Literary Disco

Literary Disco

Literary Disco

Writers talk about reading. Hosted by Tod Goldberg, Julia Pistell, and Rider Strong. Featured in USA Today, Orange County Register, New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, The Spectator, Vice and countless others.  A Washington Post Best Literary Podcast A Good Housekeeping Best Literary Podcast A Mashable Best Books PodcastA Bustle Best Books Podcast 

Revisiting George Saunders

Revisiting George Saunders

On today's episode, we revisit a recent conversation with one favorite authors on the podcast, George Saunders, whose new story collection Liberation Day is out now. This episode is brought to you by Bombas, the socks Julia and her family is ALWAYS wearing! Go to bombas.com/disco and use code DISCO for 20% off your purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 4, 2022 • 56:51

Episode 204: Horror

Episode 204: Horror

Today, on Literary Disco, we continue our genre-based season. Each episode of this season, we're diving deep into a particular literary genre, exploring what defines it, what makes it work or not work, interviewing authors, talking to fans, scholars, whomever can help us unlock what it is that makes a genre a genre. And with this, our third episode, we grab a flashlight, head into the dark woods to that house on the hill or just maybe the closet in our own room to creep around the corners, waiti

Aug 23, 2022 • 1:43:42

Episode 203: Crime

Episode 203: Crime

Today, we continue our genre-based season where we dive deep into a literary genre exploring what defines it, what makes it work and not work, interviewing authors, talking to fans and scholars, whoever can unlock what makes a genre a genre. In our second episode, we find a body, a clue or two, maybe even some justice. We'll undoubtedly confront the darkness and the human heart as we talk crime. This week, our special guests are private investigator Lee Lofland, author of Police Procedure & Inve

Jul 20, 2022 • 1:29:35

Episode 202: Fantasy

Episode 202: Fantasy

Today we launch a new format of the Disco as we begin our "Genre Season." Each episode of this season, we're going to dive deep into a particular literary genre, exploring what defines it, what makes it work or not work, interviewing authors, talking to fans, scholars, whoever can help us unlock what it is that makes a genre a genre. With our inaugural episode, we discover our long lost lineage. hop on Pegasus, and fly to the far reaches of fantasy. Joining us is actor and writer Will Friedle, f

Jun 27, 2022 • 1:05:46

Sea Tea (Literary Disco Live!)

Sea Tea (Literary Disco Live!)

This is a recording of a live episode from Sea Tea Improv in Hartford, Connecticut, back in March. Julia and Rider are joined by special guests curator Mallory Howard of the Mark Twain House & Museum and librarian Gwen Glazer of the Croton Free Library -- and Tod's disembodied head joining virtually. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 15, 2022 • 1:30:17

Episode 201: Where the Hell Have We Been?

Episode 201: Where the Hell Have We Been?

Hey, guys! It's been a while. While Julia may have grown a beard, Rider still hasn't cut his hair, and Tod is still up to his old bullshit, we've been still reading books and are ready to start a new season -- with some surprises! Listen in to find out what we're going to be up to in 2022. We're also coming to a town near you! And by town near you, we mean those of you near Hartford, Connecticut! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/literary-disco-live-with-rider-and-julia-tickets-290492309317 Learn mor

Mar 7, 2022 • 14:12

Episode 200: Reflections on the Disco

Episode 200: Reflections on the Disco

It's episode 200. We're going to talk about what's changed over the years, and maybe do a bookshelf revisit. Who knows?! We're getting old. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 12, 2021 • 1:16:20

Episode 199: Back to School

Episode 199: Back to School

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod head back to school with special guest Bree Rolfe, a teacher from Austin, Texas, where she helps high school students discover literature and creative writing. She is also a poet, whose collection Who's Going to Love the Dying Girl is out now. She is also a dear friend of Literary Disco, a fellow graduate of the Bennington Writing Seminars and exactly one semester ahead of the rest of us. Bree was involved in a lot of the late-night drinking and debating sessions

Oct 1, 2021 • 1:24:05

Episode 198: Horse Girls

Episode 198: Horse Girls

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod tackle the incredibly popular, enduring, and surprisingly diverse world of the horse girl. We have read a classic of the genre, Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry, and have read a new collection of essays edited by Halimah Marcus entitled Horse Girls, in which female writers go deep on horses and the horse girl phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 2021 • 1:08:58

Episode 197: East of Eden

Episode 197: East of Eden

On this episode of Literary Disco, Julia, Rider, and Tod take on John Steinbeck's classic epic novel East of Eden, which centers on the Salinas Valley of California and tells the story of several generations of the Trask and Hamilton families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 3, 2021 • 1:03:47

Episode 196: Pool Reads

Episode 196: Pool Reads

On this episode of Literary Disco, while Rider's off camping, Tod and Julia talk about their philosophy of pool reads—and why they'll read books at the pool that they'd never be caught reading anywhere else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 13, 2021 • 1:06:20

Episode 195: Arena

Episode 195: Arena

On this week's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod read some poetry -- and discuss Lauren Shapiro's poetry collection, Arena, which was published in 2020 to rave reviews. Lauren Shapiro is the author of Easy Math (Sarabande, 2013), which was the winner of the Kathryn A. Morton Prize and the Debut-litzer Prize for Poetry, as well as a chapbook of poems, Yo-Yo Logic (DIAGRAM/New Michigan Press, 2011). She is an associate professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about your ad choic

Jun 29, 2021 • 54:45

Episode 194: Alta Magazine

Episode 194: Alta Magazine

Today, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss three articles from Alta Magazine, the publication based in California that focuses on news, history, literature, and culture, with a decidedly Western bent. Its founder, William Hearst III, declares it to be "a literate magazine that serves as a counterpoint to the New Yorker." Articles discussed: "The Accident on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Louise Farr, about the tragic death of a hiker "When the Mafia Came to Lodi" by Andrew Dubbins, about the mafia's at

May 28, 2021 • 1:02:31

Episode 193: Being Mortal

Episode 193: Being Mortal

On today's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod talk about all the things human beings never want to talk about: death, pain, sickness, and more, when we discuss Atul Gawande's seminal 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Today's sponsor: This episode is supported by GreenChef. Go to GreenChef.com/90disco and use code 90disco to get $90 off including free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 7, 2021 • 59:35

Episode 192: The Removed

Episode 192: The Removed

On today's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Brandon Hobson's new novel, The Removed, that follows a Cherokee family in Oklahoma in the aftermath of their son's death at the hands of a police officer. Today's sponsor: This episode is supported by GreenChef. Go to GreenChef.com/90disco and use code 90disco to get $90 off including free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 20, 2021 • 51:06

Episode 191: Spring Games 2021

Episode 191: Spring Games 2021

This week, Julia, Tod, and Rider celebrate Literary Disco’s ninth birthday by breaking out some book games. In Judging a Book by Its Cover, Rider reads the first few lines of a book while Tod and Julia try to guess the era, genre, author, and even the book itself. In Game Two, Julia and Rider try to decipher between a poem, a song, a popular song, and something Tod's made up. And in the final game, Julia leads a round of Bookshelf Roulette. Plus, the countless book digressions and recommendation

Mar 30, 2021 • 1:04:05

Episode 190: Crime Favorites

Episode 190: Crime Favorites

This week, Julia, Tod, and Rider talk about their favorite crime reads—and why we're so hooked on the genre, anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 16, 2021 • 1:05:15

Episode 189: The Low Desert

Episode 189: The Low Desert

This week, Julia, Tod, and Rider go behind the scenes of Tod’s new book, The Low Desert, out now from Counterpoint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 3, 2021 • 1:05:16

Episode 188: Cruel Summer

Episode 188: Cruel Summer

On today's special episode, we are live from LumaCon 2021 — a comic convention brought to you by a cohort of public libraries in Sonoma County, California. Today, we discuss the graphic novel Cruel Summer by Ed Brubaker, and then a Q&A with the live audience. This episode is brought to you by Literati Kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 16, 2021 • 1:37:43

Episode 187: The Neighbors

Episode 187: The Neighbors

Today, for the first time in a while, Julia, Rider, and Tod tackle a single short story. We solicited our listeners via social media for recommendations, and a couple of you directed us to "The Neighbors" by Shruti Swamy, which is available online at Electric Literature and is part of the collection A House Is a Body. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 2, 2021 • 49:28

Episode 186: George Saunders

Episode 186: George Saunders

On today's episode, we welcome one of our favorite authors on the podcast, George Saunders, to discuss his latest book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, which takes a close look at seven Russian short stories and offers insight on reading and writing. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Publishing, publishers of the Faraway Collection. Download now at Amazon.com/FarawayStories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 12, 2021 • 55:27

Episode 185: The Best of the Worst Year

Episode 185: The Best of the Worst Year

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod take on the year 2020 and all its glory and misery. Each of them picks the best thing they read in 2020 for the podcast and the best thing each read on their own... if they found any time to read on their own. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Publishing, publishers of the Faraway Collection. Download now at Amazon.com/FarawayStories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 4, 2021 • 1:15:50

Episode 184: A Christmas Story

Episode 184: A Christmas Story

On today's special holiday episode, Rider, Tod, and Julia discuss the work of storyteller and humorist Jean Shepherd, whose book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash formed the basis for the classic 1980 film A Christmas Story. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Publishing, publishers of the Faraway Collection. Download now at Amazon.com/FarawayStories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 23, 2020 • 51:11

Episode 183: Shel Silverstein

Episode 183: Shel Silverstein

Today, in a special parents only episode, Rider and Julia discuss the works of poet, songwriter, cartoonist, and all-around Renaissance man of children's literature, Shel Silverstein. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Publishing, publishers of the Faraway Collection. Download now at Amazon.com/FarawayStories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 18, 2020 • 38:56

Episode 182: Zero Zone

Episode 182: Zero Zone

A massive art installation in the New Mexico desert. A Manson-like cult leader whose followers barricade themselves inside. An artist plagued by guilt, and a lonely teenager with violent intentions. This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Scott O'Connor's literary thriller Zero Zone—and why the 1970s was the ideal decade for this story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 11, 2020 • 55:29

Episode 181: Soap Operas

Episode 181: Soap Operas

Today we embrace the melodrama, the secret, the amnesia, the surprise relative, the multiple personality disorder, the rape, the recasting, the coming back from the dead, the love, the murder, and the marriages (!), as we talk about all things soap opera with special guests Natalie Zea and Travis Schuldt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 17, 2020 • 1:03:45

Episode 180: Comfort Lit

Episode 180: Comfort Lit

Today, as the election looms in America and tensions run high, Julia, Rider, and Tod talk about what they're reading that is bringing them peace, what's helping them stay calm, or at least distracting them from an incessant, terrifying news cycle. Rather than just their own ideas, they asked listeners to chime in with what they're reading for comfort -- and resulted in a whole lot of responses! Settle in with a glass of wine and try to relax with Literary Disco before November 3rd. Learn more ab

Nov 2, 2020 • 58:38

Episode 179: Watership Down

Episode 179: Watership Down

You might remember the 1979 cartoon film adaptation? Or maybe the 1999 Canadian TV series? Or the 2018 British miniseries--or maybe the play or role-playing game? Or maybe you read the original novel Watership Down, written by Richard Adams, published in 1972. This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss this epic book that centers on a small group of rabbits that leave their home and roam all of a few acres to find a new warren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 29, 2020 • 1:11:45

Episode 178: The Tradition

Episode 178: The Tradition

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod read and discuss Jericho Brown's Pulitzer Prize-winning collection, The Tradition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 15, 2020 • 49:45

Episode 177: Hojoki

Episode 177: Hojoki

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod read and discuss the essay "Hojoki: or, An Account of My Hut," written in the 13th century by the Japanese poet and essayist Kamo no Chōmei. about his time living in a ten-foot by ten-foot hut in the mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 1, 2020 • 45:44

Episode 176: The End of Middlemarch

Episode 176: The End of Middlemarch

Today, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss book six, seven, and eight of George Eliot's Middlemarch, bringing an end to our long and oft-delayed quarantine read of this nineteenth-century masterpiece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 11, 2020 • 57:55

Episode 175: Weather

Episode 175: Weather

Today, with another short break from Middlemarch, Julia, Rider, and Tod talk about Jenny Offill's latest novel Weather. They also discuss the beauty of the "bidet life" and the adjustment of fearing everything.This week's episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/80literarydisco and use code 80literarydisco to get a total of $80 off, including free shipping on your first box. Additional restrictions apply, please visit HelloFresh.com for more details.” Learn more about yo

Jul 31, 2020 • 51:02

Episode 174: Middlemarch, Book 5

Episode 174: Middlemarch, Book 5

The return of Literary Disco! Today, we continue our march through Middlemarch as we read the George Eliot classic and book five, The Dead Hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 14, 2020 • 34:48

Episode 173: Bookshelf Revisit, Summer 2020

Episode 173: Bookshelf Revisit, Summer 2020

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod do an old-fashion bookshelf revisit where each of them take a volume for their shelves and bring it up for discussion. Julia's pick: The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel Rider's pick: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Tod's pick: Death, Immortality, and Meaning in Life by John Martin Fischer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 15, 2020 • 36:06

Episode 172: Middlemarch, Book 4

Episode 172: Middlemarch, Book 4

This week is part four of our #Quarantine read of George Eliot's long and intimidating classic novel from the nineteenth century, Middlemarch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 27, 2020 • 30:45

Choose Your Own Houdini

Choose Your Own Houdini

Today, in another departure from our Middlemarch read, we will read one of the new Choose Your Own Adventure books, which unlike the beloved books from the 80s, the new Choose Your Own Adventure novels are based on the lives of historical figures, except that they are all spies! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2020 • 30:22

Episode 171: Middlemarch, Book 3

Episode 171: Middlemarch, Book 3

This week is part three of our #Quarantine read of George Eliot's long and intimidating classic novel from the nineteenth century, Middlemarch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 12, 2020 • 40:05

Quick Poems for Quarantine

Quick Poems for Quarantine

On today's episode, as a quick respite from our reading of Middlemarch, Julia, Rider, and Tod each present a poem to discuss. Julia presents "The Mower" by Philip Larkin; Rider presents "No worst, there is none" by Gerard Manley Hopkins; and Tod presents "Go Make Something Old" by Matthew Zapruder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 6, 2020 • 35:36

Episode 169: Middlemarch, Book Two

Episode 169: Middlemarch, Book Two

This week is part two of our #Quarantine read of George Eliot's long and intimidating classic novel from the nineteenth century, Middlemarch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 27, 2020 • 34:30

Episode 168: Murder Most Foul

Episode 168: Murder Most Foul

Bob Dylan released something new during the pandemic: Murder Most Foul, a seventeen-minute long song that begins with John F. Kennedy's assassination. This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss the lyrics, Dylan in general, and Dylan's surprising Nobel Prize in Literature. What a trickster... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 21, 2020 • 32:31

Episode 167: Middlemarch, Book One

Episode 167: Middlemarch, Book One

Ever wondered what 900 pages of turgid prose sounds like when dropped on a desk? This week is part one of our #Quarantine read of George Eliot's long and intimidating classic novel from the nineteenth century, Middlemarch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 14, 2020 • 34:55

Episode 166: The Baby-Sitters Club

Episode 166: The Baby-Sitters Club

On this special episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod explore the novel that started it all, Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin, answering the question: Where would a now twenty-something be without the mistakes and life lessons of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey and co.?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 6, 2020 • 52:33

Episode 165: Coyote and the Shadow People

Episode 165: Coyote and the Shadow People

Today, we discuss a classic of Native American storytelling, a story told by generations of the Nez Perce tribe entitled "Coyote and the Shadow People." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 30, 2020 • 46:00

Episode 164: Gil Thorp

Episode 164: Gil Thorp

In another short episode for the Pandemic, the Literary Disco trio are tackling another form of writing they've never covered before: the comic strip. Gil Thorp comes from cartoonists Neal Rubin and Rod Whigham -- and Tod immediately regrets choosing this as his selection. Enjoy and be safe out there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 2020 • 16:10

Episode 163: The Faux Pas

Episode 163: The Faux Pas

In today's short episode, the Literary Disco trio will tackle a form of writing we have never done before: the YouTube comedy sketch! Today we're watching "The Faux Pas," posted by the comedy duo BriTANick. Welcome to the Pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 18, 2020 • 21:44

Episode 162: Your House Will Pay

Episode 162: Your House Will Pay

On today's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Steph Cha's 2019 novel Your House Will Pay, a book set in Los Angeles that follows two families on opposite sides of a racially charged shooting. They ask the question: is this the greatest novel about Los Angeles in the last twenty-five years? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 6, 2020 • 47:58

Episode 161: Literary Disco Is Not Listening

Episode 161: Literary Disco Is Not Listening

When was the last time you listened to someone, or someone really listened to you? This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss a new nonfiction book from Kate Murphy, You're Not Listening, about the fine art, the inherent power, and the cultural decline of listening in today's world, and question whether either of them are actually great listeners, or just great talkers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 2020 • 56:31

Episode 160: The Overstory

Episode 160: The Overstory

On this today’s episode, we discuss The Overstory by Richard Powers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning from 2018 that centers trees in a variety of context as the focus of its storytelling. Can a book about trees actually captivate us for hundreds of pages? Today’s episode is sponsored by HelloFresh, America's number one meal kit. Go to HelloFresh.com/literarydisco10 and use code literarydisco10 during HelloFresh’s New Year’s sale for 10 free meals including free shipping. Learn more about your ad choice

Jan 28, 2020 • 52:49

Episode 159: The Odyssey of Literary Disco

Episode 159: The Odyssey of Literary Disco

In our first episode of 2020, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Madeline Miller’s novel Circe, which retells some of the most infamous Greek myths from the point of view of Circe, a witch who most famously appears in The Odyssey who turns Odysseus’s men into pigs. The trio discusses whether we should still care about Greek mythology, and how it stands up to our current state of fantasy in contemporary literature. Today’s episode is sponsored by HelloFresh, America's number one meal kit. Go to HelloF

Jan 14, 2020 • 56:49

Episode 158: Best Books of the Decade

Episode 158: Best Books of the Decade

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod look back at the last ten years -- seven of which they've been recording this podcast -- from the books they've read on the show to their own personal favorites. Additionally, they discuss the trends they've noticed in publishing over the last decade -- and their favorite shirt from the 2010s as well. Buckle in, because the 2020s are going to be a wild ride. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 11, 2019 • 1:20:25

Episode 157: Pale Fire

Episode 157: Pale Fire

On this episode, the Literary Disco trio discuss Vladimir Nabokov’s 1962 novel, less popular than Lolita but it is nonetheless complicated, maintains a rabid fan base, and has received a wide variety of interpretations. They also discuss the National Book Awards, which was happening when the episode was recorded. This episode is sponsored by Hingston & Olsen, publishers of the 2019 Short Story Advent Calendar. Don’t wait until December 1. Order your copy today, from shortstoryadventcalendar.com,

Nov 26, 2019 • 55:27

Episode 156:  It's Time to Play Some Games!

Episode 156: It's Time to Play Some Games!

This week marks the return of Literary Disco’s classic games! First, Rider presents Judge a Book By Its Cover, where he reads the first lines of a book and Julia and Tod must guess what the book is with no other context. Then, Tod presents Rock Paper Scissors, where Rider and Julia must decide what is a real poem, lyrics from a pop song, lines from a Jim Morrison song, or a poem written by our very own Tod Goldberg. Finally, Julia presents Bookshelf Roulette, where each host must run to his or h

Nov 7, 2019 • 1:05:38

Episode 155: Literary Disco and the Apple, Tree

Episode 155: Literary Disco and the Apple, Tree

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod read and discuss a number of essays from a new collection, Apple, Tree: Writers On Their Parents, Edited by Lise Funderburg, the collection presents new essay from twenty-five writers, each examining their relationship with one or both of their parents. We discuss the essays by Ann Patchett, Daniel Mendelsohn, Mat Johnson, Kate Carroll de Gutes, and S. Bear Bergman. This week's sponsor is The Short Story Advent Calendar from Hingston and Olsen. Use promo code LIT

Oct 24, 2019 • 1:11:21

Episode 154: Literary Disco Visits the Waverly Gallery

Episode 154: Literary Disco Visits the Waverly Gallery

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Kenneth Lonergan’s play, The Waverly Gallery, which was first produced in 1999, was a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize, and in late 2018 had a Broadway revival that resulted in two Tony Award nominations. They also discuss the similarities and differences between playwriting and screenwriting, the legacy of actor William Daniels, who player Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World, and what it takes to finish writing a book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

Sep 26, 2019 • 45:23

Episode 153: Her Body and Other Parties

Episode 153: Her Body and Other Parties

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod read the strange, sometimes funny, but mostly disturbing and always feminist debut of short stories by the author Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body and Other Parties. Discussing the book, the three explore what it means to write a short story collection, how cringe-worthy storytelling can be successful, and clickbait headlines coinciding with the launch of Rider’s first play. Pour yourself a drink, turn on the lights, and enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis

Sep 6, 2019 • 1:01:59

Episode 152: Age of Books

Episode 152: Age of Books

In June, the Washington Post published an article titled “Books for the Ages,” a list of book recommendations based on how old you are, going from year one to 100. This week, each host has read the book recommended for their year, and since your Literary Disco hosts are different ages we’ve read three different books. We talk about our selections, as well as the concept of age in general when it comes to reading. Should you read the right book at the right time, or is a good book a good book no

Aug 22, 2019 • 1:00:57

Episode 151: Jurassic Park

Episode 151: Jurassic Park

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod go all the way back in time, to the prehistoric days of November 1990 when a man named Michael Crichton published a little book called Jurassic Park. The book launched a franchise that spans two novels, five movies—with a sixth on the way—that has raked in $1.2 billion worldwide, multiple amusement park rides, millions of plastic dinosaur toys, and it ensured we all know the words “velociraptor” and “chaos theory.” But is the book any good? Learn more about your

Aug 6, 2019 • 46:23

Episode 150: Anthony McCann and Style

Episode 150: Anthony McCann and Style

On today’s episode, we welcome author Anthony McCann, whose new book is called Shadowlands: Fear and Freedom at the Oregon Standoff. It’s an in-depth examination of the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in 2016 and its subsequent trial. In Literary Disco tradition, we also asked Anthony to recommend a book for us to read, and he chose Style by Dolores Dorantes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2019 • 1:22:54

Episode 149: The Great Gatsby

Episode 149: The Great Gatsby

This week, Literary Disco goes back to high school, or college, to discuss the infamous book that at some point you had to read, were told you should read, or you actually did read — or at least skimmed the Clif Notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 9, 2019 • 1:03:45

Episode 148: Outside Articles

Episode 148: Outside Articles

It’s been a while since Literary Disco discussed magazine journalism. This week, Julia and Rider take into dive into three different articles that have appeared in Outside magazine over the past five years, all chosen from their “The Best Stories We’ve Ever Told” list: “Open Your Mouth and You’re Dead” by James Nestor “John and Ann Bender and Their Quest for Paradise” by Ned Zeman “The Tuber” by Wells Tower Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 25, 2019 • 54:14

Episode 147: Summer Reading 2019

Episode 147: Summer Reading 2019

This week, Rider and Tod take turns talking about their summer reading: what they’re reading, what they’re planning to read, and what they think you should read. Some of the books include Anthony McCann's Shadowlands, Ursula K. Le Guin's Always Coming Home, Peter Houlahan's Norco '80, Kelli Russell Agodon's Hourglass Museum, and more. This week's episode is brought to you by HelloFresh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 11, 2019 • 59:15

Episode 146: The Man They Wanted Me To Be

Episode 146: The Man They Wanted Me To Be

This week on Literary Disco, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss The Man They Wanted Me To Be, the new book out from Jared Yates Sexton about masculinity in America and masculinity in his own life. Before delving into the book, the three discuss the current political climate in the south, how living in California is a moral choice, the choice between avoiding a place you are against or going there to inspire change, and what going to a Trump rally is really like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

May 28, 2019 • 59:33

Episode 145: Live Oak, with Moss

Episode 145: Live Oak, with Moss

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod welcome their old friend Hugh Ryan to the Disco. He is the author When Brooklyn Was Queer, a look at the borough’s LGBTQ history. The trio discusses the history behind the book, the New York Public Library grant that made writing the book possible, and their time together at Bennington. Additionally, they have Hugh pick a book for them to read and discuss: a new edition of Walt Whitman’s poem, Live Oak, with Moss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone

May 14, 2019 • 57:04

Episode 144: The Call of the Wild

Episode 144: The Call of the Wild

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod get wild as they discuss Jack London’s classic portrait of the unforgiving and brutal life of being a dog in the Klondike Gold Rush. Additionally, the trio discusses their personal relationships with wolves (and pet dogs), Jack London’s ties to Northern California, and why works like London’s are not seen as literary canon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 7, 2019 • 1:04:58

Episode 143: Sense and Sensibility

Episode 143: Sense and Sensibility

Today we head back to a classic of English literature as Julia, Rider, and Tod read and discuss one of Jane Austen’s enduring novels of manners and marriage, Sense and Sensibility. Tod and Rider also give an update on their recent experiences at the AWP and Emerald City Comic Con conferences, respectively, and the debate on who is the favorite host amongst listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 16, 2019 • 55:55

Episode 142: Heart Berries

Episode 142: Heart Berries

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Terese Marie Mailhot‘s short and powerful memoir, Heart Berries. In the sledgehammer of a book, Mailhot addresses the traumas she has gone through in her life, from the sexual abuse she endured as a young child to later hospitalization for posttraumatic stress and bipolar disorders and her conflicted relationship as a parent to three children, something that has endured for multiple generations in her family.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap

Apr 2, 2019 • 44:25

Episode 141: The Girl from the Black Lagoon

Episode 141: The Girl from the Black Lagoon

This week, the Literary Disco trio sit down with Mallory O’Meara to discuss her new book, The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Millicent Patrick, the true story of Disney’s first female animators and the only woman in history to create one of Hollywood’s classic movie monsters. Mallory then picks a book for everyone to discuss, and her choice is Kill the Next One by Federico Axat, which proves to be a decisive choice. Let the fight begin! Learn more about you

Mar 21, 2019 • 1:01:20

Episode 140: The Last Samurai

Episode 140: The Last Samurai

This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss Helen Dewitt’s novel The Last Samurai, which, they are compelled to point out, has nothing to do with the horrible Tom Cruise movie of the same name. Recently named the Best Book of the 2000s by Vulture, the Literary Disco trio debates the novel’s current relevance, the pressure of child prodigies, and how we deal with the family we’re given. Will they recommend the book? Listen to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 5, 2019 • 51:28

Episode 139: Children of the Disco

Episode 139: Children of the Disco

On this week's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss what each of them are reading to Literary Disco’s second generation, from Frog and Toad to The Rainbow Goblins and Barnyard Dance! Also, the three discuss whether Winnie-the-Pooh is actually any good, how animals are essential to the reading experience, and why narrative is still important in children's literature.  Have a glass of milk, brush your teeth, and tuck yourself into bed, because Literary Disco is ready to tell you tonight's bedtim

Feb 19, 2019 • 1:25:05

Episode 138: Let the Games Begin

Episode 138: Let the Games Begin

No better way to start the new month than with some of Literary Disco’s classic book games. First, Rider presents “Judge a Book By Its Cover,” where he reads the first lines of a book and Julia and Tod must guess what the book is with no other context. Then, Tod presents a new game, Rock Paper Scissors, where Rider and Julia must decide what is a real poem, lyrics from a pop song, lines from a Rupi poem, or a poem written by our very own Tod Goldberg. Let the games begin! Learn more about your a

Feb 5, 2019 • 44:18

Episode 137: There, There

Episode 137: There, There

The debut novel from Tommy Orange has been on almost every Best Of 2018 list, but does the Literary Disco trio agree? In this week's episode, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss the complex and multifaceted approach to identity—and how Orange avoids the usual MFA clichés—as “There, There” follows a collection of Native American characters in the build-up to a powwow in Oakland, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 22, 2019 • 53:07

Episode 136: Tarzan of the Apes

Episode 136: Tarzan of the Apes

Welcome to a new year, with your favorite literary podcast. We start 2019 with the classic tale of Tarzan.    We all know the story: after the death of his parents a boy is raised by apes, and encounters humans again years later when an expedition enters the jungle. How has this story aged over time? Will Tarzan be Rider's next project? Join Julia, Rider, and Tod this week to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 16, 2019 • 48:27

Episode 135: On Sabrina, Men in Underpants, and Bruce Springsteen

Episode 135: On Sabrina, Men in Underpants, and Bruce Springsteen

Nick Drnaso's Sabrina is the first graphic novel to be nominated for the Man Booker Prize. It's also a beautiful and heartbreaking rendering of the current American psyche and a pointed commentary on how media has allowed conspiracy and paranoia to run absolutely rampant in the absence of answers. Join Julia, Rider, and Tod as they discuss this very important work, along with the graphic novel's realistic depiction of the male human body (mostly in their underwear), feeling empathy for those wit

Dec 27, 2018 • 41:19

Episode 134: The Books We Loved in 2018

Episode 134: The Books We Loved in 2018

The last book club you’ll ever need. This week, Julia, Rider, and Tod discuss the best books they read in 2018, including Tara Westover’s Educated, Arthur Krystal’s This Thing We Call Literature, and Jonathan Weisman’s (((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 11, 2018 • 53:36

Episode 133: Hark! The Herald Angels Scream

Episode 133: Hark! The Herald Angels Scream

It’s the holidays! A time to deck the halls, grab some eggnog, and curl up with the SCARIEST book you can find… That’s right. Christmas horror. It’s a real thing. And Blumhouse and editor Christopher Golden have put together a collection of short fiction just in time to fill you with holiday fear. Join us as Tod, Rider, and Julia have fun with this bonkers set of stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 26, 2018 • 52:03

Episode 132: Vulture's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

Episode 132: Vulture's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

A couple months ago, Vulture published this crazy, crazy list. It’s an admittedly premature attempt to create a literary canon for the last 18 years. In this episode of Literary Disco, we discuss the titles we were surprised by, the ones we were disappointed didn’t make it, and — mostly — how few of these books we’ve actually read. Get ready to feel like you have a lot of catching up to do… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 5, 2018 • 49:26

Episode 131: Fall Revisit

Episode 131: Fall Revisit

It’s getting cooler, the leaves are changing, time to curl up with a good book. It’s our Bookshelf Revisit for Fall 2018, an eclectic conversation that covers: Wild children and cults.WWII and China.Robertson Davies.It makes no sense, except that it’s Literary Disco! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 2018 • 38:43

Episode 130: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

Episode 130: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas

Hunter S. Thompson became a legend the moment he published this novel of a drug-fueled trip into the desert. Packed with mind-altering chemicals, extreme paranoia, and claiming to be a scathing journey to “the heart of the American Dream,” Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas established Thompson’s particular style, and purported to give voice to the disillusionment of a generation. But who was included in that generation? Has the book aged well? And what kind of effect did this story have on the city

Sep 25, 2018 • 50:12

Episode 129: Lord of the Flies

Episode 129: Lord of the Flies

You read it in high school. You remember the conch, Piggy, and a boar head on a stick… But do you remember the Beast? That a child disappears the first day on the island? How about the fact that this novel is set during an atomic war? And did you know this book was written in direct response to a 19th Century children’s book that had the same character names? It’s time for us all to re-read William Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.

Aug 13, 2018 • 55:27

Episode 128: Gregory Pardlo’s Digest

Episode 128: Gregory Pardlo’s Digest

Today we dive deep into a single poetry collection: Digest, by Gregory Pardlo. Digest won the 2015 Pulitzer, and with good reason. This is one of the most universally loved books we’ve had on the show. It’s incredibly personal, and yet it has enough intertextuality and historical references to keep you re-reading for days. Between bouts of effusive praise, we manage to read and analyze a couple of these magnificent poems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2018 • 45:59

Episode 127: Killers of the Flower Moon

Episode 127: Killers of the Flower Moon

In the 1920s, a disproportionate amount of people within the Osage nation were dying. The US government had forcibly relocated the Osage to a section of Oklahoma with some of the largest deposits of oil in North America. This quickly made the Osage the wealthiest people, per capita, in the world. And now they were being murdered. Corrupt local “lawmen” were incapable of producing any suspects, and any time a person claimed to have information, they wound up dead. It was up to the Federal governm

Jun 26, 2018 • 43:10

Episode 123: Cat Person

Episode 123: Cat Person

(Are we time traveling? Yes, a technical glitch set this episode back a few months…) Kristen Roupenian’s short story “Cat Person” appeared in December 2017 issue of The New Yorker, and promptly became an internet sensation. Some critics pounced, some critics praised, some men were offended, some women were offended that men were offended…and on and on it went, as these things do in this day and age. It seems there is something about this story — something about its point of view and its depictio

Jun 5, 2018 • 1:06:05

Episode 126: Columbine, Part 2

Episode 126: Columbine, Part 2

We didn’t mean for these episodes to be “timely,” but these days in America, that seems unavoidable. Between posting our two-parter about Dave Cullen’s Columbine, there has been another school shooting at Sante Fe High School in Texas. Our hearts are breaking, again. We can only hope to contribute to the conversation and help move our country away from this insanity. Join us for Part Two of our discussion on Columbine. We talk with Rob Bowman, the incredible English teacher who brought us the st

May 21, 2018 • 40:37

Episode 125: Columbine, Part 1

Episode 125: Columbine, Part 1

Dave Cullen’s book Columbine is an exhaustive and brilliant examination of the infamous school shooting that stunned the country in 1999. It is also one of the first books that Tod, Julia, and Rider discussed as friends. Bonding over our love for Cullen’s work is one of the reasons Literary Disco exists. In light of the fact that school shootings have only become more common, we decided to do something different with the next two episodes of the podcast. Tod reached out to his friend Rob Bowman,

May 14, 2018 • 1:13:45

Episode 124: Bookshelf Revisit Summer 2018

Episode 124: Bookshelf Revisit Summer 2018

I know, it’s a bit confusing, but some tech issues with Episode 123 means we’re skipping it for now. Instead, we zoom to the future! It’s a Bookshelf Revisit episode with a game — a new game Tod is insisting we call “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” As if there isn’t already a game called that. But first, we get to hear all about Julia and Tod getting catfished, what children’s book Julia has rediscovered, Rider’s descent into the Empire of Illusion, and Tod’s recent interview with a very successful nove

Apr 30, 2018 • 52:06

Episode 122: The Idiot

Episode 122: The Idiot

Elif Batuman’s novel was a critical darling of 2017. We try to figure out why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 2018 • 38:07

Episode 121: A Spell for Chameleon

Episode 121: A Spell for Chameleon

Our fantasy and sci-fi correspondent Will Friedle returns! And he’s picked a doozy for us to read. Piers Anthony has written dozens of hugely popular fantasy novels, and many of them are set in the magical, pun-filled land of Xanth. Will asked us to read A Spell for Chameleon, the novel that began it all. And boy, has it not aged well… We thought Sweet Valley High was rapey. There’s literally a rape trial in the first 30 pages of this book, which seems aimed squarely at 12 year old boys. Join us

Mar 7, 2018 • 54:58

Episode 120: Manhattan Beach

Episode 120: Manhattan Beach

Jennifer Egan’s a favorite author here on the Disco. But does her latest novel, the New York period piece Manhattan Beach, keep up the winning streak? It made a lot of Best Of 2017 lists, but the Disco trio is a bit divided. Are these characters realistic? Is the dialogue cliched? Even as he rambles on and on about how much he likes it, Rider admits he might be crazy… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 12, 2018 • 51:56

Episode 119: Lincoln in the Bardo

Episode 119: Lincoln in the Bardo

We did it. We read the George Saunders book that blew everyone’s mind in 2017. And then we talked about it.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 29, 2018 • 39:58

Episode 118: Children’s Books

Episode 118: Children’s Books

Too often, all we say about children’s books is “awwww.” Not today. Tod, Julia, and Rider dig deep into classics and new books for kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 9, 2018 • 48:36

Episode 117: Holiday Reading

Episode 117: Holiday Reading

Happy Holidays! In honor of the season, the Disco team does a holiday-themed Bookshelf Revisit. See you in the New Year!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 25, 2017 • 37:22

Episode 116: The Fact of a Body

Episode 116: The Fact of a Body

Time for some non-fiction! One of the most popular books of 2017, The Fact of A Body is part true crime, part memoir. After a summer spent interning for a law firm in Louisiana, Alexandra Marzona-Lesnevich examines a murder case and how it resonates within her own life. It’s a dark and twisting tale involving the death penalty, family secrets, mental health, and yes, getting pregnant while in a body-cast. The Disco trio reads and discusses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a

Dec 11, 2017 • 34:31

Episode 115: My Brilliant Friend

Episode 115: My Brilliant Friend

It’s been all the rage at book clubs everywhere. We read the smash hit Italian novel from Elena Ferrante. Julia is effusive. Tod is stoked. Rider is…argumentative. Typical times at the Disco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 28, 2017 • 41:30

Episode 114: A Fall Bookshelf Revisit

Episode 114: A Fall Bookshelf Revisit

Tod discovers a mysterious set of diaries. Julia reads about the tech world. Rider finds out where the sidewalk ends. It’s time for a Bookshelf Revisit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 7, 2017 • 32:35

Episode 113: Poetry from Listeners Part Two, Spoken Word

Episode 113: Poetry from Listeners Part Two, Spoken Word

We continue discussing listener recommended poetry. This time, all three poems are performed live, links below. That’s right, we’re talking spoken word! (Don’t worry, Tod refrains from poet voice.) Get ready to snap your fingers and bang your bongos. Or not. Because, you know, it’s not the 1960s…   Kate Tempest, Tunnel Vision, recommended by listener Jenny Colvin. Safia Elhillo, Alien Suite, also from Jenny Colvin. Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib, Dig Those Sunsets, Pony, recommended by Deej Siminoff. L

Oct 2, 2017 • 57:30

Episode 112: Poetry from Listeners Part One

Episode 112: Poetry from Listeners Part One

What’s up with contemporary poetry? We asked you for some good recommendations, and the comments poured in to our Facebook page. On this episode, we discuss three of your poets (our next episode will focus on spoken word performances). They vary in style and substance, and will only take a few minutes to read, links below. Poetry is always an intriguing subject, and even though this is a short reading, we managed to have a wide ranging discussion. Let us know your thoughts! Gary Jackson, Magneto

Sep 18, 2017 • 48:42

Episode 111: Buried Child

Episode 111: Buried Child

In the wake of his death, we read the Pulitzer Prize winning play Buried Child from playwright, actor, and all around cool cowboy Sam Shepard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 2017 • 56:05

Episode 110: Summer Reading 2017

Episode 110: Summer Reading 2017

Tod, Julia and Rider discuss what they’re reading this summer. Just in time for the…end of the season. (We recorded this a few weeks back, but had some technical issues.) Enjoy!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 14, 2017 • 22:08

Episode 109: Street Gang

Episode 109: Street Gang

Can you tell me how to get How to get to Sesame Street. On this episode of the Disco, we discuss the Michael Davis book, Street Gang, a detailed history of the creation and evolution of the world’s most successful children’s TV show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 3, 2017 • 56:23

Episode 108: Tower Dogs

Episode 108: Tower Dogs

Like most people, you probably thought the deadliest job in America had something to do with catching fish. Well, Douglas Scott Delaney’s here to tell you all about the actual deadliest job in the country, and the saddest part is, these workers die regularly for the oh-so-noble cause of better cell service. In Tower Dogs, Delaney recounts his career climbing impossibly tall towers to fix parts, install upgrades, and narrowly escape death. It’s a workplace of rough and tumble characters, men and

Jul 7, 2017 • 1:03:09

Episode 107: Three Day Road

Episode 107: Three Day Road

Three Day Road is an award-winning Canadian novel centered on First Nation characters. It’s been heralded for celebrating forgotten heroes: natives who fought for Canada during World War I. But recently, it’s author Joseph Boyden, has come under scrutiny regarding his claims of aboriginal heritage. And so, on this episode of the Disco, we tackle some of the thorny issues surrounding cultural appropriation… Who has “the right” to pen books of marginalized peoples? Does the ethnicity of an author

Jun 20, 2017 • 57:08

Episode 106: Norse Mythology

Episode 106: Norse Mythology

Forget what you think you know about Thor and Loki, and join the Disco trio to talk about Neil Gaiman’s latest: a retelling of Norse Mythology. Tod is bored, Rider rants, and Julia keeps her cool as the content of the Gaiman’s book is quickly abandoned in favor of discussing myths in general. Tod: “Why read about a bunch of fake gods?” Rider: “As opposed to the ‘real’ ones?” And, it’s on… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2017 • 51:52

Episode 105: Brat Pack America

Episode 105: Brat Pack America

After some technical difficulties (uh, Tod) we now have another Lost Episode. Goodbye, 104, we barely knew ya. So we’re jumping right to 105, in which, for the first time besides our live shows, the Literary Disco gang recorded in the same room! We discuss Kevin Smokler’s insightful survey of 1980s teen films, Brat Pack America. This great book explores the history, meaning and legacy of a series of films that had a huge impact on more than one generation of Americans. Even Julia, who was way to

May 8, 2017 • 53:19

Episode 103: 1984

Episode 103: 1984

You read it in high school. Or college. It was that “important” book about the dangers of authoritarianism. An interesting, alternative future. A distant possibility. Maybe not anymore? The Disco trio discuss… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 14, 2017 • 1:05:56

Episode 102: Kindred (The Graphic Novel)

Episode 102: Kindred (The Graphic Novel)

Just like you, we’re on an Octavia Butler kick since reading Dawn. This episode, we check out the brand-new graphic novel adaptation of Butler’s masterpiece Kindred. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 14, 2017 • 33:59

Episode 101: Q&A

Episode 101: Q&A

Tod, Julia and Rider answer questions from listeners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 26, 2017 • 50:09

Episode 100!

Episode 100!

Back from a long absence, we explain where we were, what we were doing, and what you should have been reading all along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 24, 2016 • 1:09:06

Episode 99: Summer Reading 2016

Episode 99: Summer Reading 2016

It’s that time again. Tod and Julia discuss summer reading…and introduce a contest for Episode 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 27, 2016 • 51:09

Episode 98: Games Games Games

Episode 98: Games Games Games

Back by popular demand — games! As we near the big 100, we take some time to play a few Literary Disco classics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2016 • 49:35

Episode 97: Dawn

Episode 97: Dawn

This episode, we enter the compelling world of Octavia E. Butler’s Dawn, the first in her Xenogenesis series. That’s right, we’re going full sci-fi. Post-apocalypse, aliens, tentacles and even…interspecies orgies? This little novel sends us down a rabbit hole of slavery, feminism, and the ethics of alien meddling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2016 • 56:58

Episode 96: Why We Write About Ourselves

Episode 96: Why We Write About Ourselves

For the first time on the Disco, we discuss a book on the craft of writing. We delve into a new collection of essays by some of the world’s great memoirists. Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists on Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) in the Name of Literature is edited by Meredith Maran and includes pieces by Darin Strauss, Cheryl Strayed, Anne Lamott and more. These essays are brief, interesting glimpses behind the curtain; a chance to see how some writers approach their materia

Apr 7, 2016 • 52:02

Episode 95: Pictures from a Revolution

Episode 95: Pictures from a Revolution

This month we read a nonfiction classic about the movies that changed Hollywood– hear us battle it out between Dr. Dolittle and Bonnie & Clyde. Oscar season is over but we’re not done talking about it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 21, 2016 • 57:44

Episode 94: The Real Muslims of Irving, Texas

Episode 94: The Real Muslims of Irving, Texas

This episode we discuss an essay by Colby Buzzell appearing in the March Issue of Esquire, available here. Buzzell offers a look at the life of American Muslims and the armed protestors who regularly appear outside of their mosques. While he aims for objectivity, Buzzell’s personal history becomes unavoidable: he served in the military, where he actually shot at mosques… An interesting look at a tense subject. We dive in headfirst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 27, 2016 • 59:29

Episode 93: Best of 2015

Episode 93: Best of 2015

Just in time for the end of the year… Oh, wait. Super late, we have our annual “best of” conversation for 2015! We cover our favorite books, and then, as is Literary Disco tradition, we digress into countless other favorites… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 3, 2016 • 1:29:15

Episode 92: A Christmas Romance (Novel)

Episode 92: A Christmas Romance (Novel)

Happy holidays! For this winter season, we got you an extra episode (to make up for our many delays this year– we blame Rider’s cute baby and Julia’s incredible myriad of technical issues). We got you what you like best: a book we were shocked by. Join us for a Christmas-themed romance novel around the fire! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 22, 2015 • 53:27

Episode 91: George & Lumberjanes

Episode 91: George & Lumberjanes

We continue our discussion with New York Public librarian Gwen, who recommended two books for us to read and discuss. Both are aimed at a younger audience but with an eye to gender and identity. George, by Alex Gino, is a coming of age story set in your typical American school and family. It just so happens our protagonist is a girl that everyone keeps assuming is a boy. Gino tackles a difficult subject in a direct and personal way, and we discuss the hurdles that may face a transgender

Dec 17, 2015 • 53:41

Episode 90: New York Public Library

Episode 90: New York Public Library

In this first half of two-part special (we’re crazy like that), we meet someone with the coolest job in the world: a recommendations editor at the New York Public Library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 4, 2015 • 30:29

Episode 88: Justine

Episode 88: Justine

Justine, the first book of the legendary Alexandria Quartet, gets the disco treatment. This novel was published in 1957 and has attracted devotees ever since. Told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, it’s a non-linear, intense examination of the city of Alexandria, Egypt, and a particular woman who lives there. Tod, Julia and Rider all agree it is dense, overwritten, and largely plot-less. Are these strengths or weaknesses? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

Nov 10, 2015 • 1:01:19

Episode 87: Revisitish

Episode 87: Revisitish

We catch up from a long break. Some books, some travel, some major humiliation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 21, 2015 • 54:23

Episode 86: A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

Episode 86: A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

This posthumous collection is getting so much praise lately– does it live up to the hype? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 5, 2015 • 41:34

Episode 84: Judge a Book By Its Cover

Episode 84: Judge a Book By Its Cover

A long-lost episode finally appears! Rider tries to trick Tod & Julia with a classic game of ours. You should be able to guess at least one of these: play along! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 21, 2015 • 32:39

Episode 85: Live from the Last Bookstore

Episode 85: Live from the Last Bookstore

After a brief hiatus, we’re back and we’re live! This episode has it all: nudity, cursing, Ayn Rand. Have fun and laugh along like you were there. (Episode 84 will come out next– we’re nonconformists like that.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 26, 2015 • 1:15:02

Episode 83: Animorphs: The Invasion

Episode 83: Animorphs: The Invasion

You asked for it. We don’t know why, but you did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2015 • 53:00

Episode 82: Summer Reading

Episode 82: Summer Reading

Vacation is upon us and our book lists are piling up! As Rider enjoys his vacation, what will Julia & Tod be reading next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 7, 2015 • 36:29

Episode 81: Tigerman

Episode 81: Tigerman

It’s officially summer, which means we too are officially given over to Marvel and DC madness. Now that our lives are all superheroes all the time (or so it seems in the movie theaters), we discuss our favorite superheros and Nick Harkaway’s fascinating novel, “Tigerman.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 26, 2015 • 1:04:56

Episode 80: The Empathy Exams

Episode 80: The Empathy Exams

After a long and beautiful vacation, we’re back! And we’re busy discussing one of the year’s breakout nonfiction books, The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison. But not before we do a bookshelf roulette that brings us to favorites old and new. That’s right, we’ve got a book so new you can’t read it yet– but you’ll want to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 3, 2015 • 1:13:12

Episode 79: Shackleton’s Journey

Episode 79: Shackleton’s Journey

This week we read William Grill’s Shackleton’s Journey, an illustrated book for children that covers a famous expedition to Antarctica that began in 1914. It’s an interesting intersection of cold facts and beautiful drawings. And it left us feeling hopeful, despite the fact that the journey itself was a failure. Up first, a Children’s Book themed Bookshelf Revisit, in which we each pull down a favorite — and weird, they’re all weird — kid’s book. But most importantly, this is the episode where T

May 4, 2015 • 1:05:51

Episode 78: Nancy Drew

Episode 78: Nancy Drew

We finally take on the young detective Nancy Drew with her first adventure, The Secret of the Old Clock Much like our Hardy Boys episode, there is some confusion about the setting (less wig shops this time), the criminals, and the overall feeling that the “mystery” ain’t that mysterious. (Hint: there’s a secret in the old clock.) And who knew that this much discussion of probate law would launch one of the most beloved and imitated characters of all time? But up first: should you ever be ashame

Apr 20, 2015 • 1:18:51

Episode 77: Jill Alexander Essbaum & Interrobang

Episode 77: Jill Alexander Essbaum & Interrobang

We are joined this week by rising superstar Jill Alexander Essbaum (author of New York Times bestseller “Hausfrau”). Just in time for Easter, we discuss sexy religious poetry, her book, and a poetry collection you’ve never heard of: “Interrobang” by Jessica Piazza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 6, 2015 • 1:15:16

Episode 76: Story Songs 2 (The Reckoning)

Episode 76: Story Songs 2 (The Reckoning)

Here we go again. No genre, subject, or style is as hotly debated as Story Songs. At least there’s no baseball this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 25, 2015 • 1:10:13

Episode 75: Wolf in White Van

Episode 75: Wolf in White Van

An incident with a gun. A disfigured game designer. His play-by-mail roleplaying game. A death. A lawsuit. That’s all we’ll give away in an attempt not to spoil the strange and beautiful new novel that is Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle. Yes, we mispronounce his name for the first half of the show. And yes, none of us really know his music (he’s the lead singer and songwriter for the band, The Mountain Goats) but by the end of this episode, we certainly give props to John Darnielle for this

Mar 10, 2015 • 1:00:18

Episode 74: My Dad, the Pornographer

Episode 74: My Dad, the Pornographer

We couldn’t resist discussing an incredible essay by Chris Offutt that appeared in The New York Times Magazine. It’s entitled My Dad, The Pornographer. You can guess what it’s about. To give us some context, we reached back into the archives and pulled out two of Offutt’s short stories from his first collection Kentucky Straight. Fathers, sons, the American south, writing, sex, and death. All the ingredients of a classic Literary Disco episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.

Feb 24, 2015 • 1:05:51

Episode 73: Galapagos

Episode 73: Galapagos

Today we examine whether or not every work by a master is a masterpiece. There may be some yelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 13, 2015 • 59:39

Episode 72: Reeling Through Life

Episode 72: Reeling Through Life

How do movies affect us? How can we best write about them? Do we think in movie narratives now? What are the best books about movies? The gang tackles these pertinent questions while zipping through Tara Ison’s fun and creative essay collection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 27, 2015 • 1:02:53

Episode 71: Dept. Of Speculation

Episode 71: Dept. Of Speculation

We start off the year with a book that was hailed as one of the best of 2014: Jenny Offill’s The Department of Speculation. What’s the line between beautiful and pretentious, we ask? Plus, a revisit that jumps from comedy memoir to philosophy you’ll never read. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 12, 2015 • 53:04

Best of 2014

Best of 2014

2014 is coming to a close, and we take a moment to answer life’s big questions: what was the best thing we read for the podcast this year? What was the best thing we read outside of it? Have Julia & Rider read Tod’s book? What is Rider’s big announcement? And who exactly is our man of mystery, producer Tucker Ives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 29, 2014 • 1:12:57

Episode 69: Neil Patrick Harris’ Choose Your Own Autobiography

Episode 69: Neil Patrick Harris’ Choose Your Own Autobiography

You will probably be given this book for Christmas, so let us pre-judge it for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 17, 2014 • 1:11:11

Episode 68: Truman Capote’s Holiday Stories

Episode 68: Truman Capote’s Holiday Stories

Can the man who wrote “In Cold Blood” deliver a warm-blooded holiday tale? What are Julia, Tod, and Rider thankful for this year? Is it possible to cheat at “Judging a Book By Its Cover”? These questions may or may not be answered in this holiday episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 2, 2014 • 1:04:18

Episode 67: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Episode 67: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

This week, at your request, dear listeners, we take on one of the silliest, most lovable books in the known universe. We discuss the difference between satire and parody, South Park, and a rare unanimous agreement on the best satirical living writer in America. And finally we get around to discussing “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a favorite of yours when you were eleven. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 17, 2014 • 1:05:47

Episode 66: Gabriel

Episode 66: Gabriel

Get out the tissues. This episode, we head straight for emotional jugular, as we read Edward Hirsch’s devastating poem about the life and death of his son, Gabriel. Hirsch may make us cry (and yes, that means each of us, many times) but we are also awed by his craft and uplifted by this ambitious poem. Up first, we each talk about our favorite father-son work of literature. Rider goes Searching for Bobby Fischer, Julia embraces a Long Day’s Journey and Tod heads to Empire Falls. Click here to p

Nov 3, 2014 • 1:02:52

Episode 65: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum & Special Guest Stephen Graham Jones!

Episode 65: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum & Special Guest Stephen Graham Jones!

What’s really scary? Zombies, ghosts, vampires– or bizarre novels about torture based on true events? For this year’s Halloween episode, we welcome our expert in horror, Stephen Graham Jones. We begin with some fun stuff, like why it took zombies so long to catch on, and what the next zeitgesity beast might be. Then we asked Stephen to select a horror book for us to read. He picked a doozy. Hitherto unknown to all three of your Disco hosts, The Girl Next Door is without a doubt the most dist

Oct 22, 2014 • 1:11:21

Episode 64: Excavation

Episode 64: Excavation

When she was 13, Wendy C. Ortiz started “dating” her 28 year-old English teacher. In her new memoir, Excavation, she returns to the years she spent maintaining this secret relationship. It’s a disarming look at a tough adolescence. Ortiz manages to capture not only her own disorienting emotions, but also — as Tod and Rider will attest — an incredibly accurate portrait of life in the San Fernando Valley in the ’80s. But first, it’s a Bookshelf Roulette. And Julia regales us with stories of sleepw

Oct 9, 2014 • 1:19:13

Episode 63: Tinkers

Episode 63: Tinkers

A Pulitzer Prize winner none of us had read, Tinkers is a short, innovative, and compelling novel, first released in 2009. Join us as we discuss death vigils, hermits, epilepsy, and depressed mothers. Not to be missed: Tod cries. Really, he cries. Up first, the return of the Bookshelf Revisit. Rider delves into Celine Dion. Tod talks about going Against Football. And Julia buys the new David Mitchell. Click here to purchase from an independent bookseller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

Sep 22, 2014 • 1:14:57

Episode 62: Summer Special Aboard the Charles W. Morgan

Episode 62: Summer Special Aboard the Charles W. Morgan

Ahoy! For this very special episode, Tod & Julia talk about her trip aboard the Charles W. Morgan, Moby-Dick, and the difference between boats and ships. Followed by a piece Julia wrote aboard the Morgan. Enjoy this unique back-to-school special! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 11, 2014 • 44:00

Episode 61: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Episode 61: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Summer’s over and it’s time to get serious– grab a raft and float down a river while listening to us take on the Mark Twain classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 2014 • 1:27:45

Episode 60: Twice Upon a Time

Episode 60: Twice Upon a Time

This week the Disco Trio heads to their tablets and phones. The Atavist publishes digital essays, articles and books. One of their latest, most experimental pieces was written by Hari Kunzru. Twice Upon a Time is equal parts poem, musical experience, essay, and memoir. The discussion begins with the piece itself, then moves to the broader question of form. Should we be swiping and listening while we read? Up first, Julia gives a short recap of her time on the open seas. Then it’s a traditional

Aug 5, 2014 • 1:13:21

Episode 59: Pancakes!

Episode 59: Pancakes!

Breece D’J Pancake died in 1979 at the age of 26, but not before writing some legendary short stories. In this episode, we read his collected work and discuss the rural landscape he explored. But first: it’s the return of Klassics Korner with Two K’s. Tod tries to fool Julia and Rider with some Leo Tolstoy by creating a fake paragraph from The Death of Ivan Ilych. Will it work? Click here to purchase from an independent bookseller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 24, 2014 • 55:13

Episode 58: Submergence

Episode 58: Submergence

This week we take on a smart book. Maybe too smart. Rider first stumbled upon Submergence by JM Ledgard when it was given as an example of complex grown up literature within an article about the popularity of Young Adult work. The trio decided to give it a try, and are pretty unanimous in its brilliance. But does brilliance make a book meaningful? Or…fun? Specifically, the group discusses how the worldliness and scientific complexity of Submergence might not be enough to make up for its minimal

Jul 8, 2014 • 1:06:56

Episode 57: Cathedral of Nervous Horses

Episode 57: Cathedral of Nervous Horses

It’s time for more poetry. And much to Tod’s chagrin, the words “Mother” and “Father” appear a lot in this collection. Undeniably, however, the poems of W.E. Butts collected in The Cathedral of Nervous Horses are thoughtful, touching, and all around damn good. The Disco trio discusses his work, and then more generally, the mysterious life of working-class poets — those who dedicate their days writing in a form that barely gets any recognition. But first up, a Bookshelf Roulette. Rider catches a

Jun 25, 2014 • 1:03:33

Episode 56: Shirley Jackson

Episode 56: Shirley Jackson

Before there was the Hunger Games, there was the Lottery. And not the fun kind. This week, we take on a newly published Shirley Jackson story and mix in a revisit to her classic short story “The Lottery”– which, incredibly, Rider has never read. Read along with these short stories and enjoy our descent into our usual madness (now, with more stoning!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 10, 2014 • 1:00:34

Episode 55: The Stranger

Episode 55: The Stranger

It’s back to school for the Disco, when writer and real life high school English teacher Heather Partington joins us. We asked Heather to treat us like a class: reading assignment, quiz, discussion. She selected Albert Camus’ classic novel, The Stranger. Then she gave us an online reading quiz. The results may surprise you. But more importantly, there’s lots of talk about the state of literature in high schools: what kids are reading, how they’re reading, how their parents are reacting… Heather

May 20, 2014 • 1:02:01

Episode 54: The Free

Episode 54: The Free

This week we discuss the novel “The Free” by Willy Vlautin. Plus, we do a good old-fashioned “what are you reading right now” revisit. A classic night at the Disco! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 6, 2014 • 1:01:31

Episode 53: Choose Your Own Adventure!

Episode 53: Choose Your Own Adventure!

You are on the web, trying find something to listen to. You see a link to the latest Literary Disco episode, a podcast you love. You click on it. Now you are on the Literary Disco site, and there’s a brand new episode about Choose Your Own Adventure books! If you remember Choose Your Own Adventure books, scroll down. If you are too young to know what the hell a CYOA is, good for you youngin, click here. You begin to listen to the episode, which is about a spy-themeed Choose Your Own Adventure.

Apr 16, 2014 • 1:09:29

Episode 52: Black Hole

Episode 52: Black Hole

Beautiful women with tails, peeling out of your own skin, bad acid trips, cat-faced kids…we must be discussing the graphic novel Black Hole by Charles Burns. This chilling book set in the Seattle area in the 1970s is the story of high schoolers who are sexually transmitting a mysterious “bug” that mutates their bodies. But despite all appearances, this isn’t sci-fi horror; instead, the book speaks more to the general longing and misery that is American adolescence. And so, for the Bookshelf Revi

Apr 2, 2014 • 50:53

Episode 51: Five Days at Memorial

Episode 51: Five Days at Memorial

For this episode, the Disco goes back in time to 2005 for a harrowing glimpse at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with Sheri Fink’s Five Days at Memorial. Incredibly well researched and nuanced, Fink’s book covers disaster, death, corporate irresponsibility, legal maneuvering, and personal anxiety in the face of emergency. But first: the return of Bookshelf Roulette! Tod lands on a book close to home, Julia examines the simple act of “looking,” and Rider finds laughter that is contagious and d

Mar 18, 2014 • 52:07

Episode 50: Q&A

Episode 50: Q&A

After some scheduling and vomiting drama (we’ll explain), we offer up this special 50th episode of wall to wall listener questions. In two weeks, we’ll return with — finally — a discussion of 5 Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 4, 2014 • 57:26

Episode 49: Olympic Fever!

Episode 49: Olympic Fever!

Place your hand over your heart and jump onto a podium because we’ve got Olympic fever over here. We take on the two most important sports in American history: bowling and football. This month, first we talk about our favorite sports in fiction and nonfiction. (Horses may or may not come up again.) Then we get on to the main event: discussing two fascinating pieces of sports journalism, “Why Don’t More Athletes Take a Stand” by Gary Smith, and “The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever” by Michael J.

Feb 19, 2014 • 1:04:40

Episode 48: Anything That Moves

Episode 48: Anything That Moves

Food, glorious food! This episode takes on Dana Goodyear’s examination of the wild and crazy world of foodies and the things they eat, cook, buy, and sell: Anything That Moves. Which begs valuable questions like, could you eat a tarantula? What about a horse? The episode opens with a food-themed bookshelf revisit, which (in typical Literary Disco fashion), manages to cram Nick Cage, corn dogs, the movie Quiz Show and the country of Ghana all into one discussion. It’s a food extravaganza. Don’t l

Feb 4, 2014 • 1:01:41

Episode 47: Mistborn

Episode 47: Mistborn

Today we welcome the first appearance of the disco’s official Fantasy Correspondent, Will Friedle. As a voracious reader of the genre, the trio asked Will to pick one of his favorite fantasy novels, and he chose Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn. Which, at 672 pages, turns out to be one of the shortest books Will could have selected from this author. The discussion lands only on the book briefly, though, as the gang delves into the nature of fantasy itself. What makes for good fantasy, and how is tha

Jan 21, 2014 • 1:03:04

Episode 46: Best American Short Stories 2013

Episode 46: Best American Short Stories 2013

In this episode, Tod selects three short stories from the latest Best American collection. First up is Alice Munro’s “Trains,” a poignant and surprisingly epic story of a soldier post-WWII. Then Suzanne Rivecca’s story about a meeting between an employee of a shelter and a rich author, “Philanthropy.” And finally, cats gets killed in Callan Wink’s “Breatharians.” Opinions vary, but on the whole, the Disco trio is in agreement that these are some mighty fine stories. In the opening revisit, Tod b

Jan 7, 2014 • 1:07:42

Episode 45: Best of 2013

Episode 45: Best of 2013

In this delightful, coffee-fueled episode, we each choose a book for the hall of fame and name our favorite books we read this year. Plus, Klassics Korner makes a thrilling return with the addition of a certain boy wizard, Tod’s poet voice does not include James Franco this time, and Rider tells us his nerdiest moment of the year. Happy New Year from the Disco! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 23, 2013 • 1:16:32

Episode 44: Robert Frost’s New Hampshire

Episode 44: Robert Frost’s New Hampshire

For the first time ever, the Disco takes on a dead poet. And not just any one, but perhaps the most celebrated and popular of American poets, Robert Frost. Julia selected his fourth book, New Hampshire, which includes famous Frost poems such as “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and “Fire and Ice.” But also plenty of lesser known works. What follows includes some strong (but relatively peaceful) disagreements about Frost and his legacy. Up first, in a themed Bookshelf Revisit, your hosts eac

Dec 10, 2013 • 1:03:53

Episode 43: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Episode 43: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Football and the Iraq war come together in Ben Fountain’s novel, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, a portrait of fictional war heroes during a “victory tour” in 2004. The disco trio discusses the books insights on war, class, and politics. Not to mention Fountain’s mastery of his craft. But first, it’s Bookshelf Roulette, which brings up important questions such as, why do all fantasy novels take place in England? Who in the world still has personalized license plates? And, what WAS the plot of M

Nov 26, 2013 • 1:01:26

Episode 42: When Animals Attack

Episode 42: When Animals Attack

On this “animal rage” episode, the trio reads articles about animal attacks. From Slate, A Death in Yellowstone by Jessica Grose From Outside Magazine, The Killer in the Pool by Tim Zimmerman And from Esquire, The Worst Story I Ever Heard by Rich Schapiro Discussions of zoos, pets, national parks, and the nature of animals ensues…culminating in the very important question, what’s scarier: a chimp, a bear, or a killer whale? Up first in the revisit, Rider heads to Pilgrim Creek, Tod analyzes Jack

Nov 11, 2013 • 1:05:16

Episode 41: Dr. Sleep

Episode 41: Dr. Sleep

In this Halloween spooktacular, we talk about Stephen King’s latest novel, Dr. Sleep. It’s a sequel to his genre-defining classic, The Shining. Does Dr. Sleep hold up to its predecessor? Or is it something different entirely? But first, we bring to the Bookshelf Revisit the books and stories that scared us the most, either as a child or an adult. And then Tod and Julie both tell some “real life” ghost stories. Which sends Rider into a tailspin of skepticism (i.e., condescension) and Tod into

Oct 31, 2013 • 58:57

Episode 40: Things Fall Apart

Episode 40: Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe’s classic novel of a Nigerian colonial encounter gets the Disco treatment. An in-depth look at Things Fall Apart leads to discussion of Achebe’s legacy and African literature in general. But first, songs. Lots of songs, as Rider introduces his latest lyrical discovery, Tod talks rock-drug-memoirs, and Julia discusses a book titled, Born to Run…which, perhaps predictably, inspires some Springsteen singing. There’s no outro to this episode, since Rider is on the road to his wedding

Oct 14, 2013 • 54:27

Episode 39: The Penis Play

Episode 39: The Penis Play

This week the trio takes on a dirtily-titled play that’s…actually not that dirty. “Cock” by Mike Bartlett is a strange combination of minimalist writing, incredibly specific characters, and Big Important Issues. For the second play the disco has tackled, it’s a good example of one that might read better than it will perform. But we’ll only know if any of our listeners have seen it… The discussion dives headfirst into the nature of sexual identity, and eventually, Tod will ask pressing (ridiculou

Oct 1, 2013 • 49:31

Episode 38: Summer Vacation Essays

Episode 38: Summer Vacation Essays

This week, the Disco trio reflects on the end of summer with two classic essays Julia selected. First up, E.B. White’s short and moving trip back to his childhood vacation spot, Once More to the Lake (which can be found in its entirety, here). And then, David Foster Wallace gets a well deserved lengthy discussion regarding his hysterical, career-making article about the miserable week he spent on a cruise ship: A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again. Which, perhaps inevitably, leads Julia, R

Sep 17, 2013 • 1:11:59

Episode 37: Hot for Teacher, LIVE!

Episode 37: Hot for Teacher, LIVE!

Our first live episode, recorded in front of an amazing audience on August 22nd at the Barnes & Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles, California. We’re joined by guest author Ivy Pochoda, who just that day was wrapping up the book tour for her latest novel, Visitation Street. For the Disco trio to read, Ivy selected the novel Tampa by Alissa Nutting, the first book to make Tod’s jokes and innuendos seem tame by comparison. But first, we each do a Bookshelf Revisit, two of which harken

Sep 3, 2013 • 1:24:55

Episode 36: The Woman Chaser

Episode 36: The Woman Chaser

Guest author Jim Gavin joins us for the strange journey that is Charles Willeford’s novel, The Woman Chaser, a book that confounds as much as it entertains. LA noir, postmodern pulp, and somehow, existential ennui are all squeezed into one little, psychotic book. But first, a Bookshelf Revisit that includes two nature poets, one of whom you probably know, the other you probably don’t. And in a special bonus interview, Rider talks Finnegans Wake with Joyce scholar Michael Seidel. Given his years

Aug 20, 2013 • 1:14:40

Episode 35: A River Runs Through It

Episode 35: A River Runs Through It

This week, we catch a big fish: the classic novella “A River Runs Through It,” and — movie bonus — we rant and rave about how it translated. Also discussed: a roulette brings us to Wuthering Heights, Dickensian England, and the literary magazine Barrelhouse. Click here to purchase from an independent bookseller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 6, 2013 • 57:15

Episode 34: Thunderbird

Episode 34: Thunderbird

This week, we return to contemporary poetry– but not before revisiting JK Rowling’s pen-name revelation, Middlesex, and the profound number of songs in the Hobbit. AND we announce the details of our live show, and throw down the Finnegan’s Wake-Up challenge! Click here to purchase Thunderbird from an independent bookseller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2013 • 1:01:03

Episode 33: Graphic Novels

Episode 33: Graphic Novels

In this episode, the disco trio finally takes on graphic novels. Goliath by Tom Gauld and My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, both empathetic takes on infamous villains. But should they be empathetic? Opinions clash as these two very different books come under the microscope. Not surprisingly, the addition of visual art changes the entire reading experience and the discussion. But first, in the Bookshelf Revisit, Rider will say the name Guybrush Threepwood, Tod will narrate the inner voice of a f

Jul 9, 2013 • 1:01:54

Episode 32: Seating Arrangements

Episode 32: Seating Arrangements

This week, it’s wedding time. The gang reads Maggie Shipstead’s novel Seating Arrangements, which takes place over three days of nuptials on an exclusive, East Coast island. Everyone’s rich, everyone went to Harvard, everyone has “first-world problems,” but does it make for a good read? The answer is more complicated than Julia, Tod, and Rider expected… But first, on our Bookshelf Revisit, Tod talks author correspondence, and trying to give an inspiring speech to his students. Julia binges on St

Jun 25, 2013 • 55:22

Episode 31: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Episode 31: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Today we go to the one genre where our tastes truly collide: the crime novel. Rider, Tod, & Julia discuss Edgar-Award-Winning Tom Franklin’s latest work of southern intrigue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 10, 2013 • 59:08

Episode 30: Flowers in the Attic

Episode 30: Flowers in the Attic

It’s time to take on the book that you all read, under your covers, late at night, freaking out about the nature of puberty, poisoned donuts, and inheritances. This is the book that we almost murder Rider for even suggesting it might be a classic of any sort. This is the book that is way too dramatic. This… is…. Flowers in the Attic. Also discussed: will books on writing stand the test of time? Would you rather be the Assassin, or Happy to be Alive? Is F. Scott Fitzgerald a hack? And what’s a sp

May 28, 2013 • 1:01:56

Episode 29: The Fault in Our Stars

Episode 29: The Fault in Our Stars

What is the difference between drama and melodrama? Should books be written differently with teenage readers in mind? What is Romeo and Juliet actually about? And, if Rider rants in a forest, does anyone care? This week we engage in one of the most heated debates in Disco history, centered around John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars in particular, and Young Adult literature in general. But first, we play Bookshelf Roulette. Tod will introduce you to memoirist Dinah Lenney, Rider stumbles upon his

May 14, 2013 • 1:07:45

Episode 28: Two Essays about Iowa

Episode 28: Two Essays about Iowa

Today is all about duality. Is a tragic event better written about as a personal essay, or as straight reportage? Should visitors to LA check out the Book Festival or the Grilled Cheese Festival? Tough decisions abound. At the heart of the episode is our comparative study on two essays: Jo Ann Beard’s “The Fourth State of Matter,” and Jim Mann’s “The Physics of Revenge.” Each one unpacks the same cultural event using wildly different techniques. Which form of nonfiction will prevail? Learn more

Apr 30, 2013 • 51:45

Episode 27: Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles

Episode 27: Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles

In this episode, Tod, Rider, and Julia take on Ron Currie Jr.’s new novel, Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles. One of the podcast’s most intense discussion ensues, primarily regarding the book’s masculinity. What makes a book manly, anyway? And why is Rider quoting Legends of the Fall? The words “trope” and “deconstruction” figure prominently. But first up, in this week’s Bookshelf Roulette, Julia lands on a Lonely Planet, Tod talks about boogers (amazingly, this is totally on-topic) and Rider comp

Apr 16, 2013 • 53:51

Episode 26: The Birthday Episode

Episode 26: The Birthday Episode

Happy birthday to us! For our birthday, we happen to all touch on stories about us sobbing uncontrollably. What says “birthday” like dredging up childhood memories of being the fat kid? If that’s not enticing enough for you, we create a Bookshelf of Fame and each add a book to it. Then we introduce a new game called “Wordz to Your Mother,” and go back to all of our old favorites. There’s no pin the tale on the donkey, but there are victory, screaming, and nostalgia! Happy birthday, listeners! Le

Apr 1, 2013 • 58:04

Episode 25: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Episode 25: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

This week on Literary Disco, full of sound and fury, we debate the meaning of the mysterious tetractus. Bookshelf roulette also leads us to a castle we can capture– but eventually, we get to discuss Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” Plus a super-special bonus discussion of the oddities and delights of the annual AWP conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 19, 2013 • 56:46

Episode 24: When My Brother Was an Aztec & Smith Blue (The Poetry Episode)

Episode 24: When My Brother Was an Aztec & Smith Blue (The Poetry Episode)

Tonight we take on a huge subject: how we should read poetry. The discussion centers on Natalie Diaz’s collection “When My Brother Was an Aztec” and Camille Dungy’s “Smith Blue.” What do we make of these wonders? What do we think about eviscerated dogs, smashed fruit, and meth? And what do teenagers have to do with it all? Plus, we revisit the bookshelf revisit and talk Lincoln, oral histories, and the literary reviewer’s conundrum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 5, 2013 • 54:01

Episode 23: Pulphead

Episode 23: Pulphead

What do Michael Jackson, Christian Rock, and nearly-electrocuted high schoolers have in common? They’ve been written about by John Jeremiah Sullivan, and argued about by Tod, Rider, and Julia in today’s latest episode. Join us as we rhapsodize over some excellent essays. Also join us as we pull random books off our shelves (thanks to your help) and chat about them at random. Discussed: Julia tells you about Mark Twain’s OTHER pen names, Tod makes a very mysterious phone call, and Rider adores a

Feb 19, 2013 • 58:02

Episode 22: The Hardy Boys

Episode 22: The Hardy Boys

On today’s episode, we head to Bayport to take on the brothers Hardy, those teen sleuths you thought you knew… We discuss Books One and Two of The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure, and The House on the Cliff. This episode offers an interesting counterpoint to our look at the first Sweet Valley High Book from Episode 3. But first, we abandon our usual Bookshelf Revisit in favor of Bookshelf Roulette. Based on random number suggestions from our Twitter followers, we each find a book on our shelf to

Feb 5, 2013 • 49:19

Episode 21: We The Animals (with guest Elizabeth Crane)

Episode 21: We The Animals (with guest Elizabeth Crane)

We’ve tackled tigers and rubber ducks on the show before, but have we ever turned our eyes to the animal spirits of three young brothers? Justin Torees’ novel is brought to our attention by the witty and wonderful Elizabeth Crane, who joins us on the show for a quick disco dance. Plus: cosmically bad reviews, having the willpower to creatively open a cupcake, and what the hell Patty Hearst was fighting for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 21, 2013 • 58:50

Episode 20: The Best of 2012

Episode 20: The Best of 2012

Well, OUR best of 2012. Join us as Tod, Julia, and Rider go through the Top 5 books they read this year. Which of the books from previous episodes did they select? Did Pillars of the Earth make the grade? How about Sweet Valley High? Classics, new favorites, graphic novels, children’s books, and even audiobooks all make an appearance in this in-depth New Year’s discussion. And then Tod decides it’s time for a lightning round “Best Of” in all sorts of other categories, including, but not limited

Jan 7, 2013 • 53:45

Episode 19: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Episode 19: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Ho ho ho! For the holiday season, the Literary Disco team reads a book Julia got for Christmas several years ago but hadn’t yet read. “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” brings us back to discussion nonfiction and the importance of setting. Also discussed: Goodreads, a bookshelf revisit, and the special Twitter challenge! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 27, 2012 • 43:18

Episode 18: The Paris Review’s “Object Lessons”

Episode 18: The Paris Review’s “Object Lessons”

The short story: what is it for? Who does it best? What’s a “Paris Review” short story, vs. just a regular short story? Listen to us duke it out and draw your own conclusions– or, better yet, get the book and read along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 4, 2012 • 51:08

Bonus Episode! Life of Pi: The Movie

Bonus Episode! Life of Pi: The Movie

You knew we’d have an opinion. Tod, Rider, and Julia discuss whether or not the film adaptation of “Life of Pi” lives up to the book– and whether or not you should see it. And it might not be the same answer. THERE ARE A HUNDRED THOUSAND SPOILERS IN HERE. Consider yourself warned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 28, 2012 • 17:51

Episode 17: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Episode 17: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

You, a lifeboat, a tiger. Would you make it? Would Tod? Would Julia? Would Rider? (We have our bets.) Join our hosts as they discuss this bestselling novel and their hopes for the upcoming movie. Watch out for spoilers (though we’ll warn you). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 20, 2012 • 51:42

Episode 16: Pillars of the Earth

Episode 16: Pillars of the Earth

Long ago, in a land far away, three friends decided to take on an inconceivable project. One would read a book. One would listen to the audiobook of that book. One would watch a miniseries of the audiobook of that book. And lo, how did they feel about this book– which happens to be very popular– and this audiobook, and this miniseries? Did they build a great cathedral of praise, or raise a church of complaint? (Please note: The Pillars of the Earth contains many violent descriptions of sexual as

Nov 5, 2012 • 52:27

Episode 15: The Libertine

Episode 15: The Libertine

In this episode, we discuss autographs, first editions, mermaids, and more. Then, we read the Libertine by Stephen Jeffreys– a play! Do we make it through? Do we discuss the nature of excess, or does Tod complain the whole time? Only one way to find out… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 2012 • 56:05

Episode 14: Mixtape

Episode 14: Mixtape

Playlist, schmaylist. We’re calling this a mixtape: one poem, one short story, and one essay get dissected in this episode. Mary Karr’s “Suicide’s Note,” Eric Puchner’s “The Cooler Me,” and Joe Meno’s “Happiness Will Be Yours.” And of course, a knock-down drag-out argument over comic strips, more discussion of what makes a great audiobook, and frauds. Check it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 2, 2012 • 50:23

Episode 13: Moby Duck

Episode 13: Moby Duck

Rubber Ducky, you’re the one– you make bathtime lots of fun– until you disintegrate into the ocean and kill the very nature you purport to stand for. Tod, Rider, and Julia discuss Moby Duck by Donovan Hohn. The crew also debates reading while feverish, video games as literary experiences, and aging audio book voice actors. Finally, Julia introduces Tod and Rider to the incredible prose of George Eliot– or is it Julia herself?– in a brand-new installment of Klassics Korner with Two K’s. Learn m

Sep 17, 2012 • 51:42

Episode 12: Story Songs!

Episode 12: Story Songs!

It’s time to get back to school and, because we’re grown-ups now, we assigned ourselves some easy homework. Tod attempts to convince Julia & Rider that “Story Songs” are a legitimate literary genre, only to offer up sappy songs about serendipitous taxis. Julia and Rider try somewhat harder, but not much. The only thing that saves them from this silly episode is a bookshelf revisit in which they each read something great. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 2012 • 55:51

Episode 11: Winnie the Pooh & The House on Pooh Corner

Episode 11: Winnie the Pooh & The House on Pooh Corner

Deep in the hundred acre woods, three writers argue over the particular pathetic nature of Eeyore. Join us this week as we welcome friend and Barnes & Noble “Discover New Writers” pick Stephen Dau, whose novel “The Book of Jonas” turns out to not be about Jonas brothers at all. We read his book and also the Winnie-the-Pooh books, which Steve reads to his daughter every afternoon. Also, Tod points us to an article about music then and now, Rider gets comical, and Julia waxes on about olde timey N

Aug 20, 2012 • 55:04

Episode 10: When You Reach Me

Episode 10: When You Reach Me

This week we are joined by Youth Services Librarian, Erika Jelinek. Erika’s here to address Rider’s concerns (expressed oh-so-mildly in Episode 5) about the quality of today’s Young Adult Literature. In defense, she offers Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me. A coming-of-age novel with a time travel twist. The disco-teers discuss this fantastic book and the state of children’s literature in general. But first, our Book Club Revisit includes Tod talking Olympics (and, surprise surprise, avoiding bo

Aug 7, 2012 • 51:37

Episode 9: Tiny Beautiful Things

Episode 9: Tiny Beautiful Things

So you think you don’t cry. Well, we challenge you to listen to our discussion of the Beat Generation, how the media reports school shootings, how accurately we remember our cousins, and, of course, Cheryl Strayed’s “Tiny Beautiful Things” and then read the books we’ve discussed. Who knows what will happen? Your heart might grow two sizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2012 • 47:22

Episode 8: Train Dreams

Episode 8: Train Dreams

Episode 8: We begin with a Bookshelf Revisit, in which Tod discovers a pulp gem, Julia goes Sherlock crazy, and Rider is hyperbolic as usual. Then we discuss the novella Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. We end with Judging a Book By Its Cover, wherein Tod is a genius and yet still doesn’t know where (or what) Thailand is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 2012 • 1:02:49

Episode 7: A Separate Peace

Episode 7: A Separate Peace

Somehow, Rider has never read this classic. We correct that. We also discuss the various terrors of boarding school, books from our shelves, and which parts of Crime and Punishment Tod completely made up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 19, 2012 • 52:01

Episode 6: Treasure Island!!! and Poet Voice

Episode 6: Treasure Island!!! and Poet Voice

Hello all, Hey, it’s new episode day! This week we welcome Mark Haskell-Smith, author of the hilarious Heart of Dankness, who shares Sarah Levine’s brilliant picaresque novel Treasure Island. We loved it. We also share some really good stuff from our bookshelves about being a starving, boxing circus freak who lives under a bridge. (Or at least, if we combined all of our recommendations into one book, that’s what it would be about. Someone write this!) And finally, Tod once again tries to stump

Jun 4, 2012 • 56:08

Episode 5: Above the Factory

Episode 5: Above the Factory

Evening, readers! Here we have Episode 5: Above the Factory. Read, listen, mull it over, throw your listening device across the room in frustration… whatever floats your boat. We also introduce a new bookish game: Judging a Book by Its Cover. We read first sentences from famous (or semi-famous) works, and then make educated guesses about the contents of the novels. Are you ready to play? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2012 • 54:07

Episode 4: The Chairs are Where the People Go

Episode 4: The Chairs are Where the People Go

Hi, everyone! Here’s Episode 4. Sorry for the delay. We were having technical difficulties, so here’s a tried-and-true MP3 for your listening pleasure. — Friends, family, loved ones of all sorts: if you were to organize a room for a lecture, where might you put the chairs? If you were to teach people how to play charades, what would you tell them? Are messenger bags relevant to this discussion at all? Kathryn Borel discusses “The Chairs Are Where the People Go,” with Tod, Rider, and Julia, wh

May 8, 2012 • 44:14

Episode 3: Sweet Valley High & Klassics Korner

Episode 3: Sweet Valley High & Klassics Korner

Today, we get silly. We discuss the various merits and demerits of Sweet Valley High. We revisit the classics, but upon Julia’s insistence, we give it the stupid name “Classics Corner– with two K’s!” See, that makes it friendly and approachable… right? Let us know what you think in the comments, and please enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 24, 2012 • 36:06

Episode 2: Half a Life & Poet Voice

Episode 2: Half a Life & Poet Voice

In our second podcast, we go back to our bookshelves again (or maybe put on our ipods, or maybe even just look at the back of the book). Then we take a deep dive into Darin Strauss’ memoir, Half a Life, which leads to a hot debate about the current challenges of nonfiction. Finally, Tod tries to stump Julia and Rider by reading things from the internet in the voice of a substandard poet. If you haven’t finished the book yet, don’t fret– you can revisit the episode any time. And there are no m

Apr 10, 2012 • 51:31

Episode 1: Bookshelf Revisit & Bright’s Passage

Episode 1: Bookshelf Revisit & Bright’s Passage

The long-awaited first episode of Literary Disco has arrived! We begin by revisiting our bookshelves and recommending some of our favorites (or, in Rider’s case, weird books from the teen years) to each other. Then we get to the meat and potatoes of the episode: Bright’s Passage. We react, we question, we banter, we express enthusiasm for talking horses. If you haven’t finished the book yet, don’t fret– you can revisit the episode any time. And there are no major spoilers. We mostly speak abou

Mar 26, 2012 • 38:00

Episode 0: Introduction

Episode 0: Introduction

Subscribe and listen! This is our introductory podcast, in which Rider, Tod, and Julia discuss the books they loved, standing up to librarians, and meaningful professors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 11, 2012 • 23:29

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