Michael and Ethan begin their discussion of Beloved, by Toni Morrison, while drinking Jura 12yo single malt.

In this episode:

Immediately the ghosts/vampires thing again, we promise we’re not Vamps and Mers

Michael said “The ghosts have business to do” and Ethan didn’t even chortle—the boys are growing up

The seeds of vampires (but not like that)

Main characfter vs central character—a potentially not very interesting debate (which we have eventually anyway, sort of)

Ghost stories as modern incarnations of classical tragedy

Pulp stories as reckoning with the unexpurgated guilt of the culture that produces them

What Viking history has to do with vengeance, what vengeance has to do with justuce, and what any of this has to do with Beloved (hopefully)

Beloved as whirlpool vs Denver as Odysseus

Michael names with Michael

Why are Americans taught so little about history between the end of the Civil War and the start of WWI?

Next time Michael and Ethan will begin to discuss Beloved, by Toni Morrison! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page.

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Your Hosts: Michael G. Lilienthal (@mglilienthal) and

Ethan Bartlett (@bjartlett)

MUSIC & SFX:

"Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission.

"The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

"Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License.