcism pun. GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Copperhead (recipe...

Merry Christmas in July, all you Lit for Christmas partiers! Welcome to this bonus shot of Christmas in July!  For this special Lit for Christmas pre-party, Marty shares his essay "Just Like the Ones I Used to Know." In a couple weeks, a brand new, full Lit for Christmas party will drop. BONUS POINTS:  Say "Merry Christmas" to at least three of your neighbors!

NOTE: Still working on sound issues. My apologies. Welcome to the Lit for Christmas Pride Month party! In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, enjoy a few Tom Collinses while talking about David Sedaris's collection of essays/short stories Holidays on Ice . Also, witness a podcast first: Marty spills his drink all over his laptop. BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear the word &quo...

Welcome to our May Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, enjoy Sex on the Beach and tackle the stigma of mental illness talking about Sonya Sones’ Saving Red . BONUS POINTS:  Take a drink every time Marty says “you know”! WARNING: YOU WILL GET VERY DRUNK! GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Sex on the Beach (recipe adapted from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sex-on-the-...

NOTE: Apologies for the sound quality of this recording. Welcome to the Lit for Christmas National Poetry Month party! In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, imbibe in the official state cocktail for Michigan, visit the Motor City (and Greece and France) with colby Cedar Smith's novel in verse Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit . BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear the word &quot...

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of physical and emotional trauma and abuse. Welcome to our St. Patrick’s Day Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, indulge in a wee drop of Irish Cream, Crème de Menthe, and vodka and get serious (and seriously drunk) talking about Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These . BONUS POINTS:  Take a drink every time M...

Welcome to the Lit for Christmas Eve party! In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, take a little trip to the Caribbean with a lot of rum and John Grisham's Skipping Christmas . BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot for every bad John Grisham allusion and pun. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Bahama Mama courtesy of cocktails.lovetoknow.com Ingredients: 1 shot coconut rum 1 shot of dark rum 1 1/2 shots o...

Welcome to our out of this world Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, drink alien secretions and have a close encounter of the Christmas kind with Whitley Strieber's Communion:  A True Story . BONUS POINTS:  For any listener who's been abducted by aliens! GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT SPIRIT: Alien Secretion (recipe courtesy of Tipsy Bartender ) Ingredie...

Merry Christmas, all you Lit for Christmas partiers! Welcome to this bonus Christmas Day party!  For this special Lit for Christmas party, Marty shares his essay "Christmas Roses."  BONUS POINTS:  Tell someone you love them today. TODAY'S CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: Peppermint Patty Directions: Make a mug of hot chocolate Add three to four shots of peppermint schnapps Drink Lit for Christmas...

Welcome to the Lit for Christmas Eve party! In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, take on the grandfather of Christmas literature--Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol . BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time Beth yells "Shout out to my peeps!"  (WARNING:  You will become very drunk.) SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Smoking Bishop courtesy of punchdrink.com (https://punchdrink.com/re...

Welcome to our really lit Lit for Christmas November party! In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, enjoy Thanksgiving Snoop Dogg-style while talking about Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower . WARNING:  This episode contains some adult language and themes. DISCLAIMER:  All cannabis and delta-9 products consumed on this podcast were legally purchased. BONUS POINTS:...

Welcome to a shot of Lit for Christmas for Christmas Podcast Day! For this special episode, Marty shares some shots of Christmas poems he's written over the years!  Merry Christmas Podcast Day! BONUS POINTS:  If you already have your Christmas tree up, take two extra shots of whatever's open in the liquor cabinet. Lit for Christmas Party Hosts : Marty has an Master's in fiction writing,...

Welcome back to this Lit for Christmas vacation party! In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, scare up some frozen Brandy Alexanders to talk about Richard Matheson's novel Hell House and October snowstorms.   BONUS POINTS:  Count how many times Beth mentions that she's a middle child!  (Hint:  It's a LOT.) SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Brandy Alexander Ingredients: 1 - 1 1/2...