Episode 181: Soap Operas

Episode 181: Soap Operas

Author: Literary Disco November 17, 2020 Duration: 1:03:45
Today we embrace the melodrama, the secret, the amnesia, the surprise relative, the multiple personality disorder, the rape, the recasting, the coming back from the dead, the love, the murder, and the marriages (!), as we talk about all things soap opera with special guests Natalie Zea and Travis Schuldt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine three friends who happen to be writers, gathered in a room where the conversation swings from passionate literary analysis to unapologetic tangents and genuine laughter. That’s the heart of Literary Disco. Hosts Tod Goldberg, Julia Pistell, and Rider Strong dive into books with the energy of a great book club debate, blending deep dives on classic novels with spirited discussions about contemporary works and the occasional unexpected page-turner. This isn't a dry lecture; it's a lively, often hilarious exploration of why we read and how stories shape us. You’ll hear them dissect prose, share personal connections to characters, and maybe even settle a long-standing literary feud, all with a warmth that makes you feel like you're pulling up a chair with them. The Literary Disco podcast has earned its place in the literary conversation, featured in publications from The New Yorker to the Los Angeles Times and recognized by The Washington Post as a best literary podcast. It’s a celebration of reading that reminds you books are meant to be talked about, argued over, and enjoyed in good company. Tune in for a uniquely engaging mix of arts and comedy, where the love of the written word is always the guest of honor.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Literary Disco
Podcast Episodes
Episode 123: Cat Person [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:05
(Are we time traveling? Yes, a technical glitch set this episode back a few months…) Kristen Roupenian’s short story “Cat Person” appeared in December 2017 issue of The New Yorker, and promptly became an internet sensati…
Episode 126: Columbine, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:37
We didn’t mean for these episodes to be “timely,” but these days in America, that seems unavoidable. Between posting our two-parter about Dave Cullen’s Columbine, there has been another school shooting at Sante Fe High S…
Episode 125: Columbine, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:45
Dave Cullen’s book Columbine is an exhaustive and brilliant examination of the infamous school shooting that stunned the country in 1999. It is also one of the first books that Tod, Julia, and Rider discussed as friends.…
Episode 124: Bookshelf Revisit Summer 2018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:06
I know, it’s a bit confusing, but some tech issues with Episode 123 means we’re skipping it for now. Instead, we zoom to the future! It’s a Bookshelf Revisit episode with a game — a new game Tod is insisting we call “Roc…
Episode 122: The Idiot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:07
Elif Batuman’s novel was a critical darling of 2017. We try to figure out why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 121: A Spell for Chameleon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:58
Our fantasy and sci-fi correspondent Will Friedle returns! And he’s picked a doozy for us to read. Piers Anthony has written dozens of hugely popular fantasy novels, and many of them are set in the magical, pun-filled la…
Episode 120: Manhattan Beach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:56
Jennifer Egan’s a favorite author here on the Disco. But does her latest novel, the New York period piece Manhattan Beach, keep up the winning streak? It made a lot of Best Of 2017 lists, but the Disco trio is a bit divi…
Episode 119: Lincoln in the Bardo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:58
We did it. We read the George Saunders book that blew everyone’s mind in 2017. And then we talked about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 118: Children’s Books [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:36
Too often, all we say about children’s books is “awwww.” Not today. Tod, Julia, and Rider dig deep into classics and new books for kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 117: Holiday Reading [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:22
Happy Holidays! In honor of the season, the Disco team does a holiday-themed Bookshelf Revisit. See you in the New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices