Caleb Can't Read

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TW: Rape, Suicide;

Sex!  Drugs!  Drugs!  Rock n' Roll!  Drugs!  Well, maybe not so much the sex and Rock n' Roll but at least we got drugs!  Philip K. Dick is certainly one of those authors that you know from the hundreds of adaptations you've seen on TV, whether you're aware of it or not, including "The Man in the High Castle", "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", and "Ubik"!  And perhaps that's been his long con all along... to cement himself within our psyche...  

What was that?  Are you listening to me breathe?!  They're putting cops in my dreams!  

Join us as we go over the early work and waning mental state of sci-fi god, Philip K. Dick!

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You know how to piss off a fanbase?  Tell them the truth.  Join us as we go into the rest of Jane Austen's life, as she produces satire after satire that seems to go over 50% of the population's head.  If she lived longer than she did, there's a good chance she would've finally told the world herself, but unfortunately, we're left with a lot of speculation as to her motives, her politics, and her humor-- all of which is easy to understand if you stop trying to fill in the blanks for yourself.  Either way, pull up a picture of Mr. Darcy's wet shirt, and enjoy!

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Miss us?  Don't answer that it'll make me sad.  Well we took an impromptu mid-season break by mistake but we're back!  Come join us as we go over the early life and works of a very misunderstood lady, someone who's known today for the kind of work that she was actually making fun of in the first place, Jane Austen!

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TW: Pedophilia;

Jesus Christ this guy.  For some of you, this will for sure be a sad goodbye, as we delve into the remaining years of William S. Burroughs and his works, including his magnum opus, "Naked Lunch".  For those of us with a disgust for beatniks, it couldn't come soon enough.

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TW: Child Abuse, Pedophilia;

Now have we dealt with some real pieces of shit here on Caleb Can't Read?  Boy have we.  Conmen, torturers, literal Nazis...  But William S. Burroughs is a special kind of bastard.  Come join us as delve into perhaps the most infamous writer of the Beat Generation and the making of his first novel, "Junkie", as well as what cost him his freedom in two countries and a couple dead friends.

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If there were ever a superhero that could drown a man in piss and make you question why you ever called on them in the first place, Francois Rabelais would be the PeePee PooPoo Man.  (The 'P' symbol on his chest stands for 'hoPe'.)  Since Chaucer's invention of words used on Caleb Can't Read today, there was a man in the 1500's that put such a vocabulary to beautiful use... and continued to use it until he literally became a target of the Catholic Church.  That's right, the author of "Gargantua and Pantagruel" threw so many fart jokes at the page that God Himself wanted him dead.  Celebrating our 2nd anniversary, this is Francois Rabelais!

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For a man such as Roald Dahl, author of "The BFG", "Matilda", and "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", what can you say about him?  That he was problematic?  A bit creepy with his erotica and kind of shitty to his kids?  That he said some problematic things and was a hypocrite when it came to the messages he wrote for children but didn't do himself?


Yes.

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TW: Child Abuse, Dead Kids;

To those of you familiar with Roald Dahl's life, you may remember his beginnings as a severely abused child, an ace fighter pilot, and a sexual secret agent.  To those of you who are unfamiliar with Roald Dahl... well... we have some surprises for you.  Join us today as we delve into the early life of the man behind "James and the Giant Peach" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", two of his early classics that we'll delve into this episode, as well as his earlier career as a successful mystery writer!

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TW: Dead Kids;

Welcome, you bunch of animals!  Come delve into the heyday of Rudyard Kipling, from his surprisingly non-racist classic "The Jungle Book", to his questionable masterpiece "Kim", and alllll the way through his problematic hit "The White Man's Burden".  For a man who loved to literally invent new slurs, will he be able to redeem himself?  Come listen to find out!

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Ah, Kipling.  A brilliant poet.  A wonderful storyteller.  A hell of a racist.  Join us as we discuss the early life of English literature's most troubling slur creator!