The SSR Podcast

A century and a half after its publication, it’s time to give Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women the SSR treatment! With the help of comedy writer and satirist Caitlin Kunkel, Alli relives the adventures of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, as well as their parents and suitors. Together, they reflect on the 1994 movie, fangirl about Gerta Gerwig’s forthcoming adaptation, discuss the big questions — Do we all want to be Jo? Why must Louisa May Alcott kill Beth? Is Little Women a feminist novel? — and discover whether or not it’s possible to effectively ruin a classic.

Follow Caitlin on Instagram @kunkeltron and Twitter @kunkeltron and check out The Belladonna, too!

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On Episode 39, we discuss Laurie Halse Anderson’s groundbreaking 1999 novel Speak, which explores the troubling issues of sexual and assault and trauma through the story of 14-year-old Melinda. Alli and guest Morgan Hoit — better known as nycbookgirl — talk about the value of the diary-style/epistolary novel, chat about their experiences with high school gossip culture, and break down in great detail Speak’s role as an entry point to an understanding of rape and sexual assault for so many young readers.

Follow Morgan’s adventures in all things books and New York City on Instagram @nycbookgirl and on her blog, NYC Book Girl!

**TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes discussion of rape, trauma, sexual assault, self-harm, and depression.

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Allow us to (re)introduce you to Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden. You probably know them better as The Boxcar Children and the protagonists of the now 150+ titles in the beloved series of the same name. Having been orphaned, the children are left to fend for themselves, and they rebuild their lives in an abandoned boxcar. In Episode 37, writer and educator Abby Wolfe joins Alli to chat about the first book in the series (The Boxcar Children #1). Tune in to listen to them talk about important lessons of resourcefulness and perspective, discuss the heteronormative stereotypes that are so often imposed on young children, and speculate on just how many pine needles it would take to turn a boxcar into a cozy home.

Follow Abby on Twitter @shmabbywolfe and Instagram @shmab, and stay tuned for her forthcoming podcast!

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If there’s one book that’s been requested for the podcast time and time again by women of all ages, it’s Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. This 1970 novel has served as a kind of guidebook for girls preparing to navigate middle school, puberty, and all of the confusing things that come with them for the last four decades.

Joining Alli to talk all things religion and being a lady on Episode 36 is Emma Gray. Emma is a senior reporter focused on women’s issues at HuffPost and the author of A Girl’s Guide to Joining the Resistance: A Feminist Handbook on Fighting for Good. She is also the co-host of the Bachelor-themed podcast “Here to Make Friends,” which was named a “must-listen” by The Daily Dot. Follow Emma on Twitter @emmaladyrose and Instagram @emmaladyrose.

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Before I Know What You Did Last Summer was a blockbuster hit movie, it was a 1973 young adult thriller by Lois Duncan, and with the help of Literary Roadhouse’s Anais Concepcion, we’re chatting about it on Episode 35. Of course, we break down the plot, but we also talk about hotness in YA, discuss the roots of the #MeToo movement in chauvinistic literary characters, and LOL at various relics of the ‘70s.

Follow Literary Roadhouse on Instagram @literaryroadhouse and Twitter @litroadhouse and follow Anais on Twitter @anaisconce.

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Happy Valentine’s week, listeners! In honor of all things love, we’ve picked something a little dreamy and romantic for Episode 35 — Natalie Babitt’s 1975 novel, Tuck Everlasting. Tune in to hear us talk symbolism, Alexis Bledel, the creepy child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the trouble with first impressions. We also dive into the pros and cons of immortal life and debate the nature of the relationship between shy, ten-year-old Winnie and teenage heartthrob Jesse Tuck.

Chelsey is an English teacher, bookworm, and podcaster. Tune in to her podcast He Read She Read! Follow her on Instagram @hereadsheread for podcast updates and @chelseyreads for book reviews.

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Having never read Anne of Green Gables before, Alli finally meets the strong-willed, imaginative Anne Shirley for Episode 33. With the help of freelance writer Julie Vadnal, Alli discusses Anne as a role model, debates the decision our heroine must ultimately make between work and family, and considers the possibility that she might actually be a little annoying.

Julie’s work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, Glamour, and Real Simple. Follow her on Twitter @JulieVAD and Instagram @julievadnal. Sign up to receive her JULES newsletter at JulieVadnal.com.

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In Episode 32, Alli resists the urge to fangirl as she welcomes one of her favorite podcasters to wrap up Manuary and discuss Louis Sachar’s Holes. A commercial and critical success, the novel has maintained its popularity for more than two decades thanks to its humor and sense of adventure — but from where we sit in 2019, we realize that there are bigger themes at play, as well, including race, class, and the prison industrial complex. Tune in to hear us talk all things Stanley Yelnats, along with broader conversations about how we process culture as adults versus how we process it as kids, the pressure we put on creators to have strong opinions, and why Holes has been so beloved for so long.

Kevin T. Porter is a writer and comedian and the host of the Gilmore Guys (currently focusing on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Good Christian Fun podcasts. Follow him on Twitter @kevintporter.

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Much like a large piece of fruit, Manuary rolls on with Episode 31, in which we discuss Roald Dahl’s 1961 classic James and the Giant Peach. With the help of guest Chris Rosen, Alli wonders about just how violent and scary is too violent and scary for kids, considers how we should talk to young readers about grief and loneliness, and speculates on how creative (and maybe bizarre) Dahl must have been to create worlds like this one. There’s also extensive conversation about giant bugs, of course.

Chris Rosen is the editor-in-chief at TV Guide. Follow him on Twitter @chrisjrosen.

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