Lit for Christmas

Merry Christmas, all you Lit for Christmas partiers!

Welcome to this bonus Christmas Day party!  For this special Lit for Christmas party, Marty shares his essay "Christmas Roses." 

BONUS POINTS:  Tell someone you love them today.

TODAY'S CHRISTMAS SPIRIT:

Peppermint Patty

Directions:

Lit for Christmas Party Host:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

Additional Episode Music:

"Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming" by The O'Neill Brothers

This episode's Christmas lit:

Achatz, Martin.  "Christmas Roses."  

Welcome to the Lit for Christmas Eve party!

In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, take on the grandfather of Christmas literature--Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time Beth yells "Shout out to my peeps!"  (WARNING:  You will become very drunk.)

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

Smoking Bishop

courtesy of punchdrink.com (https://punchdrink.com/recipes/smoking-bishop/)

Ingredients:

· 750 ml ruby port

· 750 ml red wine

· 1 cup water

· 1/2 cup brown sugar

· 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

· 1/4 teaspoon allspice

· 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

· 4 oranges

· 20 cloves, whole

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash and dry oranges. Pierce and stud each orange with five cloves.

3. Place oranges in a baking dish and roast until lightly browned all over, 60-90 minutes.

4. Add port, wine, water, sugar and spices to a saucepan, and simmer over low heat.

5. Slice oranges in half and squeeze juice into the wine and port mixture.

6. Serve in a punch bowl, and ladle into individual glasses.

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT NONALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVE:

Use ingredients and follow above directions, substituting 750 ml of sparkling grape juice for ruby port and 750 ml of sparkling cranberry juice for red wine.

Lit for Christmas Party Hosts:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education.  She has worked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier.  Currently, she works in a call center and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature with her loving husband.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

Other music in the episode:

"A Christmas Carol."  Bricusse, Leslie.  Scrooge (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).  Columbia Records, 1970.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

This month's Christmas lit:

Dickens, Charles.  A Christmas Carol.  Suzeteo Enterprises:  Greenwood, WI, 2019.

Welcome to our really lit Lit for Christmas November party!

In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, enjoy Thanksgiving Snoop Dogg-style while talking about Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

WARNING:  This episode contains some adult language and themes.

DISCLAIMER:  All cannabis and delta-9 products consumed on this podcast were legally purchased.

BONUS POINTS:  Say "This edible ain't sh*t!"

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT SPIRIT:

Strawberry Fields edible from True North Confections

Contains:

Nonalcoholic Alternative:

Marty has a Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Madeline has a BA in English Creative Writing and gin drinking.  Currently, she is pursuing a Library Science graduate degree and avoiding the Lizard Man of Bloomington.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading eco-lit, true crime, and Alice Hoffman books.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

This month's Christmas lit:

Chbosky, Stephen.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Welcome to a shot of Lit for Christmas for Christmas Podcast Day!

For this special episode, Marty shares some shots of Christmas poems he's written over the years!  Merry Christmas Podcast Day!

BONUS POINTS:  If you already have your Christmas tree up, take two extra shots of whatever's open in the liquor cabinet.

Lit for Christmas Party Hosts:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Music for this bonus episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

This episode's Christmas lit:

Achatz, Martin.  "Advent," "Silent Night," "The Frog Princess," "In the Bleak Midwinter," "Truce 1914," and "Hand of God."

Welcome back to this Lit for Christmas vacation party!

In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, scare up some frozen Brandy Alexanders to talk about Richard Matheson's novel Hell House and October snowstorms.  

BONUS POINTS:  Count how many times Beth mentions that she's a middle child!  (Hint:  It's a LOT.)

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

Brandy Alexander

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 oz. brandy or cognac

1 oz. dark creme de cacao

2 oz. of heavy cream (or 2 cups of vanilla ice cream for frozen Brandy Alexander)

Nutmeg

Directions:

1. Add brandy, cream de cacao, and cream into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

OR

1. Add brandy, creme de cacao, and ice cream into a blender and blend well.

2. Strain into a cocktail glass.

OR

2. Pour blended drink into cocktail glass.

3. Garnish top with ground nutmeg.

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT NONALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVE:

1 tsp. of brandy extract flavoring for brandy

1 tsp. of chocolate syrup

2 oz. of heavy cream (or 2 cups of vanilla ice cream for frozen Brandy Alexander)

1. Add brandy extract, chocolate syrup, and cream into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

OR

1. Add brandy extract, chocolate syrup, and ice cream into a blender and blend well.

2. Strain into a cocktail glass.

OR

2. Pour blended drink into cocktail glass.

3. Garnish top with ground nutmeg.

Lit for Christmas Party Hosts:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education.  She has worked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier.  Currently, she works in a call center and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature with her loving husband.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

Other music in the episode:

"Ghostbusters."  Parker, Ray Jr.  Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).  Arista Records LLC, 6 August 1984.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

This month's Christmas lit:

Matheson, Richard.  Hell House.  Tom Doherty Associates, LLC:  New York, NY.  1971.

Welcome to our Christmas in September party!

In this episode, Marty and his friend, Madeline, are haunted by Liquefied Ghosts and Louise Erdrich's The Sentence.

BONUS POINTS:  Count how many times Madeline talks about the Lizard Man in the sewers of Bloomington.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT SPIRIT:

Liquified Ghost

Ingredients:

Directions:

Nonalcoholic Alternative:

Marty has a Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Madeline has a BA in English Creative Writing and gin drinking.  Currently, she is pursuing a Library Science graduate degree and avoiding the Lizard Man of Bloomington.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading eco-lit, true crime, and Alice Hoffman books.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

Other music in the episode:

"I Put a Spell on You."  Simone, Nina.  Phillips Records, 1965.

This month's Christmas lit:

Erdrich, Louise.  The Sentence.  Harper Collins, 2021.

Welcome back to this Lit for Christmas vacation party!

In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, return to the land of scotch, talking about O. Henry's classic Christmas short story "The Gift of the Magi" and a chest freezer full of dead cats.

BONUS POINTS:  Help Beth title the poem she wrote for this episode!

This episode is dedicated to LFC's number one fan--Helen Haskell-Remien (January 15, 1956 - August 21, 2022).  "I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, / as though I had wings." -- Mary Oliver

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

Oh Henry!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Scotch whiskey 

3/4 oz. Benedictine

4 oz. Ginger Ale

Directions:

Mix ingredients.  Pour over ice.  Add twist of lemon is you like.

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT NONALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVE:

1 1/2 oz. nonalcoholic Bourbon 

3/4 oz. Simple Syrup

4 oz. Ginger Ale

Mix ingredients.  Pour over ice.  Add twist of lemon is you like.

Lit for Christmas Party Hosts:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education.  She has worked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier.  Currently, she is the front desk clerk at a hotel and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature with her loving husband.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

Other music in the episode:

"Gift of the Magi."  Mitchell, Joni.  Joni Mitchell Archives--Vol. 1:  The Early Years (1963-1967).  Rhino Records, 30 October 2020.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

This month's Christmas lit:

Henry, O.  "The Gift of the Magi."  New York Sunday World, 1905.

Welcome to our Christmas in July party!

In this episode, Marty is joined by his friend, Madeline, as they both get hammered on sherry and hammer on Alex Haley's A Different Kind of Christmas.

BONUS POINTS:  Place bets as to when Marty will throw up during the episode.

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT SPIRIT:

NONALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVE:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Madeline has a BA in English Creative Writing and gin drinking.  Currently, she works the Reference Desk at a library, but she will soon become a graduate student studying for her Masters of Library Science.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading eco-lit, true crime, and Alice Hoffman books.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

Other music in the episode:

"I've Been Working on the Railroad."  K. H. Lee.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1QfUz9dEn8)

This month's Christmas lit:

Haley, Alex.  A Different Kind of Christmas.  Doubleday, 1988.

Welcome back to this Lit for Christmas vacation party!

In this episode, Marty and his wife, Beth, drink way too much spiked eggnog, reflect on whale sperm, and talk about writer/producer/director John Hughes' short story "Christmas '59," which was adapted for the silver screen into National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

BONUS POINTS:  Count how many times Marty says "whale penis."

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

SPIKED EGGNOG

Ingredients:

4 shots Butterscotch Schnapps/Peachtree Schnapps/Bailey's Irish Cream/Rum/Whiskey of Choice

4 oz. eggnog

6 oz. heavy cream (or half-and-half, or milk)

Directions:

Mix eggnog and heavy cream.  Pour over ice, if you like.  Add liquor of choice and stir.

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT NONALCOHOLIC ALTERNATIVE:

Lit for Christmas Party Hosts:

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education.  She has worked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier.  Currently, she is the front desk clerk at a hotel and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature with her loving husband.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

Other music in the episode:

"Christmas Vacation."  Staples, Mavis.  Warner Bros. Records, September 1989.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

This month's Christmas lit:

Hughes, John.  "Christmas '59."  National Lampoon, 1980.

Welcome to this Mental Health Awareness Month Lit of Christmas party.

In this episode, Marty is joined again by his friend, Madeline, as they get blitzed on scotch and sodas, talk about J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, and all that David Copperfield crap.

BONUS POINTS:  Count how many times Marty says he's sweating.

Marty would like to dedicate this episode to his good friend, Lon Emerick, who was NOT a phony.  Godspeed, my friend!

RECIPE FOR SCOTCH AND SODA:

Ingredients:

RECIPE FOR VIRGIN SCOTCH AND SODA AND TONIC:

Follow recipe above, but substitute non-alcoholic whiskey such as Spiritless's Kentucky 74 for scotch.

Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published the poetry collection The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com) or listen to his other podcast Confessions of Saint Marty, also on Anchor.fm.  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting.

Madeline has a BA in English Creative Writing and gin drinking.  Currently, she works the Reference Desk at a library, but she will soon become a graduate student studying for her Masters of Library Science.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading eco-lit, true crime, and Alice Hoffman books.

Music for this episode:

"Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay.

"A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay.

A Christmas Carol sound clips from:

The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore.

Other music in the episode:

"Comin' Thro the Rye."  Siobahn Miller.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLrIG51x3Jg)

This month's Christmas lit:

Salinger, J. D.  The Catcher in the Rye.  Little, Brown, 1951.