Once Upon a Time… at Bennington College - podcast cover

Once Upon a Time… at Bennington College

Audacy Podcastswww.audacy.com
It’s the groves of academe: Bennington College, the wildest and wickedest school in America. In the last great decade: the 1980s. Bennington class of ’86, class of Bret Easton Ellis, future writer of American Psycho and co-leader of the literary Brat Pack; Jonathan Lethem, future writer of Motherless Brooklyn and MacArthur Fellow; and Donna Tartt, future writer of The Secret History and Pulitzer Prize winner. All three are, at various times, infatuated and disappointed with one another, their friendships stimulated and fueled by rivalry as much as affection. And all three will mythologize Bennington in their fiction—fiction that, as we’ll discover, isn’t always fiction, is often fact—and thereby become myths themselves. From Vanity Fair's Lili Anolik, comes the latest installment in the Once Upon a Time… franchise, Once Upon a Time… at Bennington College. This is a tale of money, murder, madness, and—of course—genius. This is, too, a multi-dimensional expose: the secret history of The Secret History revealed; the secret history of three of the greatest writers of Generation X revealed; and the secret history of Generation X itself revealed. Once Upon a Time at...Bennington College is an Audacy original. This follows Season One: Once Upon a Time...in the Valley, a real-life psychological thriller about underage adult star Traci Lords.
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Episodes

Introducing: What We Spend

Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what they spend. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 24, 202511 minSeason 2Ep. 15

S2 | Ep 14: It Was Like I Went Where I Failed To Go

1994 to the present day. Jonathan Lethem comes from behind. And just whose world are we living in anyway—Bret’s, Donna’s or Jonathan’s? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 08, 20211 hr 2 minSeason 2Ep. 14

S2 | Ep 13: The Farmer’s Granddaughter

Cambridge, Massachusetts and New York, New York. Spring of 1986 to Fall of 1994. The Secret History is published. Plus, “The Purge” comes to Bennington. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 01, 20211 hr 2 minSeason 2Ep. 13

S2 | Ep 12: Sensational Sensationalism

New York City. Spring of 1987 to Spring of 1991. Patrick Bateman is born. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 24, 20211 hr 4 minSeason 2Ep. 12

S2 | Ep 11: Disturbing Michiko Kakutani

Bennington and New York City. Autumn, 1985-spring, 1986. Less Than Zero is published and Bret becomes a cultural phenomenon. Bret also becomes a college senior. The most famous artist of the 20th century crashes his graduation party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 17, 202158 minSeason 2Ep. 11

S2 | Ep 10: An Impossible Shade of Green

Bennington. Autumn, 1983-Spring, 1986. Donna begins The Secret History. Donna throws tea parties and frequents martini hours. Donna bides her time. Jonathan drops out of Bennington only to hang around Bennington. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 10, 202154 minSeason 2Ep. 10

S2 | Ep 9: Entering Into the Sublime

Bennington. Spring, 1983. Donna Tartt becomes “Donna Tartt.” Jonathan Lethem becomes an angry young man. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 03, 202158 minSeason 2Ep. 9

S2 | Ep 8: Murder By Numbers

Bennington. Spring, 1983-Spring, 1985. Bret lives The Rules of Attraction, then sells Less Than Zero. Bret befriends David Lipsky, then be-enemies David Lipsky. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 27, 202153 minSeason 2Ep. 8

S2 | Ep 7: Donna Lou

Mississippi, 1963-1982. Donna’s origin story. And Lord Jim... revealed? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 20, 20211 hr 1 minSeason 2Ep. 7

S2 | Ep 6: Mississippi Chippy

Winter, 1982-1983. Over Non-Resident term, Donna gets closer to Jonathan, and becomes Paul McGloin's "Burning Boy." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 13, 20211 hrSeason 2Ep. 6

S2 | Ep 5: Bennington Revisited

Bennington. Autumn, 1982. Donna falls under the thrall of a magus-like professor, and the very small, very elite, very male band of students to whom he teaches Ancient Greek. “I can absolutely distinctly remember the three of them, and then the four of them—the three guys but then the four. The guys with Donna.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Oct 06, 202159 minSeason 2Ep. 5

S2 | Ep 4: Disappear There

Bennington. Autumn, 1982. Bret and Donna go on a date. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 29, 202151 minSeason 2Ep. 4

S2 | Ep 3: An Alley Along Melrose

Los Angeles, 1981-1982. “This rumor went around in 1981, 1982, that kids just were brought to see the body of another kid.” The origin story of Bret Easton Ellis (and Less Than Zero), Part Two. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 29, 202148 minSeason 2Ep. 3

S2 | Ep 2: Bret Ellis, Valley Boy

Los Angeles, 1980-1981. “There was just this huge sense that the world was gay, gay, gay.” The origin story of Bret Easton Ellis (and Less Than Zero), Part One. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 29, 202152 minSeason 2Ep. 2

S2 | Ep 1: Dis-Orientation

Bennington. Autumn, 1982. Donna, Jonathan and Bret arrive on the campus of the school nicknamed “The Little Red Whorehouse on the Hill.” One of them comes with a steamer trunk. One of them comes with a Kangol cap. One of them comes with a “suitcase full of drugs.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 29, 202144 minSeason 2Ep. 1

Welcome to "Once Upon A Time... at Bennington College"

It’s the groves of academe: Bennington College, the wildest and wickedest school in America. In the last great decade: the 1980s. Bennington class of ’86, class of Bret Easton Ellis, future writer of American Psycho and co-leader of the literary Brat Pack; Jonathan Lethem, future writer of Motherless Brooklyn and MacArthur Fellow; and Donna Tartt, future writer of The Secret History and Pulitzer Prize winner. All three are, at various times, infatuated and disappointed with one another, their fr...

Sep 28, 20214 min

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 12: After The Afterglow

A crucial new piece of information comes to light. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 15, 202040 minSeason 1Ep. 12

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 11: Afterglow

Traci Lords as the key to pop culture in the late 20th and early 21st century. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 08, 202045 minSeason 1Ep. 11

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 10: Who Ratted Out Traci?

The mystery is (maybe) solved. And we hear directly—and at length—from 1985 Traci, in a never-before-aired interview. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 01, 202052 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 9: The Ghost of Shauna Grant

We return to the Valley, and it looks a whole lot different this time around. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 25, 20201 hrSeason 1Ep. 9

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 8: Marion Davies' Love Button

Meet Troy Matherly, the heart of this story. The heart of Nora's story, and of Traci's story. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 18, 202047 minSeason 1Ep. 8

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 7: Surf City, USA

We leave the Valley and Traci Lords behind; go back to Redondo Beach and to Traci Lords before she was Traci Lords, when she was Nora Kuzma. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 11, 202042 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 6: Fake Out and Make Out

The adult industry is screwed. The question is: Who's doing the screwing? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 04, 202052 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 5: Shooting (Porn) Star

The only thing wilder than Traci on camera, is Traci off camera. Also: Traci gets a rival; Traci gets a company; Traci gets a passport; and Traci gets busted. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 28, 202046 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 4: A (Porn) Star is Born

Traci goes from adult model to adult actress to adult phenomenon. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 21, 202039 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 3: We Kinda Made it Hardcore

Traci lands the Penthouse centerfold--and the studliest stud in porn. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 14, 202036 minSeason 1Ep. 3

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 2: Wanted: Figure Models

A 15-year-old Redondo Union High sophomore learns to fake it so she can make it... as a nude model. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 14, 202038 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Once Upon a Time... in the Valley S1 | Ep 1: T-R-A-C-I

It's 1986. The San Fernando Valley. And, it turns out, the biggest star in Adult, isn't one. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 14, 202045 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Welcome to "Once Upon a Time... in the Valley"

Welcome to Once Upon a Time… in the Valley. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 01, 20204 min
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