Why Do We Read This?

Why Do We Read This?

By Why Do We Read This?Society & Culture
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Why Do We Read This? episodes

  • 25. Tamil Lyrics, Taylor Swift, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    A warm welcome back to Kimberly Fludd! Join us as we discuss 3rd-century South Indian Poetry and how it is still relevant today. We draw parallels between the themes of love in both Akam Poetry and Taylor Swift song lyrics. And we consider how the Buffy/Angel relationship from the early seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a lot in common with the lovers in these poems.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume B, 4th edition.
    Other references include:
    Adam Bradley, "The Poetry of Pop"
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    For podcast merch check out: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/55982933
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 3 min
  • 25. Tamil Lyrics, Taylor Swift, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    A warm welcome back to Kimberly Fludd! Join us as we discuss 3rd-century South Indian Poetry and how it is still relevant today. We draw parallels between the themes of love in both Akam Poetry and Taylor Swift song lyrics. And we consider how the Buffy/Angel relationship from the early seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a lot in common with the lovers in these poems.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume B, 4th edition.
    Other references include:
    Adam Bradley, "The Poetry of Pop"
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    For podcast merch check out: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/55982933
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 3 min
  • 24. Letters from the Americas, Starship Troopers, and Unfamiliar Fishes
    This week's guest is my friend Gretchen Pineo, an architectural historian and fan of all things geeky. In this episode, we discuss some of the European imperialists' letters from the Americas back to their respective Kings. We consider how Science Fiction employs similar lessons on imperialism and colonialism in general, but specifically in the film Starship Troopers. And we draw parallels between the these letters with letters written by New England missionaries to Hawaii in the early nineteenth century, focusing on some of the motivations behind their letters and the reactions of the Hawaiian people who they were trying to convert.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume C, 4th edition.
    Other references include:
    John Rieder - Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction
    Noah Berlatsky - Why Sci-Fi Keeps Imagining the Subjugation of White People
    Sarah Vowell - The Wordy Shipmates
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    For podcast merch check out: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/55982933
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 6 min
  • 24. Letters from the Americas, Starship Troopers, and Unfamiliar Fishes
    This week's guest is my friend Gretchen Pineo, an architectural historian and fan of all things geeky. In this episode, we discuss some of the European imperialists' letters from the Americas back to their respective Kings. We consider how Science Fiction employs similar lessons on imperialism and colonialism in general, but specifically in the film Starship Troopers. And we draw parallels between the these letters with letters written by New England missionaries to Hawaii in the early nineteenth century, focusing on some of the motivations behind their letters and the reactions of the Hawaiian people who they were trying to convert.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume C, 4th edition.
    Other references include:
    John Rieder - Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction
    Noah Berlatsky - Why Sci-Fi Keeps Imagining the Subjugation of White People
    Sarah Vowell - The Wordy Shipmates
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    For podcast merch check out: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/55982933
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 6 min
  • 23. Daydreams of a Drunk Woman, Lovecraft Country, and Supernatural
    This week my guest is Maudro Alexis, friend and fellow Gish team member. We discuss Clarice Lispector's short story "Daydreams of a Drunk Woman." We draw parallels around the cost of a different lifestyle between the protagonist, Maria and Ruby Baptiste from HBO's Lovecraft Country. We also consider the similarities between Maria's struggle to adapt to her new life and Supernatural's Mary Winchester and her struggle to adapt to coming back from the dead.
    Introduction: 0:00
    Background: 4:38
    Lovecraft Country: 9:25
    Supernatural: 34:35
    Final Thoughts: 58:45
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume F, 4th edition.
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 2 min
  • 23. Daydreams of a Drunk Woman, Lovecraft Country, and Supernatural
    This week my guest is Maudro Alexis, friend and fellow Gish team member. We discuss Clarice Lispector's short story "Daydreams of a Drunk Woman." We draw parallels around the cost of a different lifestyle between the protagonist, Maria and Ruby Baptiste from HBO's Lovecraft Country. We also consider the similarities between Maria's struggle to adapt to her new life and Supernatural's Mary Winchester and her struggle to adapt to coming back from the dead.
    Introduction: 0:00
    Background: 4:38
    Lovecraft Country: 9:25
    Supernatural: 34:35
    Final Thoughts: 58:45
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume F, 4th edition.
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 2 min
  • 22. Zaabalawi, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and the X-Files
    This week I am joined by another wonderful guest, Amina El-Annan, fellow English professor at Baruch College. We discuss a short story by Naguib Mahfouz entitled "Zaabalawi." We draw parallels between the narrators failed search for Zaabalawi and King Arthur's failed search for the Holy Grail in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We also consider the journeys of both the skeptic and the believer as they are presented in the short story and the television show The X-Files.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume F, 4th edition.
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 11 min
  • 22. Zaabalawi, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and the X-Files
    This week I am joined by another wonderful guest, Amina El-Annan, fellow English professor at Baruch College. We discuss a short story by Naguib Mahfouz entitled "Zaabalawi." We draw parallels between the narrators failed search for Zaabalawi and King Arthur's failed search for the Holy Grail in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We also consider the journeys of both the skeptic and the believer as they are presented in the short story and the television show The X-Files.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume F, 4th edition.
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 11 min
  • 21. Girl, Rules for Being a Girl, and Never Have I Ever
    Welcome Back! We're excited to get started again along with the new semester. In this episode, I am joined by guest co-host Chris Trogan. We discuss Jamaica Kincaid's first published short story "Girl." We talk about rules, both spoken and unspoken, that exist for girls and women by drawing parallels to Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno's YA novel Rules for Being a Girl. We also consider the complicated nature of mother/daughter relationships in both the short story and the Netflix series Never Have I Ever.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume F, 4th edition.
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 5 min
  • 21. Girl, Rules for Being a Girl, and Never Have I Ever
    Welcome Back! We're excited to get started again along with the new semester. In this episode, I am joined by guest co-host Chris Trogan. We discuss Jamaica Kincaid's first published short story "Girl." We talk about rules, both spoken and unspoken, that exist for girls and women by drawing parallels to Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno's YA novel Rules for Being a Girl. We also consider the complicated nature of mother/daughter relationships in both the short story and the Netflix series Never Have I Ever.
    We utilized the Norton Anthology World Literature, Volume F, 4th edition.
    Follow the podcast!
    Twitter: @whydowereadthis
    Instagram: @wdwrt_podcast
    Music: Fugue in C# Major, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1": J.S. Bach
    Music Synthesizer and Programming: Shawn P. Russell
    Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell
    Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois
    1 hr 5 min

About Why Do We Read This?

From the publisher's feed

A World Literature Podcast that connects so-called great works of literature with pop culture and current events.