Workers' Lit

Our 100th episode is coming up! If you’ve got any questions, comments, or wisecracks to share with the Shelfers, send them our way at “[email protected]” We want to hear from you!

Now for the episode:

So, these guys Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein wrote a book about a new liberalism...a liberalism that builds. Everybody in the Democratic party seems really impressed by it, so we had to see what it was all about.

"Abundance" does not hold up.

In this episode we explore the imaginative limits of progressive capitalism, the obnoxious writing style of liberals, and the article brain pandemic.

If you want to read a book that offers a vision of a real solution to the challenges we face, please check out "Socialist Reconstruction" here!

If you want to learn more about the socialist answer to climate change, check out "Climate Solutions Beyond Capitalism" here.

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is the book's cover plus a much-needed addition

Step one: you're going to want to buy this book. Fortunately you can buy it here!

The Shelfers welcome Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief on Current Affairs and co-author with Noam Chomsky of the book, "The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World".

We know the U.S. foreign policy is destructive, but just how destructive? What is the future of the U.S. empire? How does Donald Trump's brand of imperialism differ from the "respectable" foreign policy of the past? How have things changed since Chomsky wrote, "Manufacturing Consent"? What are the lessons of the Palestine movement, and how do we beat this monstrosity that is the U.S. empire? All this and more in this wide ranging conversation!

Once again, we encourage you to get the book and check out Current Affairs magazine!

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is the book cover.

In the grim darkness of the far future, Jacob has been banished to a desolate realm that knows naught but darkness and depravity, only inhabitable by the twisted creatures of the warp: Italy.

In his stead, join Lenore and our tireless, intrepid editor with creative control over the episode caption, Ryan, as they dive into the Black Library with Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath and universe of Warhammer 40,000.

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠)

Remember when bumbling Neville knocked over all the time turners? Wasn't that funny and quaint? That should have been the end of it, but all you bothersome Harry Potter fans who made the author unfathomably rich kept asking her about them. So guess what, Cedric's a fascist now. So there.

Join us as AJ from the Worst of All Possible Worlds (and of Puff fame, the much better wizard-themed play) helps us break down the Cursed Child, the bizarre stage play following the time-traveling adventures of the well-named son of Harry: Albus Severus Potter, and the only good character: Scorpius Malfoy.

If you haven't already, please check out the podcast about the pop culture of a dying empire, The Worst of All Possible Worlds co-hosted by AJ:

https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkar

Remember when bumbling Neville knocked over all the time turners? Wasn't that funny and quaint? That should have been the end of it, but all you bothersome Harry Potter fans who made the author unfathomably rich kept asking her about them. So guess what, Cedric's a fascist now. So there.

Join us as AJ from the Worst of All Possible Worlds (and of Puff fame, the much better wizard-themed play) helps us break down the Cursed Child, the bizarre stage play following the time-traveling adventures of the well-named son of Harry: Albus Severus Potter, and the only good character: Scorpius Malfoy.

If you haven't already, please check out the podcast about the pop culture of a dying empire, The Worst of All Possible Worlds co-hosted by AJ:

https://www.patreon.com/WorstOfAll

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart)

We take a break from our series on the wizarding world to talk about a book that definitely has no dementors in it: The City & The City by China Miéville.

We are honored to be joined by Breht O'Shea of the RevLeft Radio and Red Menace podcasts to discuss this work of political fiction about what would happen if you lived in a city where it would be a crime to mention the other city built directly next to it.

If you have not already, please check out Breht's fantastic library of work on all topics Marxist!

https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/

https://redmenace.libsyn.com/

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart)

It's Part 2 of our Harry Potter series. Are we having fun yet?

This week the Shelfers are joined by returning guest and brilliant web-comic creator, Max Graves, in discussing J.K. Rowling's 2003 fantasy novel, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" as well as the second half of the series, including its YA turn.

Rowling's finally getting POLITICAL! We have thoughts.

Read Max's comic, "What Happens Next," here!

Check out Max's Patreon here

Follow Max on Bluesky here

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us falling for Voldemort's trap

The Rowling miniseries begins.

The Shelfers and honorary Shelfer, Aysha U. Farah, hop on our broomsticks and zoom into the impossibly big world of Harry Potter, and whatever now-notorious bigot J.K. Rowling's whole deal is (Our working theory is that once you cross $100 million in net worth, no matter what you were like before, you lose your mind.)

In this episode, we talk Rowling's origins, the early days of the books, the conservative backlash to Harry Potter, and whether Harry and Draco are in fact gay (they are. We confirmed.)

Follow Aysha on Bluesky here

Wishlist The Sky Left Us now!

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us at Hogwarts of course.

Thar she blows!

This week, the shelfers unpack The Great American Novel: Herman Melville's 1851 epic, "Moby Dick."

Joining us is Isaac Boa, a writer, educator, and revolutionary organizer. Together, we're going to solve just what's going on with this whole whale situation.

You can find Isaac's writing here.

You can join the PSL Action Network Here.

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is our first fan art poster!! Shout out to Em for real.

Octavia Butler Round 3

The Shelfers finish the Parable Duology and the hazardous life of Lauren Oya Olamina in Octavia Butler's 1998 masterpiece, "Parable of the Talents."

This book is an absolutely brilliant analysis of fascism and the powerful organizing that can arise in the face of it. Octavia is the best to ever do it. What else can we say?

CW: There is some discussion of sexual violence committed by the fascist forces in this book.

Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is a campaign poster I made for Jarret, who is just the worst.