From Harry Potter's gothic halls to Phoebe Bridgers' whispered confessions, this episode unpacks Academic Goth, a movement that gives students permission to treat knowledge like art, studying like spell research, and homework like main-character moments.

Join host Leslie Simon to examine the indie music soundtracks that make homework feel cinematic, the BookTok obsession with "The Secret History," and why physical books have become a rebellion against the world going digital.

Let’s uncover why students choose vintage leather journals over laptops, how candlelit study sessions become sacred rituals, and what this movement reveals about modern educational promises versus reality.

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