How I've Read

Scotto discusses Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory," a short story you can find in Breakfast at Tiffany's . Plus: fruitcake, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, whiskey, nostalgia, family, warmth, money, ornaments, childhood, and a bunch of other stuff I cannot think of right now. 

It's the fall of 2008 and a 21-year-old Scotto is trying to live on campus again. He's learning about ancient Roman art, Toni Morrison, and the Gospel According to John, all while failing socially and falling confusedly in love with an older woman. It's a time of important realizations, intense reading, and inspiration. Young Scotto is compelled by the very simple idea that the story of Jesus Chri...

Scotto records while pacing in his office and reading: James Brown's Apology to the Young Addict , old letters from Mrs. Scotto, an anonymously authored book called Time Heals All Wounds , and notes from Old Good Bird. Plus: 28 push-ups, The Serenity Prayer, "Semi-Charmed Kind of Life," Don Hertzfeldt, love, Sufjan Stevens, weightlifting, friendship, wisdom, stick figures, alcoholism, Tetris, ches...

Scotto reacts to a Louise Glück poem. This episode includes reflections on insomnia, healing, aging, stimming, autism, alcoholism, family, and much more. Happy Thanksgiving! 

It's the day after Scotto's 39th birthday. 

Scotto reacts to Ha Jin's novel War Trash, which explores a Chinese soldier's time in an American POW camp. This episode includes reflections on historical fiction, the Korean War, the War in Ukraine, the Israel/Palestine conflict, propaganda, the violence in Sudan, Zohran Mamdani, and much more. 

While taking care of a sick dog, Scotto reads a poem called "Then for the Seventh Night" by Mark Levine. 

Scotto finishes his discussion of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey.   This episode includes: root beer in a water gun, spiritual crises, family conflicts,  The Baghavad Gita , Franz Kafka, Jesus Christ, a kimono full of hardware, ghosts of the dead, ghosts of the living, and much more. 

Scotto reacts to J.D. Salinger's short story "Franny." The episode includes ruminations on: child prodigies, people pleasing, the power of prayer, the pain of dating someone you don't really like, the yearning for God, and much more.  To support Scotto, please rate the podcast, subscribe, and share. 

Scotto reacts to Nobel Prize laureate Han Kang's The Vegetarian .  The patreon is currently shut down--but it may open up again someday. In the meantime, if you want to support Scotto, rate the podcast and share it! 

Scotto reacts to Jamaica Kincaid's  A Small Place  and discusses why he hasn't been many places. This episode explores the relationship between consumers and workers, Scotto's domestic travel experiences, tourism, colonialism, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and much more.  Get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread  

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto connects with Mary Gaitskill's Veronica . 

Support Scotto and get bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto reacts to Karl Ove Knausgaard's "The Reenchanted World," which you can read in the June 2025 issue of Harper's : https://harpers.org/archive/2025/06/the-reenchanted-world-karl-ove-knausgaard-digital-age/  

Support Scotto and get bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto reacts to a chapter from Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend . 

Guest episode! Rob Couch talks about reading Larry McMurtry's Moving on . You can listen to Rob's podcast about King of the Hill here: https://www.yeppodcast.com/ Support Scotto and get bonus episodes of How I've Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Get bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread The murder of Robert Brooks in a New York prison motivated Scotto to reread Angela Y. Davis's  Are Prison's Obsolete . The book made him think about the innacurate and pervase representation of prisons in American media and the ramifications of a draconian and racist criminal justice system. This episode includes discussions of the prison in Scotto's hom...

Author Kelly Daniels shares a story about his mother reading him The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (and much more). Find Kelly's writing and podcast here: https://authorkellydaniels.com/ Support Scotto and get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto reacts to Hermann Hesse's novel Demian . The episode explores lying, good and evil, pen names, World Wars, prodigal sons, and much more. 

Get more episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread

Guest episode! Writer Rachel King talks about James Baldwin's  Just Above My Head. Go read Rachel's books: Bratwurst Haven and People Along the Sand .  Get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread  

Get more episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto reacts to Mary Ruefle's "I Remember, I Remember," an essay about Ruefle's relationship with poetry. With cameos from John Berryman, John Keats, Arthur Miller, and others. 

Support Scotto and get extra episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto attends a jazz concert. 

In How I've Read's inaugural guest episode, Sam Olson tells a story about reading (and rereading) J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings throughout his formative years.  Get more episodes and support Scotto on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread  

Support Scotto and get more episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/howiveread Scotto reads from Writing the Land: Virginia , edited by Dr. Lis McLoughlin.