Podcasts

Miss Temptation | Kurt Vonnegut | Literary Roadhouse Ep 77

Discussion Notes: Miss Temptation

Find this week’s story here: Miss Temptation by Kurt Vonnegut.

Next week’s story: Strays by Mark Richard.

Rated: Clean

This week Maya, Gerald, Anais, and Rammy discuss a Vonnegut short story called Miss Temptation. Anais got a kick out of the story’s feminist theme and the female protagonist’s reclaiming of her reputation. However, Gerald found the feminist message to be heavy handed. This led Maya to wonder if the feminist themes from a story written in the 50s seems redundant in present day. Yet despite the fact the story is old, our hosts discuss how the same sexism in this story repeats itself today. As for Rammy, he enjoyed the larger than life characters and the supporting cast. When it came to language, Gerald and Anais loved the way Vonnegut built suspense.

How does this story compare to Vonnegut’s other work? Listen for a comparison.

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

Bad Latch | Curtis Sittenfeld | Literary Roadhouse Ep 76

Discussion Notes: Bad Latch

Find this week’s story here: Bad Latch by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Next week’s story: Miss Temptation by Kurt Vonnegut.

Rated: Explicit for adult themes and language

This week Maya, Gerald, Anais, and Rammy discuss a story about new mothers and the pressures put on American moms to be perfect. Rammy like the story the most, and thought the story was educational and well told. Meanwhile, Maya wished that the story had gone deeper in exploring competition between women. As for Anais, she liked the story over all, but felt uneasy by the way the story made straw-men out of some characters. As for Gerald, well, he wasn’t sure if this qualified as a story. The conversation veers from motherhood to adultery and back again.

Did you know we have live listeners? On this episode, we read some of their comments and reveal their Bradberries ratings.

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

The Looking Glass | Anton Chekhov | Literary Roadhouse Ep 75

Discussion Notes: The Looking Glass

Find this week’s story here: The Looking Glass by Anton Chekhov.

Next week’s story: Bad Latch by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Rated: Clean

This week Maya, Gerald, Anais, and Rammy discuss a Chekhov short story. Surprisingly, none of the hosts liked the story. For Anais, the theme of life being riddled with hardships was bland. In her opinion, the story failed to deliver on a lessons ripe for storytelling. Maya agreed, and speculated that the theme had perhaps not aged well. Meanwhile, Gerald felt the story didn’t explore the character’s emotional state deeply enough. As for Rammy, the narration was melodramatic. Perhaps that was appropriate, as in the end, it was all a dream.

Stay tuned to the end to listen to some boozey bonus content. Maya discusses breakfast drinks. Which ingredient horrifies Gerald? Listen and find out.

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

Silver Blaze | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Literary Roadhouse Ep 74

Discussion Notes: Silver Blaze

Find this week’s story here: Silver Blaze by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Next week’s story: The Looking Glass by Anton Chekhov.

Rated: Clean

Maya couldn’t join us this week, but Gerald is finally back from his vacation!

This week Gerald, Anais, and Rammy discuss a Sherlock Holmes classic mystery. While all three hosts enjoyed the story, they found it difficult to analyze the story for depth beyond the mystery. Anais realized that the story represented a game that people have always enjoyed: riddles. Meanwhile Rammy dug into the story’s prose and questioned the grammar of English phrases. As for Gerald, the story served as a palette cleanser from the heavier themes of literary dramas.

Did any of the hosts solve the mystery before the big reveal at the end? Listen and find out!

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison |Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 8

Discussion Notes: God Help the Child

Next month’s novel: The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

Rated: Adult Themes

Lovelyn Bettison discusses God Help the Child.

Lovelyn Bettison

This month we’re joined by Lovelyn Bettison, author of Perfect Family and The Box. She is an avid reader of magical realism and a fan of Toni Morrison, who influences her work. You can buy her books on her website: lovelynbettison.com. Listeners of our weekly show may remember Lovelyn from our discussion of Zadie Smith’s “Escape from New York.”

Join Anais, Maya, and Lovelyn as they discuss Toni Morrison’s latest novel God Help the Child. The book follows primarily Bride and Booker as they try to find their adult identities, but are weighed down by the burden of childhood traumas.

The hosts analyze how Morrison’s prose departs from her usual style. At the same time, they highlight the ways in which this more subtle story remains quintessentially Morrison. For Lovelyn, the book’s magical realist elements tickled her imagination. Meanwhile Maya found the emotional of the book a bit muted. As for Anais, the relationship between shifts in point of view and theme seemed like a puzzle worth cracking.

What is Morrison saying about childhood trauma, and is there hope? Listen and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Or, if you prefer, leave a voicemail by clicking on the feature to the left. By the way, we may play your voicemail on our next show, so tell us if you would prefer we did not.

We (try to) air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

Traditional and Self-Publishing – Bradbury Challenge Ep 19

Rated: Mild

Today Crissy and Maya discuss their projects and thoughts on traditional vs. self-publishing from very different perspectives. We also talk about the future of short stories and technology.

Life in Stone, Glass, and Plastic | José Pablo Iriarte | Literary Roadhouse Ep 73

Discussion Notes: Life in Stone, Glass, and Plastic

Find this week’s story here: Life in Stone, Glass, and Plastic by José Pablo Iriarte.

Next week’s story: Silver Blaze by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Rated: Clean

Gerald continues to enjoy summer in style without us.

Michael La Ronn

Michael La Ronn

Good news, everyone! Science fiction author Michael La Ronn joins the podcast this week. Regular listeners will remember him from the Literary Roadhouse Bookclub’s discussion of Sunil Yapa’s Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist.

Michael is best known for his Android X series which is available on Amazon. You can learn more about him on his website michaellaronn.com He also shares his self-publishing and authorpreneur tips on his Youtube channel: Author Level Up. He just published his latest novel, Old Dark, on Amazon.

This week Maya, Anais, Rammy, and Michael discuss literary science fiction. All four hosts enjoyed the story. In Maya’s case, she was so moved by the story she even shed a tear. The Latin culture references tickled Anais. Meanwhile, Rammy liked the uplifting premise. As for Michael, this story reinforced his belief that good literature can be found in all genres.

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings | Gabriel García Márquez | Literary Roadhouse Ep 72

Discussion Notes: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

Find this week’s story here: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel García Márquez.

Next week’s story: Life in Stone, Glass, and Plastic by José Pablo Iriarte.

Rated: Clean

Gerald is still gallivanting across Europe on his extended summer vacation.

Caleb J. Ross

Caleb J. Ross

This week Caleb J. Ross joins the podcast. Regular listeners will remember him from our discussion of Julio Cortázar’s Axolotl. Caleb has been published widely, both online and in print. Most recently he co-authored The Soul Standard, which was published by Dzanc Books in July. You can find out more about his five books and other literary ventures at his website: calebjross.com.

This week Maya, Anais, and Caleb discuss “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”. Caleb came to the discussion already a fan of of this story. It’s a classic magical realism tale by Gabriel García Márquez in which a winged man, who may or may not be an angel, visits a small town.

Caleb analyzed the religious versus secular commentary and wondered about the author’s religious beliefs. Meanwhile, Maya enjoyed the prose’s dreary tone. As for Anais, the lack of empathy among all characters regardless of their beliefs struck her as key to the story’s theme.

This week we also have bonus content at the end of the episode. Maya and Caleb discuss enjoying an author’s complete catalog, audio books, and more.

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

Escape from New York | Zadie Smith | Literary Roadhouse Ep 71

Discussion Notes: Escape from New York

Find this week’s story here: Escape from New York by Zadie Smith.

Next week’s story: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel García Márquez.

Rated: Clean

Gerald is still soaking up the sun on his annual summer road trip.

www.lovelynbettison.com

Lovelyn Bettison

Lovelyn Bettison, author of Perfect Family and The Box, joins us to discuss Zadie Smith. She is an avid reader of magical realism, which influences her work. You can buy her books on her website: lovelynbettison.com.

This week Maya, Rammy, Anais, and Lovelyn discuss “Escape from New York”. This story portrays a celebrity urban legend. Shortly after 9/11, rumor had it that Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor escaped NYC together by driving west.

Surprisingly, all four hosts enjoyed the story! In particular, Maya appreciated the gallows humor. Meanwhile, the celebrity cast of characters tickled Rammy. Regarding plot, Anais loved the absurdity of the celebrity narcissism in the midst of a national tragedy. Lovelyn found the prose and understated humor to be reflective of Smith’s style.

The New Yorker also hosts an audio recording of the story as read by Zadie Smith. What’s funnier than Zadie Smith doing as Michael Jackson impersonation? Anais impersonating the Smith impersonation! Tune in to hear it.

Also, don’t forget to rate the story! For the history of our goofy system, see Anais’ post “Read Short Stories or Ray Bradbury Cries.” On a scale of 1-6 Bradberries, how do you rate this story? Tell us in the comments below or via voicemail.

Also your reviews on iTunes help us grow. Please search Literary Roadhouse in iTunes and leave reviews for all of our shows.

Becoming More Productive – Bradbury Challenge Ep 18

Rated: PG-13 due to innuendo

Maya empties her nest, all three of us struggled with time. Gerald only wrote ONE story! I know, the horror lol. We discuss practical solutions to being more productive.

Disclaimer: So these episodes are coming out very late and in quick succession. Due to stress and organizational difficulties I had to make a choice. Either be even later, or use subpar audio. The next 4 episodes are not up to our audio standard so please bare with us until we are back to our normal standard.

This Weeks Writing Prompt:

A steampunk airship floating through the sky