Episode 17 features the return of special guest co-host, musician and Rebecca's husband, Shawn P. Russell. In this episode we consider Welcome to the Monkey House, a collection of short stories by Kurt Vonnegut. We discuss the idea of bucking social conventions and cultural expectations in "Deer in the Works" and the Pixar film Ratatouille. We also talk about how some people find it easier to connect with others when doing so through the perspective of a fictional character, as is shown in Harry Nash from "Who Am I This Time?" and Abed Nadir from Community.
We use the 2006 paperback edition of Welcome to the Monkey House published by Dial Press.
We also reference a 2012 study published in Science Daily entitled "'Losing yourself' in a Fictional Character Can Affect Your Real Life" https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507131948.htm
and a 2019 article in Aeon entitled "Acting Changes the Brain: It's How Actors Get Lost in a Role." https://aeon.co/ideas/acting-changes-the-brain-its-how-actors-get-lost-in-a-role
Rebecca also referenced the Nerds and Beyond event, "Festival and Beyond." The link will send you to the start of the panel she discussed in the Final Thoughts segment of this week's episode: https://youtu.be/VnZ9SWW_1U4?t=5974
You can follow Shawn on Soundcloud at Shawn P. Russell or visit his website shawnprussell.com
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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