Episode 10: In this episode, Ashley and Anna explore the theme of loneliness and communion in Whitman’s Calamus collection, reading a beautiful and comforting piece called “Full of Life.” Other topics include the psychology of a beard; a compact made to break each other out of the hospital so we can each pass away in peace beneath a shady tree; the film Weekend at Bernie’s; the legality of human taxidermy; the psychology of hunting for sport and dominion over other beings; and alternative methods of achieving the psychedelic or transcendental experience.

Episode 9: Anna and Ashley chat about country people vs. city people before reading Ernest Dowson’s “Cynara,” and discussing a well-known literary allusion to the poem. They discuss lost loves; the importance of seeking resolution by expressing one’s feelings and communicating; and the empowering act of giving up on a potential paramour.

Episode 8: In this episode, Anna and Ashley explore some of the poetry of Gertrude Stein—a writer who experimented with English grammatical conventions. Imagining a Great Blob of Coffee provokes a sense of hope and awe. Other topics include a story from Boccaccio’s The Decameron and the question of austerity—what is it? Ashley and Anna determine together which foods are truly austere, leading to a recounting of the story of Diogenes’ cup and the question of frugal living. Lastly, they determine that—when it comes to the question of “Is it cake?”—if the cake looks like an animal, one should use a spoon in lieu of a knife to avoid provoking fear.