Book Fight

Today we're kicking off the Summer of Shorts by talking about the Kate Braverman story "Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta" and also bermuda shorts. Is the story meant to be read literally or allegorically? What is the proper length for men's shorts? Is this one of the best American short stories of the twentieth century, as its inclusion in a Vintage anthology would suggest? Why did Tom stop wearing shorts entirely for several years? 

You can read the story (for free) at the link above. You can get a pair of bermudas wherever fine shorts are sold.

For more, visit us online at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: ShortsEp1__Braverman_and_Bermudas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We're joined this week by Philadelphia native Dan McQuade to discuss the novelisation of Rocky II, which pretty much sticks to the plot of the film, but is narrated by Rocky himself, who turns out to be an even bigger dolt in prose. We talk about the story's possibly racist overtones, and why montage sequences don't work that well in a novel. We also ask Dan about life as a freelance writer, and some of Philadelphia's weirder traditions, like the Mummers. 

Direct download: Ep61-SylvesterStallone_Rocky3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

On this week's Writers Ask, we counsel someone who's been rejected from all the MFA programs to which he's applied. Should he simply give up? Choose a different path? Or put his head down, keep working, and apply again next year? We also tell someone whether they should self-publish, and we share a few of the writing prompts we use in our creative writing classes that have proven particularly useful.

After this week, we're taking a little break from our Writers Ask episodes so we can embark on a special summer project. We share some details of that project this week, and also workshop potential names for it. (Not to worry: there will still be an episode every week; but these alternate-week episodes will be a little different for the next 2-3 months).

Find out more at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: WritersAsk-WormCans.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week's book, Canty's first novel, is one of Mike's favorites, while Tom is reading it for the first time. We talk about doomed teenage romance, small moments carefully observed, and what makes you want to return to a book. We also examine the free Wattpad app, and check out some Adam Levine/The Voice fan fic. 

Direct download: Ep60-KevinCanty_IntoTheGreatWideOpen.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We revisit the topic of writers conferences, and offer advice on how to choose a good one. Also: do writers need to be well-versed in the literary canon (however that might be defined), or is it ok to mostly read contemporary work? And how can you add conflict and tension to a book without much plot? 

Direct download: WritersAsk-HeavenIsReal.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

A dystopian Russian novel that explores life after a mysterious "blast" has turned back history, leaving a barely-literate population toiling in mind-numbing jobs and trapping rodents for currency. We try to put the book into some context, talk about Tolstaya's other work, and Tom mulls a new segment that involves him watching terrible daytime television. 

Direct download: Ep_59-TheSlynx.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We recorded this episode pretty late at night. I am posting this episode recap pretty late at night. We talked about some things, like how much MFAs cost, whether grad student pay rates are fair, and why Tom is so anal retentive about organizing books on his super fancy bookshelves. We also talked about Baywatch. And now you can download our conversation and put it in your ears. Isn't modern life wonderful?

Direct download: WritersAsk-Book_Fight_After_Dark.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This book won the Man Booker prize, though at least one of us might have thrown it across his living room. We talk about funny novels versus "comic novels," middle-aged male novelists who can't stop writing about their penises, and when it's okay to quit on a book. Also, Mike's got another edition of Fan Fiction Corner, featuring some alternate-universe TV fan fic, and ... well, spanking. 

You can buy Mike's recommended album here. You can find out more about the podcast here

Direct download: Ep_58-Howard_Jacobson_Finkler_Question.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Finally, listeners, it's here. We're reading the best-selling novel by Tom's nemesis and America's sweetheart, Q. Will Mike be won over by Pat Peoples' struggle to overcome a traumatic brain injury? Will Tom punch Mike in the face?

We talk about the book's treatment of race and mental illness, whether its details about football fandom are accurate, and how it might serve as a "playbook," if you will, for how to write a commercially successful novel.

Direct download: Bonus-SilverLiningsPlaybook.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:16am EDT

First up this week, Tom checks out several apps promising to provide writing prompts and creative inspiration. In our second segment we're joined by Lucas Mann, author of Class A: Baseball in the Middle of Everywhere, to discuss "unlikeable" narrators in nonfiction, and how to turn yourself into a character.

Direct download: WritersAsk-WritingAppsAndUnlikeableNarrators.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT