Fire the Canon

Sarah Gailey, author of the upcoming book Just Like Home, joins us to talk about one of the most famous American short stories of all time: Shirley Jackson’s 1948 classic, The Lottery.  Jackie reveals her long, sordid history with technology.  Rachel reads a book review from an alternate reality.  Theo discusses an affordable delicacy.  Topics include: old houses, cottagecore, rollerblading accide...

You may recall that a few weeks back we briefly discussed how the writer and philosopher Voltaire became a (relative) millionaire. Although we knew it had something to do with scamming the official French government lottery, at the time we believed the answer was, “he bought every lottery ticket.” Rachel has since realized it was a little more complicated than that! Join Jackie and Theo as they le...

Ah, June. The time of year when dads near and far are honored for their contributions to our personhood. We interviewed our dads about our childhoods, and theirs, and some book talk made it in here and there. Technological mishaps abounded, but somehow, fiasco turned fiesta, and the party continues. Henry enjoyed being interviewed by Rachel so much that he insisted upon a second interview. Frank q...

Well, well, well, look who we have here - Jackie’s previous poetry professor (and poet), Ross White.  We discuss Ross’s favorite poem: Shelley’s badass masterpiece (badassterpiece?), Ozymandias.  Rachel insults all poets.  Theo therapizes/becomes the executive, legislative, and judicial producer.  Jackie continues to have singularly unique experiences.  Topics include: Downsizing (2017), tiny thin...

Here's our episode about the life of Percy Bysshe Shelley!  A great writer, a terrible husband, and arguably an even worse father.  Although he died at the age of 29, he got an unbelievable amount of living done.  Listen in to hear about all the shenanigans he got up to!  Jackie breaks the news about her disorder. Rachel tells everyone why the episode is about.  Theo wishes he’d said “Get a tomb”...

We finally made it to the second/last episode in our Candide miniseries, and what a long strange trip it’s been.  Our hero visits El Dorado, England, and Turkey, gaining and losing money and companions along the way.  Will he be reunited with his true love (?) Cunégonde?  Will he be reunited with basically everyone he’s met throughout the book?  Will he continue to believe that he lives in the bes...

Well, well, well. Look who decided to join Jackie and Rachel on the right side of 30! That would be Theo, our (actual, this time) birthday boy-producer. In honor of this special day, Rachel decided to give him the greatest gift of all: an idea for a birthday episode that he didn't have to come up with himself. We discuss the children's book My Dog Talks by Gail Herman, an age-inappropriate classic...

This week we have another very special guest for you all: author Premee Mohamed, just in time for the release of the thrilling conclusion to her Beneath the Rising trilogy, The Void Ascendant.  We had a great time chatting with her about Benjamin Franklin, Science Octopus; things that rhyme with Nyarlathotep; the differences between Canada and America; how to tell if something is YA; recycling tre...

This week we have a very special, very cute episode for you all - we interviewed our moms!  Well, we each interviewed our respective moms.  Buckle up for some cute stories and wide-ranging children’s book opinions.  Theo and his mom issue a challenge.  Jackie and her mom learn some surprisingly spooky information about each other.  Rachel and her mom actually discuss books. Books mentioned: Little...

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!  This week, we’re talking about one of our favorite nuns, the genius author, poet, and scholar Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.  Born in the mid-1600s, Sor Juana’s work has had a resurgence in the past few decades, and we want to get a little piece of the action for ourselves.  (Yes, we know Cinco de Mayo isn’t actually a big deal in Mexico.)  Rachel shakes people’s hands just to ME...

Bump Patrol is back, baby. We revisit the book Theo calls one of the scariest of the whole Goosebump canon, and it’s an absolute blast (from the past). Will the kids stay out of the basement as they’re told? Or will they drive the plot forward by very much NOT staying out of the basement? Is Margaret and Casey’s mom having an affair with a cactus? Is Fatso a good nickname for a preteen girl? What...

Voltaire’s renowned 1759 satire of the idea that everything is for the best!  Candide, a young German fellow, goes on a series of increasingly worse (and more bizarre) adventures, and does his best to maintain his sunny disposition.  Theo reveals the last thing he wanted to do.  Rachel is so powerful, despite having clothes on.  Jackie plays an ultrasound prank.  Topics include: honchxheads, Dune...

Gather round, audience, and we’ll tell you a tale of Voltaire, perhaps the greatest satirist in all of France.  Learn why this man kept getting sent to England (a fate worse than death)!  Find out which family member he hooked up with!  Discover what his friends did with his body after he died!  Rachel apologizes for having taken a philosophy course. Jackie comes for Young Thug.  Theo declares his...

We’ve got a very special guest for you this week - Yoon Ha Lee, author of, among others, the Machineries of Empire series, and the Thousand Worlds series (with Rick Riordan Presents). Join us as we compare adult SF/F publishing to middle grade & YA, get our PhDs in space operas, and even discuss the appeal of robots. Theo is more honorable than Jackie. Jackie reveals some truly shocking inform...

We wrap up the final 7 stories of James Joyce’s ‘Dubliners’. Somehow, despite the stories only getting sadder, we were more or less beside ourselves with silliness. Sometimes the stars just align that way, and neither soaring prose nor existential dread nor the revelation that one of us had unwittingly done something extremely embarrassing during a previous recording can bring us down. But fear no...

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In this seasonally appropriate episode, we read the first 8 short stories that comprise James Joyce’s 1914 collection ‘Dubliners’. A portrait of middle-class life in the titular city at the turn of the 20th century, things undeniably get weird, and the gang has to figure out how to talk about it without throwing up from sadness. Tune in to find out if they succeed! Theo is...

The return of our wonderful guest, author and historian Ada Palmer! (If you haven’t listened to our first episode with her, scroll back a bit and listen to Romeo & Juliet & Everything else.)  This time we talk about the Black Death, Covid-19 as a historian sees it, and helping each other make a better world.  Topics include: Titus Andronicus, Romeo & Juliet, Petrarch, tranquil souls, t...

We read the last five chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne. Which character is a badass bitch? Which character is the most like Theo?  Which character makes Theo suddenly turn against the book entirely?  Find out if this book gets to remain a classic, or if we decide to fire it out of the canon entirely.  (Or a secret third option?!) Rachel disrespects the wishes of the dead.  Jackie becomes...

We read the first five chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne.  As usual, our hosts have varying degrees of familiarity with this childhood classic.  Does it hold up?  Is it worth having kids just to read to them about Pooh and the gang?  Let’s find out together.  Theo reminisces about the sweet, delicious Pepsi Era.  Jackie is still mad at Capri Sun.  Rachel is being very Central American.  T...

We have a very special guest for you all today - Professor Ada Palmer, author of the recently-completed Terra Ignota series (one of Rachel’s favorites).  We invited her on to talk about Romeo & Juliet, but, as is customary with our guest episodes, the conversation went in some very surprising directions.  (However, we do recommend that you listen to our previous Romeo & Juliet episode firs...

Ah, love.  We love it in all of its forms.  One of those forms is the love between Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning, both legendary poets, each married to the other.  But which is better?!  In the gladiatorial arena of romance, two love poems enter, but only one love poem leaves.  Rachel stans a cougar.  Jackie is a closeted sexist.  Theo learns that he’s not a learner. Topics includ...

Y’all know the drill!  Shakespeare’s classic - boy and girl meet, fall in love immediately, and, through a series of misadventures, die.  Sure, it’s famous, but does it hold up?!  Jackie single-handedly defeats the whole purpose of the podcast.  Theo taints the whole thing.  Rachel helps high schoolers cheat on a quiz.  Topics include: secret societies, chocolate assholes, Ann Hathaway’s performan...

We finish reading the last three acts of Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, and finally find out if this play is a rom, a com, or a dram.  One of our most high concept episodes yet!  The gang processes their first one star review in a very healthy way.  Theo takes a look inside his own head, and doesn’t like what he sees.  Jackie sweetens a baby.  Rachel is bawlin’ out.  Topics include: a donkey that s...

----more----We read the first two acts of Edmond Rostand’s classic romantic tragedy, Cyrano de Bergerac.  It’s entirely possible that Cyrano is the coolest guy who ever lived.  Listen in as we lay the groundwork for a familiar-sounding love triangle!  Jackie speaks fluent German. Theo lifts weights with gusto.  Rachel stands up for women.  Topics include: Muppet Babies, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Sl...

Join us for the dramatic ending of 1984!  At the end of episode 2, Winston had been captured by the party, and thrown in prison.  Let’s see what becomes of him and his gal pal Julia.  Most importantly, let’s see if your hosts fire this book out of the dang canon!  Theo does a seriously amazing job remembering what we’ve read so far.  Jackie sings Fast Car, as is customary.  Rachel blatantly virtue...