Heavy Bored

**Get a taste of what’s behind the paywall with this *UNLOCKED* episode of Heavy Bored #10 Ben Lerner’s The Hatred of Poetry** A long and winding breakdown of Lerner’s personal essay and reflection on the craft of poetry. Strap in for this one, as we go over every bit of space in this essay and tell you why it’s wrong.  *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner: https://amzn.to/4...

Andrew gives Sophie Covid through Skype while they discuss lyric poetry and all of its glory. Sophie helps Andrew learn how to read big words he can’t pronounce. And both cough loudly into the microphone every few minutes as an artistic choice. Topics include what’s the point of lyric poetry? the problem with academic writing, why no one reads poems, the futility of loving poetry, and more.  *LINK...

The final part of the Twilight Saga has Sophie becoming pro child brides while Andrew mansplains vampire pregnancy. Both become pro-life and consider converting to the Mormon faith. All while speculating about vampire erections–size, girth, temperature, texture. Topics include Book vs Movie, the structure of romance, bad endings, vampire sex, CGI babies, and more.  *LINKS*  Watch the Movie: https:...

Part 3 of the continuing Twilight Saga kicks off with Andrew wanting it to be over because he’s a man, while Sophie is seduced by some hot, wet talking. Both become sympathetic to rigorous Mormon-style abstinence-only sex education while reading about sexual assault from werewolves and vampires. Topics include emo culture, high school, men vs women, why scholarship is in the toilet, and more. *LIN...

Andrew and Sophie get a bad case of Twilight Fever while being nostalgic for the emo era in Part 2 of the continuing Twilight Saga. Sophie gets in touch with her Mormon side while Andrew becomes homoerotically fixated on Taylor Lautner’s physique. Topics include the emo era, performative self-harm, Romeo and Juliet, the problems with film adaptations, Pauline Kael’s theories on “Trash Art” and why...

The Twilight Saga gets the Heavy Bored treatment Part 1. We go through the first novel in the series while discussing why pop fiction sells more copies, book vs movie, the issues with young adult genre books, and what makes a romance book a romance book? *LINKS*  Watch the Movie: https://amzn.to/4mQz7MV *Buy the Books*  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: https://amzn.to/45UztMI New Moon by Stephenie Mey...

Merwin’s long career is discussed along with his fuckability, his tendency to be vague, line breaks, overpraising famous writers' more mediocre works and the existential questions–what is the point in composing a poem or harsh literary criticism?  *LINKS*  *Buy the Books* The Essential W.S. Merwin: https://amzn.to/45okkDa Summer Doorways: A Memoir by W. S. Merwin: https://amzn.to/4oDUTVR More...

The famous novel about the great depression in New York and the infamous character Gloria Wanderous is discussed while going into what a reputation does for a book, the dramatic devices at work in the text, and the praising of books leading to them being overblown.  This is a free preview of an episode for subscribers only. Join Patreon to get FULL access to Heavy Bored! https://www.patreon.com/He...

Sophie and Andrew get terribly bored reading this classic American masterpiece. Topics include transcendentalism, free verse, the limits of the line and page, Whitman and his impact, and more! *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1855 edition): https://amzn.to/4fG9yM8 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (Deathbed edition): https://amzn.to/3HdGCyo More Books of Walt Whitman: https:...

The iconic autobiographical novel is discussed with its many vivid depictions of pimp life in the early 20th century and its raw descriptions of sex, drugs, and jail.  This is a free preview of an episode for subscribers only. Join Patreon to get FULL access to Heavy Bored! https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored   *LINKS*  *Buy the Books* Pimp by Iceberg Slim: https://amzn.to/45yCcKo Trick Baby by Ice...

A long and winding breakdown of Lerner’s personal essay and reflection on the craft of poetry. Strap in for this one, as we go over every bit of space in this essay and tell you why it’s wrong.  This is a free preview of an episode for subscribers only. Join Patreon to get FULL access to Heavy Bored! https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored   *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Hatred of Poetry by Ben Lerner:...

Andrew and Sophie discuss one of the greatest novels ever written while discussing technique, the limits of plot, the beauty of Woolf’s prose, and more. *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Wordsworth edition): https://amzn.to/3V1BIYm To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (unabridged edition): https://amzn.to/3V8VPUo A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf: https://amzn.to/475...

The brilliance of Bogan’s work is discussed at length with Sophie going into some of her favorite works while discussing themes, the fear of being a square, and the power of being a critic.  This is a free preview of an episode for subscribers only. Join Patreon to get FULL access to Heavy Bored! https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored   *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Blue Estuaries by Louise Bogan: http...

Andrew and Sophie discuss the merits of plot, the usefulness of setting, trends in writing, the boredom factor, and much more in Joy Williams' Pulitzer-nominated novel, The Quick and the Dead. *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Quick and the Dead by Joy Williams: https://amzn.to/3HCmWUQ The Visting Privilege by Joy Williams: https://amzn.to/3HBSZEj More Books by Joy Williams: https://amzn.to/3HC2lA4...

A long, boring trip into the young romantic poet and his many works, published in this complete Keats edition. We discuss everything from the benefits of reading complete works to speculating about Keats' sex drive.  *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Complete John Keats: https://amzn.to/4lBQ9gL More Books of John Keats: https://amzn.to/3JmGFZ7 Join Patreon or Substack to get FULL access to Heavy Bo...

The one that needs no introduction, this horror classic is given the Heavy Bored treatment. Discussing a wide range of topics including King’s influence, the line between literary and pop fiction, does a good movie make a writer, and more.  *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Shining by Stephen King: https://amzn.to/47Aw471 2 Book Set–The Shining and Doctor Sleep: https://amzn.to/3JiAYeS Pet Sematary by...

Andrew and Sophie go into the haunting imagery of Brigit Pegeen Kelly’s The Orchard. Her final collection of poems. Topics include, the problems with tech in the classroom, teaching writing, Kelly’s mastery of the craft, and more.  *LINKS* *Buy the Books*  The Orchard by Brigit Pegeen Kelly: https://amzn.to/4mdZZ9y Song by Brigit Pegeen Kelly: https://amzn.to/4meyoFj To the Place of the Trumpets b...

This week we look into the strange character that is Stevens and his methodical ways while addressing literary modes, styles, British things, Nobel Prizes, and more. *LINKS* *Buy the Books* The Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro: https://amzn.to/3JkyY5M Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro: https://amzn.to/3JhtPLT More Books by Kazou Ishiguro: https://amzn.to/4mMqOSf Join Patreon or Substack to get...

Andrew and Sophie take a deep dive into the very slim, but extremely articulate introductory essay to Harold Bloom’s The Best Poems of the English Language , engaging with Bloom’s larger theories of influence around artistic works and how making a judgment about art is the most important part.  *LINKS* *Buy the Books* The Art of Reading Poetry by Harold Bloom: https://amzn.to/3UsQY0e The Best Poem...

In the inaugural episode of Heavy Bored, Andrew and Sophie discuss this classic Wharton novel, including the problem with class analysis, the many themes of beauty, the tragedy of heartbreak and loss, and more.  *LINKS* *Buy the Books* The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton(Penguin): https://amzn.to/4oCRJ4r The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (Dover Thrift): https://amzn.to/4oCRJkX The Custom of the...