Wrapping up our series on Dorothy Parker, we review the 1994 movie "Dorothy Parker and the Vicious Circle." Despite the star-studded cast list, it's a real stinker, but that didn't stop us from talking about it for over an hour. 

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Intro & Outro music:

"grapes_-_I_dunno" by spinning merkaba/ccMixter

Licensed under Creative Commons: Free for commercial use with attribution

Cover art by Jake and Sydney Herrick

It's Part 3!! Dorothy Parker becomes an Oscar-nomintated screenwriter, a political activist, and an indigent dog lady.

This week we're discussing the Algonquin Round Table and the tragic love life of Dorothy Parker. Is she just that annoying Facebook friend who posts status updates like, "Sigh..." or "Rough day..." in a pathetic bid for attention, or was she a lonely, desperate woman who deserved better treatment by both her friends and the critics? Listen and decide for yourself!

We wrap up our discussion of Ernest Hemingway in Part 3, covering his final years and exploring the family legacy of both genius and tragedy.

Part 2 of our discussion of Ernest Hemingway's life, focusing on his time in Key West, WWII, and a few new wives. 

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This week we take on the legacy of Ernest "Papa" Hemingway: the man, the myth, the misogynist. Of maybe just the misunderstood??

There is no doubt that Hemingway's place as one of America's greatest writers is secure, but we wanted to know more about his macho mythology and legacy of mental illness and suicide. How did his experiences feed his genius and how did they lead to his tragic end? Papa, can you hear me? I sort of hope not. We weren't always that nice!

Mid-life crisis? Can't cope with being a parent or a partner? Pissed that your parents sucked? Like a Super Bowl MVP, just shout, "I'm going to Disneyland!" A.M. Homes's short story "The Last Good Time" is the focus of this week's pod and we will examine the idea that Disneyland, the sappiest place on earth, is the best place to find your true self. Take the journey along with us, not to Disneyland, but to a better understanding of this little gem of a story.

This week Jean returns to chat with Herrick about motherhood and dictatorships as inspired by the wacky story with the succinct title "Template for a Proclamation to Save the Species" by Ramona Ausubel. When a small Minnesota is given the day off to make babies, how will the citizens respond?! Dim the lights, play some slow jazz, and engage in your democracy!

https://electricliterature.com/the-mayor-who-gave-his-town-a-holiday-for-sex-e60a86684f41

If you don’t know this by now, let us remind you: Keep It Lit is the champagne of podcasts. On the *first* episode of 2019, Herrick and Cooley dive deep into “Backpack” by Tony Earley and let’s just say there’s more in there than a sack lunch and some Fritos, baby! It’s a story that tackles mental health, human connections, class structures, and cultural appropriation. The text is rich and our conversation is crude. So crack open a Miller High Life and pour one out for your alter ego.

Looking for an uplifting tale for the holidays? This isn't it! This week Herrick and Cooley discuss Brenda Peynado's "The Drownings," a story of adolescents' lust for danger and each other. A brilliant exploration of what it means to be young, this story is both disturbing and beautiful. So read it first, and then join the discussion (in your head or by shouting at us from your couch or car).