Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch

Michael & Ethan discuss The Orchardist, by Amanda Coplin. In this episode: Amanda Coplin is a great film director This is not the Citizen Kane, Alfred Hitchock, or Outlaw King podcast Michael lays traps. Actually like, a bunch of traps Ethan is too clever for Michael’s traps Haha! They do talk about the book, though, promise Michael and Ethan’s opinions are very mysterious Next episode they’ll...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss The Dream of Perpetual Motion, by Dexter Palmer . In this episode: Scripts are always to be followed exactly Ethan is the tease this time This book is the Tempest, but also The Sea and the Mirror, which is also the Tempest But like, we’re obsessed with The Tempest Like, seriously obsessed. But, so is Dexter Palmer. And Prospero. Things go better for Mic...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss The Dream of Perpetual Motion, by Dexter Palmer . In this episode: Ethan makes editing promises we all know he won’t keep They discuss exactly what years they went to college, very interesting It briefly becomes a true-crime podcast It almost becomes Citizen Kane Cast (Kast?) There’s an ambiance Spoilers for Ender’s Game? Michael wants more than novel N...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss The Light Between Oceans, by ML Stedman. Ethan’s audio is better this time than last time, but it’s still a little fishbowl-y. Maybe it’s just his voice? We’re pretty sure next time will be better still. In this episode: Ethan is sure Syd Field exists, or did This book is not a book (again) Ethan only complains for 1/3rd of this one! Michael is a mythology...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss The Light Between Oceans, by ML Stedman. In this episode: This book is dense This book is a taco Ethan is a hostile witness Ethan also can’t keep character names straight, and at some point it seems he stops trying to Michael doesn’t want to say Chiclet Ethan tries, and fails, to be humble Michael posits the hypothetical Pretty sure it’s an E, not a D M...

In this special episode, Michael & Ethan discuss Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Canterville Ghost.” This one was recorded in the very early days of American Quarantine, so please pardon us for spelling out some stuff that constitutes just the basic facts of reality now. At least we get most of the quarantine stuff out of the way at the beginning. In this episode: Ethan forgets the nation of Ir...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss Okla Hannali , by R.A. Lafferty. This was recorded forever ago, so there is a recommendation for guerrilla marketing our podcast that we now know is DEEPLY UNSANITARY. So don’t do that one. Sorry. In this episode: Michael and Ethan are definitely human. There are stories in this story. Michael isn’t touching Names With Michael. Michael gets the last lau...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss Okla Hannali , by R.A. Lafferty. This was recorded forever ago, so there is a recommendation for guerrilla marketing our podcast that we now know is DEEPLY UNSANITARY. So don’t do that one. Sorry. In this episode: In a show about a book you’re supposed to read, Ethan starts by giving you several other books to read . We’re NOT TALKING ABOUT GENRE. Here,...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss the modern classic The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead . This was recorded forever ago, so there is a recommendation for guerrilla marketing our podcast that we now know is DEEPLY UNSANITARY. So don’t do that one. Sorry. In this episode: They do the “part 2” joke again Names With Michael But Ethan Ended Up Editing This One and Didn’t Put in the...

In this episode, Michael & Ethan discuss the modern classic The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead . Note: there were some technical difficulties, but there IS a full episode here. And they talk about it very well, I think. In this episode: All technology is bad. Ethan hates stories. Usually, they prefer to power through elephants. Probably they’ll never check their privilege enough. Eth...

Well, they finally finish talking about Of Human Bondage. Have Ethan’s tastes changed? Is Michael that influential? Can he find Ethan’s emotional core? Find out in this episode! In this episode: Ethan drinks scotch by himself. “guest” “Michael Lilienthal” Michael problematizes it, as he does. Michael viciously punches the microphone. As undergrads, we always read each novel at least twice if not t...

Yes, Michael & Ethan are still talking about Of Human Bondage , by W. Somerset Maugham , and Ethan doesn’t know how he feels. Stay tuned for this emotional roller coaster! In this episode: Ethan tries to make this podcast intellectual. It’s like The Gift of the Magi with traps. Freedom - ? The nature of experience is finite! Ethan buys himself time. But gives up. Never hit on someone in a serv...

Michael & Ethan take a brief break from their discussion of Of Human Bondage , by W. Somerset Maugham , and pursue an island vacation with William Shakespeare’s The Tempest . Ethan drinks a Pimm’s Cup , and Michael a Brandy Cocktail . In this episode: Live and in person, Michael mixes a drink. He also makes up a pop song on the spot. The play is made up and the plot doesn’t matter. Ethan uses...

Continuing their Mongo book Of Human Bondage , by W. Somerset Maugham , Michael and Ethan get into the nitty gritty. In this episode: Our funny is all edited in. Michael deletes all Ethan’s tail-related jokes. They throw shade at Barnes & Noble. Michael tries to go on a Nabokov parade. Ethan douses him. They start out continuing the chronological order, then skip to the end. Ethan says somethi...

Season 4 begins in style, with the delectable Lagavulin 16yo single malt! The season kickoff Mongo book this time around is Of Human Bondage , by W. Somerset Maugham , and it’s a truly hot topic. Which of our hosts loved the book, and which one hated it? Find out exclusively on this episode! In this episode: Oedipal admissions and fantasies. New rules! Michael forgot his copy. Ethan conducts an in...

In the final episode of Season 3, Michael & Ethan dive into some creative nonfiction, sipping on this taste of the Midwest in essays by Bill Holm . Specifically: “The Grand Tour,” “Singing Latin in New Ulm,” and “The Music of Failure: Variations on an Idea.” In this episode: Michael is Queen Elizabeth I. Michael planted a beer seed in Minnesota. We are nothing if not willing to compromise ever...

As they converse about Jacques the Fatalist , by Denis Diderot , Michael & Ethan learn about themselves, and about each other. But most importantly, they learn about themselves. In this episode: Ethan renounces Michael. Michael kicks him out. The word “dumb” gets used a lot. Ethan giggles at the gutter his mind is in. They spend a lot of words on what they picture in this book. They’re not wor...

Now they’re reading Don Quixote again, but actually, it’s Tristram Shandy , or maybe, for real, it’s Jacques the Fatalist , by Denis Diderot . In this episode: Michael stuns Ethan into silence. Ethan translates Michael. Ethan baby steps forward in technology. The curtain is pulled back. Ethan doesn’t throw shade, or at least he claims not to. Some translation theory creeps in. But neither one know...

In honor of the Death of the Author, Michael & Ethan thought it fitting to read one of the great stories by the man himself, and to talk about it. Come along on this journey of great appreciation for a writer who will prove to be a foundation for a generation to come. Let’s discuss “The Death of Dr. Island,” by Gene Wolfe. In this episode: Michael closes a curtain and gets the lighting right f...

They’re still talking about The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton . In fact, they can’t stop talking about it, until they solve it and report to the lake by…. Wait, we’re going meta again. How is it that we always get trapped in the books we read? Maybe that’s a commentary on the reality created by our minds, and whether we should allow that to control us or not. Or maybe it’s ju...

Michael & Ethan are joined by Michael’s brother, Nick, to discuss The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton . In this episode: Michael breaks the Scotch. Ethan is proven thoroughly wrong by our new Patron, Alexis! The podcast turns into a hostage situation. Alexis recommends: Caitlin R. Kiernan . Ethan gets in a wrestling match over two cups. They see just a shadow of a shadow of...

They finish their analysis of Soulless , by Gail Carriger , and of course are very mature about it. One listener has lovingly said that it is our fault that he read this, the trashiest book he has ever read. We can’t disagree. It’s pretty fantastic. In this episode: Michael declares war on Naboo. They both have glasses on their face. Ethan brings the discussion back to genre. He also taunts Michae...

Now Michael & Ethan are talking about Soulless by Gail Carriger , with lots of frills and dresses and other dangerous things. It’s a challenge for Michael especially, because the subtitle of the book is literally against the rules for him to mention. Let’s see how he does. In this episode: They almost talk more about The Plains . They talk about stupid dog faces. They drink a human person. The...

They will never not be talking about The Plains by Gerald Murnane . That’s because, The Plains is life, which means everything and nothing all at once. In this episode: Ethan is not a 14-year-old girl waiting for her date. Well, he’s not one of those things. They take the “No Girls” sign down from the door. With Ethan’s wife, they all get very dramatic. Michael gives Ethan an epiphany about the bo...