Book Fight

A bit of a reading detour this week as we take up two stories from pulp writer Robert E. Howard, who invented both Conan the Barbarian and Sailor Steve Costigan, the sailor who loved to fight. We also talk about the origins of both Goofy and Betty Boop, Australia's "emu war," and Olympian/professional golfer Babe Didrikson. Everything you ever wanted to know about 1932!

For more, including video clips of cartoons and other stuff we talked about, visit us online at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: WinterEp6-1932.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We're joined this week by Dave Housley (author of the new story collection If I Knew The Way, I Would Take You Home) to discuss Nathan Rabin's 2013 book investigating the cult followings of both Phish and Insane Clown Posse. The book tracks Rabin's experiences at several Phish shows and the annual Gathering of the Juggalos, as well as his near-breakdown during what sounds like a pretty rough year.

We also talk about Dave's obsession with aliens, and his Twitter friendship with several members of the alien network MUFON. Plus: a new segment called "Things Mike Found in Tom's House."

Direct download: Ep80_Rabin_YouDontKnowMe.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we're traveling back to 1944, reading a Raymond Chandler essay about what makes a good story, and talking about various events not related to D-Day, because we're pretty sure that's been covered at this point. Instead we'll tell you about the origins of the Chiquita Banana song, a racially motivated labor strike in Philadelphia, Paul McCartney's lesser-known musician brother, and Miss America 1944's later career as a finger-wagger and gun owner. For more, including links to some of the things we talked about in the episode, visit us online at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: WinterEp5_1944.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we're reading the breakout 2001 book by French writer Emmanuel Carrere, a true-crime story about a man who killed his wife, children, and parents after living a life of, as the book's subtitle has it, "monstrous deception." We talk about the line between drama and sensationalism, and speculate about what goes on in the heads of pathological liars. In the second half of the show we talk about a Paris Review interview with Carrere in which he talks about why In Cold Blood is a fundamentally dishonest and "morally hideous" book.

For more, including links to things we talked about in this episode, visit us online at bookfightpod.com.

 

Direct download: Ep79_Carrere_TheAdversary.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we've set the Wayback Machine to 1894: We're reading a Kate Chopin story and talking about phonographs, anarchists, and shooting your guns into the air as if you didn't particularly care (about gun safety).

For more, including links to some of what we talked about in the episode (including this week's story) visit us online at bookfightpod.com

We're also still fundraising! So check out our Indiegogo page and give us some of your hard-earned money.

Direct download: WinterEp4_1894.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we're reading a 1934 cult classic (subtitled "An Experiment in Biography") that sees its author on the hunt for information about one Baron Corvo, also known as Frederick Rolfe, writer of several novels and maker of many enemies. Symons, after reading, and loving, Corvo's Hadrian the Seventh, set out to learn as much as she could about the mysterious author. And his efforts were rewarded, with a pretty crazy story of genius, spitefulness and lots and lots of burned bridges.

We're still running our annual fund drive: you can contribute, via Indiegogo, here. And for more about the show, including links to things we talked about in this episode, visit our website at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: Ep78_Symons_QuestForCorvo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This week we're talking about Kay Boyle's story "Defeat," an O'Henry winner from 1941. We also talk about a number of interesting things that happened in 1941, including: alien sightings, the time-traveling hipster, the first televised Mummers parade, the "state" of Jefferson's attempt to secede from Oregon, and the longest-ever coma. 

For more, including links to what we talked about on the show, visit us online at bookfightpod.com

Also: We're still running our annual fundraiser. You can donate--and get rewards--here, on our Indiegogo page

Direct download: WinterEp3_1941.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We're back with another book episode, this one about the 1982 National Book Award winner for best debut novel. We talk about "quiet" novels, prickly female protagonists, portrayals of parental anxiety, and the relativity of literary celebrity. We've also got blurbs for a couple more donors to our annual fund drive, which you can contribute to here, if you're so inclined.

You can read more, and get links to all the stuff we talked about this week, at our website

Direct download: Ep77_Dew_SophieDale.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Astute listeners might note that we're supposed to have a book episode this week. Unfortunately, we lost that episode in a technical snafu. Fortunately, we already had the next Winter of Wayback episode ready to go! This week we're reading a story from 1982, the year of Tom's birth. The story, "Dancing Ducks and Talking Anus," appeared in the 1982 Best American Short Stories anthology, selected by John Gardner, but its author, James Ferry, was basically never heard from again. Until a fan of his tracked down his brother, and then shared the story with us.

We're also talking about the Commodore 64, the 1982 World's Fair, the Tylenol murders, and "Lawnchair Larry," whose ultimately tragic life makes Mike get a little choked up at the end of the episode.

If you want to donate to our fundraising effort, here's the link to our Indiegogo page, including details of this year's donor giveaways.

We've also got lots of bonus material on our website this week, bookfightpod.com, including a video of Philly dudes circa 1982, news coverage of "Lawnchair Larry," and links to all sorts of other stuff. 

Direct download: WinterEp2_1982.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We're kicking off our next seasonal series, the Winter of Wayback, in which we'll read a prize story or essay from a given year and talk about that year's pop culture--movies, music, books, weird news, whatever might help provide some context for the story (or just entertain our listeners, and ourselves). This week we're traveling back to 1977, the year of Mike's birth, to read a story by Ella Leffland called "Last Courtesies" (winner of the 1977 O'Henry Award). 

For more, visit us online at bookfightpod.com

Direct download: WinterEp1_1977.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT