The episode starts with a quick Miyazaki Minute on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1:35), before a spoiler-free introduction to Amal El-Mohtar’s 2025 novella The River Has Roots. The spoilers start at 11:37 as Spencer and Jonathan break down the story’s characters, lyrical prose, and conception of magic.

Our topic next month is Spanish Love Songs’ 2020 album Brave Faces Everyone. 

Send us a message at [email protected], or connect on Bluesky with Jonathan and Spencer.