how to win the lottery: a book club podcast

we’re wrapping up our 1990s module with from hell by alan moore, more 1999 facts, and an answer to the question: how old are we, really? after talking about why this book is invalid for this module, we check in with shreds about his self-imposed homework. we then talk about what we admire in from hell (and what frustrates joey, which shreds says is by design), while shreds heaps praise on alan moore (and defends him against goodreads reviews). we compare from hell to watchmen and explore alan moore’s interest in time as a construct. we compare the second appendix to understanding comics, admire eddie campbell’s art, and talk about the feng shui of towns. plus: the supernatural (?) ending, the masonic inclusions, and all things gull. we self-mythologize — somebody’s gotta do what we’re doing! — we plan out potential future modules, and we wonder: when do people find us? also: could this be adapted in a better way, unlike the johnny depp movie?

reading list for season seventeen

vineland by thomas pynchonmao ii by don delilloall the pretty horses by cormac mccarthytrainspotting by irvine welshnotes of a crocodile by qiu miaojinsabbath’s theater by philip roththe atlas by william t. vollmanni love dick by chris krausthe poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolverfrom hell by alan moore

our 1990s module continues with the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver, whose backstory informs her writing in a unique way. after joey shares some 1998 facts (which shows how timely this novel is), we talk about the historical context within the text, as well as the way it depicts universal societal/cultural upheaval. we discuss the timing of ruth may’s death in this text (vs. a more “traditional” story), the beauty in never hearing nathan’s perspective, and the idea of knowing a thing before you know it (or living temporarily in a state of blissful ignorance). we talk about a section that harkens back to the atlas (but isn’t as effective) and the assumption that books in translation have the “correct” meaning. egg writes in about guilt and theology, and we talk about education and reclaiming our humanity.

reading list for season seventeen

vineland by thomas pynchonmao ii by don delilloall the pretty horses by cormac mccarthytrainspotting by irvine welshnotes of a crocodile by qiu miaojinsabbath’s theater by philip roththe atlas by william t. vollmanni love dick by chris krausthe poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolverfrom hell by alan moore

our 1990s season continues with i love dick by chris kraus and a slew of 1997 facts, including lots of titanic talk. the big question, right off the bat: how did they make this a tv series? (shreds plans to investigate.) we discuss the text’s format and two (very different) halves, the reference to kathy acker, and the inherent sadness and embarrassment in this novel and in sylvere leaving her. we attempt to refilter chris’s obsession through a modern lens, and we also try to contextualize the feminism of the text. what is chris kraus’s impression of this world? it’s unclear, which we struggle with. we hear from the egg and read youtube comments we missed.

reading list for season seventeen

vineland by thomas pynchonmao ii by don delilloall the pretty horses by cormac mccarthytrainspotting by irvine welshnotes of a crocodile by qiu miaojinsabbath’s theater by philip roththe atlas by william t. vollmanni love dick by chris krausthe poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolverfrom hell by alan moore

we’ve entered 1996 with the atlas by william t. vollmann, which has laid a curse upon our podcast. after an unprecedented preview of an upcoming module, we discuss vollmann’s various writing styles he uses throughout the text (and what they do). joey shares some 1996 facts, including a quick look back at video games that blew our minds. we talk about vollmann acting as a journalist (but also intervening), the meaning of the only thing that vollmann ever footnotes throughout the text, and how the atlas is a book that makes you feel like you’ve never lived live… and maybe that’s okay. mosquitoes: aaaah! we explore the ambitious structure of the text (and how it doesn’t necessarily land without re-reading) and how vollmann parallels western constructs to the reality of the rest of the world.

reading list for season seventeen

vineland by thomas pynchonmao ii by don delilloall the pretty horses by cormac mccarthytrainspotting by irvine welshnotes of a crocodile by qiu miaojinsabbath’s theater by philip roththe atlas by william t. vollmanni love dick by chris krausthe poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolverfrom hell by alan moore

the 1990s keeps on truckin’ as we advance into 1995 for sabbath’s theater by philip roth. after talking about patricia lockwood’s new book (will there ever be another you), joey shares some 1995 facts, including some pride for our new jersey devils. then, we talk about how sabbath’s theater fully sticks the landing (with an all-time great final line, not to mention a great opening line), how the text is reminiscent of charlie kaufman, and why no one writes like philip roth anymore. shreds discusses the end goals of the misogyny in roth’s novels. we talk about the way roth writes about new jersey, the emotional weight of the pivot to mickey’s brother dying in world war ii, the distinct difference between horny books written by men and ones written by women, and how roth reflects masculinity in sabbath’s theater. shreds breaks down the common comparison between roth and woody allen. joey talks about the audiobook, narrated by john turturro. we read a couple of emails from the egg.

reading list for season seventeen

vineland by thomas pynchonmao ii by don delilloall the pretty horses by cormac mccarthytrainspotting by irvine welshnotes of a crocodile by qiu miaojinsabbath’s theater by philip roththe atlas by william t. vollmanni love dick by chris krausthe poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolverfrom hell by alan moore