Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch

SORRY FOR OUR ABSENCE, LEO TOLSTOY ALMOST KILLED US. ALMOST.

Today, FINALLY, Michael and Ethan have finished reading and begin discussing this year’s extra-mondo mondo book, Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

In this episode:

Controversial Audrey Hepburn hot-takes

Butt comparisons

Translation comparisons, everyone try to contain your excitement

We would like to formally apologize for all the French pronounced in this podcast

Both in this episode and all other episodes, really

Tolstoy does a lot of weird stuff

Why is Napoleon the Antichrist?

Numerology

Pierre is pretty harmless, except for the two murders

Next time Michael and Ethan will continue reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

In this special episode, Michael and Ethan work their way in to Russian literature by discussing The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov. It was supposed to be a one-episode special, but there was too much! Chekhov was too good! So stay tuned for part 2.

CONTENT WARNING: The Seagull deals explicitly with the topic of suicide. If that’s not something you want to hear discussed, it might be best to skip these episodes.

In this episode:

Setting the stage, har har

Nothing happens, and everything happens

Rabelais references that we are very proud of

On the nose commentary, also off the nose

A lot of yelling at the void, like it’s the void’s fault

The folly of youth

Like all plays, this play is Hamlet

The play within a play, and the MST3K within that

Next time Michael and Ethan will finish discussing The Seagull. After that they’ll finally begin their giant mondo book for the year: Tolstoy’s War and Peace! Join the discussiTaon! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

In this special episode, Michael and Ethan work their way in to Russian literature by discussing The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov. It was supposed to be a one-episode special, but there was too much! Chekhov was too good! So stay tuned for part 2.

CONTENT WARNING: The Seagull deals explicitly with the topic of suicide. If that’s not something you want to hear discussed, it might be best to skip these episodes.

In this episode:

Setting the stage, har har

Nothing happens, and everything happens

Rabelais references that we are very proud of

On the nose commentary, also off the nose

A lot of yelling at the void, like it’s the void’s fault

The folly of youth

Like all plays, this play is Hamlet

The play within a play, and the MST3K within that

Next time Michael and Ethan will finish discussing The Seagull. After that they’ll finally begin their giant mondo book for the year: Tolstoy’s War and Peace! Join the discussiTaon! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

In this special episode, Michael and Ethan check in about what books they’ve read for reasons other than the podcast, like work and fun!

In this episode:

Being very wrong and owning it

It’s Crazy to Stay Chinese in Minnesota, by Eleanor Wong Telemaque

What blogs are

Lavie Tidhar is actually a collective cult

Tim Powers is master of the Strange Middle

Kaye Gibbons is the ruler of the first line, and (it bears reiterating) Ellen Foster could beat up Huckleberry Finn

Next time Michael and Ethan will begin their giant mondo book for the year: Tolstoy’s War and Peace! Join the discussiTaon! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

Michael and Ethan conclude their discussion of Where the Light Fell, by Philip Yancey, while drinking Shieldaig 12.

In this episode:

Letting problematic be neutral

Do we contradict ourselves?

Mountains out of molehills, one way or another

Fractals again (and again and…)

Throwing spaghetti at Michael

Thankfully no one cries

Next time Michael and Ethan will begin their giant mondo book for the year: Tolstoy’s War and Peace! Join the discussiTaon! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

Michael and Ethan begin their discussion of Where the Light Fell, by Philip Yancey, while drinking Shieldaig 12.

In this episode:

Family drama and family trauma

Leaning into the darkness

A very boring debate we could have

A long edition of a non-segment

We Are Too Many, by Hannah Pittard

People don’t die when they’re supposed to

Where the light fell but with a question mark

Ethan’s dad says “where the light fell” is a reference to a quote from Augustine. We also can’t find that, but Ethan’s dad is usually right about these sorts of things.

Next time Michael and Ethan will conclude their discussion of Where the Light Fell, by Philip Yancey. Join the discussiTaon! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

In this episode, Michael and Ethan are joined by two very special guests: Risha Lilienthal, host of Tapestry’s newest addition, Shakespeare in the Village, and Lydia Grabau, friend of the show and Shakespeare afficianado!

In this episode:

Cut Medieval Brian

This play slaps

Abandonment issues vs. intelligence issues

A short digression

Don John: interestingly uninteresting

Beatrice slaps

Hero is a rock, perhaps THE Rock?

As You Like It, or, Everyone Messes Around in the Woods for Four Acts and then the Climax Happens Off-Stage

This play still slaps

Sorry about all the Joss Whedon talk, Ethan does actually dislike him

The most Midwestern ending

Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss Where the Light Fell, by Philip Yancey. 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

Michael and Ethan continue their discussion of Nobody’s Angel, by Thomas McGuane, while drinking Shieldaig 12.

In this episode:

Michael says “gentle” multiple times

Tattoo reveal!

Ethan says “Madonna-virgin” complex when he obviously means “Madonna-whore” complex

Prose! Including some exciting phrases like “3rd person limited” and “omniscient narrator” and “close reading”

Inferences from Kevin’s Dad

“MFA-bait”

Requiem for Tio

Aspersions cast on Kevin’s Dad

Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss Where the Light Fell, by Philip Yancey. Join the discussiTaon! 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

Michael and Ethan begin their discussion of Nobody’s Angel, by Thomas McGuane, while drinking Shieldaig 12.

In this episode:

Introducing our new mascot, Bobblehead Polonius

Huck Finn manages to come up, of course

We define what a classic is, it’s easy!

Michael and Ethan refuse to answer each other’s questions

What we know about Patrick’s father,

or, the inevitable The Empire Strikes Back comparison

Catholicness vs. Catholicism

Some exciting teasers for next time!

Next time Michael and Ethan will continue to discuss Nobody’s Angel, by Thomas Mcguane. 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.

In this special, Michael and Ethan do a very serious job (without jokes or sarcasm) of analyzing Lord of the Flies, a commonly assigned AP English/college intro-level text, so that if you are assigned it, but don’t want to read it, you can just go ahead and use our very good analyses!

In this episode:

Some pretty good discussion of The Count of Monte Cristo, you’re welcome

New whiskey toys

Turns out, you can assign different names to different things

The surprising literary inspiration for various Disney and Pixar projects

Science involves words

We won’t stand OR sit for laziness, just to be clear

From Freud to Jung via borderline insults

Playground bully tactics of the ancient world

The obvious Atlantis connection

The two great teachers of our time: Ethan and Walt Disney Corp.

Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss Nobody’s Angel, by Thomas Mcguane. 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.

Donate to our Patreon!

BUY A NIHILIST BLANKET!

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.