We Defy Augury

Thoughts (loosely) based on Tony Horowitz's meta-mystery novel  Magpie Murders. Special Guests: The Smile, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Tom Hanks, and Meg Ryan.

Thoughts (loosely) based on William Zinsser's classic primer  On Writing Well  (and the current AI writing revolution). Special Guests: George Carlin, Spirograph, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Simple Minds, El Guapo, Hefe, and Donald Trump.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Professor Truck's experiences teaching high school English in the age of artificial intelligence-- and his attempts at defining ethical AI usage in academic and creative settings . . . with bonus thoughts (loosely) based on three classic science-fiction novels: Theodore Sturgeon's  More Than Human  and  The Dreaming Jewels  and  They Walked Like Men  by Clifford D. Sima...

Thoughts (loosely) based on James P. Carse's rather annoying book  Finite and Infinite Games  and Nathan Hill's excellent novel  Wellness. Special Guests: Gandalf, Morpheus, George Costanza, Jerry Seinfeld, Simon Sinek, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Thoughts (loosely, very loosely) based on the William Stafford poem "Traveling Through the Dark." Special guests: 38 Special, Ox, and a random middle school student from  Boyhood. This episode now includes a special bonus update at the end.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Shirley Jackson's  We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Special Guests: The Allman Brothers, The Eagles, Uncle Henry, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Andre Heyworth.

Thoughts on capitalism (loosely) based on three novels published in the 1980s: Carl Hiasen's  Tourist Season,  Tom Wolfe's  The Bonfire of the Vanities , and Martin Cruz Smith's  Gorky Park. Special Guests: Oingo Boingo, Lloyd Dobbler, Conan O'Brien, and Anthony Bourdain.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Carl Wilson's music criticism masterpiece   Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste. Special Guests: Celine Dion, Huey Lewis and the News, New Found Glory, Robert Johnson, Greensky Bluegrass, The Easy Star All Stars, Bas Gaakeer & Mireille Bittar, Joey Satriani, David Berman, Pavement, Beavis and Butthead, David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, greaset...

Thoughts (loosely) based on Catherine Chidgey's psychological thriller  Pet. Special Guests: The Police, Van Halen, and The Plastics.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Colin Dickey's book  Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy." Special Guests: Oedipa Maas, The Beastie Boys, Richard Nixon, Geraldo Rivera, The Who, and The Simpsons.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Robert B. Parker's novel  Mortal Stakes. Special Guests: Miss Education, Coach D'Amato, Coach Taylor, Falstaff, God, Walter, Donny, and the Dude.

Thoughts (loosely) based on the novels of Colleen Hoover. Special Guests: Miss Education, God.

Thoughts (loosely) based on J. Bradford DeLong's  Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century. Special Guests: Milton Friedman, Gordon Gekko, and Bill Cosby.

Thoughts (loosely) based on four crime novels set in the 1970s: The Last Good Kiss  by James Crumley The Godwulf Manuscript  and  God Save the Child  by Robert B. Parker Crook Manifesto  by Colson Whitehead Special Guests: Frank Serpico, the A-1 Guy, the Crying Indian, Crazy Eddie Antar, Fred Sandford, Officer Swanhauser, Officer Smith, Chuck D, Dutton Peabody, Tom Doniphon, Uncle Rico, Napoleon D...

Thoughts (loosely) based on Larry Niven's 1970 sci-fi novel  Ringworld  and Katie Williams' 2023 sci-fi novel  My Murder. Special Guests: Joel, Clementine, God, Han, Chewie, and Zardoz.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Danny Danziger and John Gillingham's history book  1215: The Year of Magna Carta. Special Guests: King Arthur, Denis, The Almighty Lord, Matthew Broderick as David, Al Pacino as Tony Montana, The Choir of Gonville, and Clark Griswold.

Thoughts (loosely) inspired by Stuart Neville's thriller  The Ghosts of Belfast. Special Guests: The Hasbro Pop-O-Matic, Detective Sean Duffy, Adrian McKinty, Sinead O'Connor, Indiana Jones, Erin Quinn, Grandpa Joe, The People's Front of Judea, and U2.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Donna Tartt's novel  The Little Friend. Special Guests: Drive-by Truckers, George Wallace, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Thoughts (loosely) based on  Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What to Do About It  by Daniel Knowles. Special Guests: Laura Ingraham, 100 gecs, and The Boss himself.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Eleanor Catton's eco-thriller  Birnam Wood. Special Guests: The Big Lebowski, The Dude, Hasan Minaj, and Anand Giridharadas.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Stuart Turton's mind-bending mystery novel  The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Special Guests: Albert Camus, Phil Connors, and Grant Goodeve.

Thoughts (loosely) based on Kerry Howley's book  Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State  and Jeff Sharlet's book   The Undertow: Scenes From a Slow Civil War. Special Guests: The "In Search of Theme Song," The Monster Energy Drink Lady (Christine Weick) and Adam Hamdy's very silly mystery novel  The Other Side of Night.

Thoughts (loosely) based on  This is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You  by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas and  Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction  by Derek Thompson. This is part two of a two part series. Special Guests:  Jethro Tull, A-Ha, Van Halen, Talking Heads, The Cure, Kenny G, Jimmy McGriff, David Bowie, Tim McGraw, The Rolling Stones, Wilco...

Thoughts (loosely) based on  This is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You  by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas and  Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction  by Derek Thompson. This is the first part of a two part episode. Special guests: Glenn Gould, Little Richard, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Vulfpeck, Rage Against the Machine, The Shaggs, S...

Thoughts (loosely) based on two historical books: Stacy Schiff's  The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams  and Imani Perry's South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation. Special Guests: Matt Damon and Robin Williams.