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  • ruby and roland by faith sullivan

    ruby and roland by faith sullivan
    2026/05/07
    our minnesota module kicks off with ruby and roland by faith sullivan and with a slew of minnesota facts… from both of us (!). after discussing game show hosts (including one who took his own life) and pokemon, we talk about how minnesota is a farming state, which is frustrating for the pod but ultimately re-assuring for national unity. we talk about the world war i framing in the novel, its aspirations to be the type of timeless love story that ruby reads, and the absolute lack of heat/horniness/sexiness on display. (it’s tina belcher-esque.) shreds recalls getting dunked on in class and asks if “drunk driving-inspired romances” is now a genre. joey pinpoints the early writing that put him off almost immediately. we break down the inappropriate age gaps and power dynamics found in ruby’s love life and try to answer: is the dog that ruby kills a metaphor for something? why does ruby go home? genuinely, what is she seeking? egg pulls no punches in her email. reading list for season nineteen ruby and roland by faith sullivanvestments by john reimringeramerican boy by larry watson
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    57 分
  • season nineteen theme and reading list

    season nineteen theme and reading list
    2026/04/30
    it’s a return to the best podcast format ever invented: the random card draw. we are exploring our sixth state and telling sufjan stevens to once again suck shit as we have tripled up on his state output. after recapping the states we have already covered (as well as which we’re most excited for), shreds draws a card and determines our fate. we discuss our favorite things about minnesota. reading list for season nineteen ruby and roland by faith sullivanvestments by john reimringeramerican boy by larry watson
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    9 分
  • sara levine interview (author of treasure island!!!, the hitch)

    sara levine interview (author of treasure island!!!, the hitch)
    2026/04/23
    we talk to sara levine, author of treasure island!!! and the hitch, about pets, siblings, and her favorite notebooks. after joey promises her 100 compliments, shreds tells her about the 100% hit rate on recommending her novels to friends. sara talks about haters on goodreads and “hammock reviews”, what she learned from adam levin about parrots, and subverting the expectations of chick lit. we tell her about her mythology on the podcast. we ask about the cover art of her novels, how she approaches different class situations for her protagonists (or: if she does), and whether she ever lived by the mottos “steer the boat, girlfriend” or “be the alpha.” we talk about her ability to invert expectations and play with genre a bit and then share a series of questions from meg. sara mentions another author she recommends we read, discusses the ups and downs of publishing short stories in smaller publications, and her affinity for robert louis stevenson. (here’s the playlist for treasure island!!! that she created for largehearted boy.) reading list for season eighteen short dark oracles by sara levinetreasure island!!! by sara levinethe hitch by sara levine
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    1 時間
  • the hitch by sara levine

    the hitch by sara levine
    2026/04/16
    our final book in the sara levine module is the hitch, which is notable as it’s a new release (and one of the fastest publication-to-episode timelines we’ve done) and, more importantly, another perfect novel. we compare it to treasure island!!! (and how this is a counter-arc to that), discuss the story of the “fun aunt” thrown into the deep end (by choice), and sara levine’s ability to craft good knock knock jokes (and why almost all art about comedy is a bit rough). is the secret to happiness going to mcdonald’s? shreds talks about the sitcom sensibilities in this novel that allow for levity in a really dark situation, how the novel’s “small book aesthetics” leave us craving more (in a good way), and how the hitch executes on his favorite trope in storytelling. we admire the cover and praise levine for dismissing drama in favor of more interesting drama. joey pitches a new challenge/idea to shreds. reading list for season eighteen short dark oracles by sara levinetreasure island!!! by sara levinethe hitch by sara levine
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    35 分
  • treasure island!!! by sara levine

    treasure island!!! by sara levine
    2026/04/02
    it’s time to talk about one of our favorite books, treasure island!!! by sara levine, and a plea to you, listener: go read this one. after shreds accidentally previews our next module, we ask: which most defines us? boldness, resolution, independence, or horn-blowing. we talk about how treasure island!!! serves as the best kind of palate cleanser, why we relate to messy and narcissistic 25-year-old female protagonists, and whether or not a pet library is a good business model. we share our favorite moments in the book, compare the novel’s tone to how sitcoms get away with darkness, and praise sara levine and her unique descriptions. joey mentions the almost unspoken (deep, deep) sadness of the text. shreds talks about how easy this novel would be to adapt, with so many actresses who could fit hte bill. egg writes in to compare this to the original treasure island. steer the boat, girlfriend! reading list for season eighteen short dark oracles by sara levinetreasure island!!! by sara levinethe hitch by sara levine
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    43 分
  • short dark oracles by sara levine

    short dark oracles by sara levine
    2026/03/19
    our sara levine module kicks off with her short story collection, short dark oracles. after comparing ourselves to other media with animals making noise in the background, we talk about our favorite stories from the collection, the value in a successful short story (as well as how the arc of a short story has changed over the years), and our favorite lines (mostly: the ones that made us laugh out loud). shreds talks about a shirt that makes him sick. we talk about a dog with a chapbook, a kinship between sara levine and lisa hanawalt, and how we wish we had even more writing of levine’s to look forward to. (this prompts shreds to talk about tao lin’s “10 more novels” idea.) a youtube comment inspires us to discuss books and movies we immediately started again after finishing. we heap more praise on matt johnson and nirvanna the band the show the movie. reading list for season eighteen short dark oracles by sara levinetreasure island!!! by sara levinethe hitch by sara levine
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    43 分
  • season eighteen theme and reading list

    season eighteen theme and reading list
    2026/03/12
    it’s time for another season of the podcast, but before we head to another state module, we’re reading the work of sara levine. it’s our third author-focused module. we talk about the pre-podcast lore (and the role of treasure island!!!) and the qualifications of being invited onto our show (or being selected for this type of focus). shreds recounts another time he was embarrassed in class. reading list for season eighteen short dark oracles by sara levinetreasure island!!! by sara levinethe hitch by sara levine
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    8 分
  • from hell by alan moore

    from hell by alan moore
    2026/03/05
    we’re wrapping up our 1990s module with from hell by alan moore, more 1999 facts, and an answer to the question: how old are we, really? after talking about why this book is invalid for this module, we check in with shreds about his self-imposed homework. we then talk about what we admire in from hell (and what frustrates joey, which shreds says is by design), while shreds heaps praise on alan moore (and defends him against goodreads reviews). we compare from hell to watchmen and explore alan moore’s interest in time as a construct. we compare the second appendix to understanding comics, admire eddie campbell’s art, and talk about the feng shui of towns. plus: the supernatural (?) ending, the masonic inclusions, and all things gull. we self-mythologize — somebody’s gotta do what we’re doing! — we plan out potential future modules, and we wonder: when do people find us? also: could this be adapted in a better way, unlike the johnny depp movie? reading list for season seventeen vineland by thomas pynchonmao ii by don delilloall the pretty horses by cormac mccarthytrainspotting by irvine welshnotes of a crocodile by qiu miaojinsabbath’s theater by philip roththe atlas by william t. vollmanni love dick by chris krausthe poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolverfrom hell by alan moore
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    51 分