Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:

– Brian’s dumb books

– The World Chess Championship

– Former World Chess Champion Mikhail Tal

– W. Somerset Maugham’s memoir The Summing Up

– Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton

– The Hero’s Journey

– Good writer Reg McKnight

– Peter Schjeldahl’s article The Art of Dying

– Good writer Ryan Wilson

– Tom Disch’s story The Joycelin Shrager Story (paywalled here at the Paris Review)

– Cool '70s dudes Updike, Stone, Pynchon, and Vonnegut

– Martin Amis’ story Career Move

– Good writer Andrew Palmer

– The Pearl of Great Price

– O. Henry’s short story The Gift of the Magi

– Beowulf

– Robert Kolker’s article Who Is the Bad Art Friend?

– Porochista Khakpour

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Music by ETRNL

Art by Daniel Alexander Smith