Episodes

  • NANCY DREW as Cultural Phenomenon! >> Did you know they radically rewrote the Nancy Drew books 20 years after publication? What it says about us is fascinating.

    NANCY DREW as Cultural Phenomenon! >> Did you know they radically rewrote the Nancy Drew books 20 years after publication? What it says about us is fascinating.
    Feb 10 2026
    NO READING REQUIRED! "1950s Nancy was a Barbie. But 1930s Nancy was a single, friendless BITCH." (Bitch in the very BEST kind of way.) This line from The Bookstore (now playing off Broadway) opens a fascinating--and somewhat damning--window onto American culture. But the best part of revisiting these books is how GOOD they are. Listen in to hear what most of us missed about these iconic bestsellers.
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    35 mins
  • WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë >> I have something to confess about this one. Listen in.

    WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë >> I have something to confess about this one. Listen in.
    Feb 6 2026
    Emerald Fennel's new movie version of Wuthering Heights (and my SON'S OFF-BROADWAY DEBUT) sent me right back to the novel and WOW is there a lot to say about this book. Allow me to break down whether it's a love story or all about revenge, why there's no sex, what the narrative stance has to do with the gothic, and SO MUCH MORE.
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    41 mins
  • THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans >> This gem of a runaway best seller seems straightforward but I'll tell you what: Evans is pulling off a FEAT.

    THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans >> This gem of a runaway best seller seems straightforward but I'll tell you what: Evans is pulling off a FEAT.
    Feb 2 2026
    I have never loved an epistolary novel (a novel in letters). But at every turn Evans avoided the pitfalls. Not only that, but The Correspondent ends up being a rich, moving read. Tune in to find out how she pulls it off, what made me put it down--only to pick it right back up--and why this work deserves a closer look.
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    45 mins
  • DISCONTENT by Beatriz Serrano >> If you loved this book, maybe don't listen to the last twenty minutes of this.

    DISCONTENT by Beatriz Serrano >> If you loved this book, maybe don't listen to the last twenty minutes of this.
    Jan 29 2026
    DISCONTENT started with such potential that my very high expectations were somewhat dashed. Serrano starts so strong: she paints the work place, interrogates the internet, incorporates visual art, promotes the concept of the chosen family and more. But much hinged on the ending and for me, it didn't deliver. Listen to see what's working really well and what isn't. Discontent really helps you see why pulling off a strong novel is REALLY HARD TO DO.
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    50 mins
  • HANGSAMAN by Shirley Jackson >> HOW HAD I NEVER READ THIS BOOK??

    HANGSAMAN by Shirley Jackson >> HOW HAD I NEVER READ THIS BOOK??
    Jan 23 2026
    Actually, probably, I'd never read it because I was scarred by "The Lottery" in grade school. I should NOT have been afraid. Hangsaman is incredible! It also has some verrrrry confusing elements that deserve the deepest of analysis. Listen in for exactly that. What a masterpiece!
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • "ARGOS" by Joy Williams (from The Pelican Child) >> Never read Williams? Don't really love short stories? Allow me to change all that.

    "ARGOS" by Joy Williams (from The Pelican Child) >> Never read Williams? Don't really love short stories? Allow me to change all that.
    Jan 15 2026
    NO READING REQUIRED! I READ IT TO YOU! Once again we dive into an entire story! In just 45 entertaining, engaging minutes, you'll end up feeling smarter and maybe a little better about DEATH. It's amazing: in three mere pages, Williams takes us well beyond Homer's Odyssey into the kind of land only Williams can create. Kick back and listen to all the reasons why speculation about Williams and the Nobel Prize doesn't seem crazy at all.
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    44 mins
  • "GIRL" by Jamaica Kincaid >> NEW EXPERIENCE! Don't know this incredible short story? I'll read it to you! Complete with thoughts as to why it's soooo good.

    "GIRL" by Jamaica Kincaid >> NEW EXPERIENCE! Don't know this incredible short story? I'll read it to you! Complete with thoughts as to why it's soooo good.
    Jan 9 2026
    NO READING REQUIRED! Kick off 2026 with a new foxed page experience: an entire short story read to you--with my analysis--in one brief(ish) lecture! Come away feeling transported and inspired by true literary genius (Kincaid's, haha, not mine).
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    35 mins
  • "A PERFECT DAY FOR BANANAFISH" by J.D. Salinger >> If you love The Catcher in the Rye or Franny AND Zooey but don't REALLY know this story, you must listen in!

    "A PERFECT DAY FOR BANANAFISH" by J.D. Salinger >> If you love The Catcher in the Rye or Franny AND Zooey but don't REALLY know this story, you must listen in!
    Jan 2 2026
    We all read The Catcher in high school (when it was largely wasted on us) but too few of us explore Salinger's short fiction. His stories are SO GOOD. A deep dive into "Bananfish" will not only help you appreciate the inimitable dialogue, the spareness, the characterization and all that makes Salinger one of America's best writers--but you'll end up feeling a little smarter and a little more HUMAN as we kick off 2026.
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    1 hr and 1 min