Love & Marriage...and The Simpsons. Join me & my IRL love partner to celebrate what "ever after" looks like this Valentine's Day. We discuss how romantic love, infidelity, & marriage are portrayed in The Simpsons. Reader...I married him and he DID eventually redo my website. Shelf Love: Join the Conversation on Discord: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLove Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Guest: ...
Feb 09, 2022•38 min•Ep. 109
Mary Fisher lived in a palace by the sea, and like all romance novelists, just needs love to complete her idyllic rose-colored life. Too bad the man she wants is married to bored housewife Ruth, who embarks on a journey of revenge. But who is the titular She-Devil in this 1989 film starring Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr? What does this film imagine is worse than being a bored housewife? Whom do we root for, and who gets to be selfish in life and love? Morgan & Isabeau from Whoa!mance invite...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 108
Normal People by Sally Rooney (and the Hulu adaptation) is a love story that may or may not be a romance novel, a story that might be hopeful even if it’s bleak, but who could say if it represents all millennials, who live in a post-love, post-Tumblr society? Shelf Love’s Youth Culture Media Correspondent Dame Jodie Slaughter helps me decipher what Normal People has to say about love, romance, marriage, and millennials, all through our lens as romance novel readers. - Thanks to the contributors ...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 107
Is true love real or fiction? Is romantic love in fiction unreal but not untrue? How do romance novels play with fiction and reality, and how do some other disciplines explore similar questions in their own fields? Guest: Dr. Eric Selinger Romancelandia Holiday Fairies 2021: bit.ly/romancelandia Shelf Love: Join the Conversation on Discord: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLove Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.co...
Dec 21, 2021•41 min•Ep. 106
This episode is about feelings, and Murderbot, and romance novels, and hope, and anger, and powerlessness, the year 2020....and 2021. Romancelandia Holiday Fairies 2021: bit.ly/romancelandia Shelf Love: Join the Conversation on Discord: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLove Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Shelf Love: NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email...
Nov 30, 2021•28 min•Ep. 105
Seven souls gave romance novels a try as a result of the Bridgerton adaptation and bravely came to speak with me about what they thought of romance readers before, what it took for them to pick up a romance, and how or if they've had a change of heart about the genre and what it means to be a romance reader. Shelf Love: Join the Conversation on Discord: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLove Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelfl...
Nov 16, 2021•40 min•Ep. 104
Stories from Shelf Love listeners who have reexamined romantic stories that they used to love and found that their relationship has gone from unconditional love to questioning the value of their relationship. Outlander. The Cosby Show. Harry Potter. Gilmore Girls. We hate to love you! - Shelf Love: Join the Conversation on Discord: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLove Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Thanks ...
Nov 09, 2021•42 min•Ep. 103
Dr. Maria DeBlassie joins me to discuss engaging with banned media, and dealing with the discomfort and joy of growth. Is Gone With the Wind watchable with context? What happens when I force myself to watch it and realize how far into the present its influence reaches? And, I finally read Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase and see what the fuss is about: but am I allowed to enjoy it? Content notes: this episode discusses racism and intimate partner violence. - Co-Host on this episode: Dr. Maria...
Nov 02, 2021•56 min•Ep. 102
Is it real love or fantasy TV? I hope you're here for the right reasons: to learn how The Bachelor franchise produces a fantasy of romantic love. We cover the lingo (Rose Ceremony, Fantasy Suite, Frankenbiting), the scandals, the couples, and all of the commercially-viable aesthetically romantic gestures that construct "romantic love" on The Bachelor. Tell Me About is a series that introduces me and you to new genres and sub genres of romantic stories across media. Podcast host and Bachelor Nati...
Oct 19, 2021•38 min•Ep. 101
How do romantic narratives explore or influence our ideas of which bodies are "desirable"? Dr. Christina Fattore will introduce us to neoliberalism, and we'll discuss how the ideological focus on individual agency influences our ideas of which bodies are most desirable to acquire in romantic partners and how individuals must produce desirable bodies to create "value" in a romantic marketplace. CW: discussion of diet culture, body size, etc. Guest: Dr. Fattore, associate professor of political sc...
Oct 05, 2021•55 min•Ep. 100
I now pronounce you man and...horse? Kissing mannequins, will Taylor stay dead this time, is Sheila Carter the best Supervillain, and favorite Super Couples (seemingly always love triangles?): when I asked Dr. Jodi McAlister to Tell Me About The Bold and the Beautiful, I had no idea how wild the ride would be! Tell Me About is a series that introduces me and you to new genres and sub genres of romantic stories across media. Novelist, academic, and Soap Superfan Dr. Jodi McAlister share how soap ...
Sep 28, 2021•28 min•Ep. 99
Journalist E. Jean Carroll hopped a ride on the Love Train with dozens of romance authors in 1983, hoping to discover "how to catch a man." But did she actually discover who women* in America were fantasizing about being? Steve Ammidown, archivist and historian of the romance genre, joins me to discuss Where the Heart Roams, a 1987 documentary about romance authors, culture clashes, silk sheets and lavender sachets, men with a lot of flash (there aren't many), and many conflicting theories about...
Sep 21, 2021•56 min•Ep. 98
Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Shelf Love: NEW! Substack for original writing and stuff | Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com...
Sep 19, 2021•11 min•Ep. 97
Proving once and for all, using science, the truth of the romance reader stereotype. Warning: this research is about how romance novels and readers are perceived, not the actual reality. Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Shelf Love episodes with transcripts Watch the presentation and slides on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BQzi8fBB0R8 Inside: Stereotype Content Model, Cognitive Diss...
Sep 14, 2021•37 min•Ep. 96
Romance Author Jodie Slaughter joins Shelf Love Live from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, Massachusetts. Can Jodie identify excerpts from her own books? What's her favorite trope and why is it Only One Bed? We play games and share romance recommendations, answer live Q&A from the audience, are ogled by passing firefighters, question if capitalism is the real nemesis in classic rom-coms, and more. Recorded August 11, 2021 in a livestream. Watch the enhanced & edited video recording on YouTub...
Aug 31, 2021•54 min•Ep. 95
Who profits from "diverse" romance adaptations? Are white authors making room for creators from marginalized backgrounds to tell their stories? What's lost in translation to screen? Listener questions inspire me to dig into how romance novels differ from romances adapted for the screen. Then, I examine the curious case of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton adaptation, sharing statements she's made on whom she could imagine (not) getting a happily ever after in historicals and a never-before-heard intervie...
Aug 17, 2021•45 min•Ep. 94
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon: it may be a Tik-Tok sensation now, but over a year ago it was a podcast sensation. Dani Lacey invited me as a guest on her podcast, Ice Planet Podcast, to discuss Barbarian's Hope, a second chance romance between two very tall blue humanoid-ish aliens with horns whose love life is controlled by a parasite. This is an edited version of that episode. CW: loss of a child, grief, depression. Show Notes: NEWS: Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual E...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 93
How is whiteness & assimilation assumed in the "land of opportunity" narrative & myth of American immigrants? We explore: how names indicate our roots, white privilege, feelings of cultural loss, our own immigrant experiences, plus we talk about Christina Laurens' Roomies novel & upcoming film adaptation. NEWS: Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual Event with Copper Dog Books! (August 10 & 11, 2021) I launched a Patreon! Watch my PCA Presentation about Romance Read...
Jul 27, 2021•56 min•Ep. 92
"Guilty pleasures," or is the guilt what we find pleasurable? This is the question Dr. Arielle Zibrak asks in her book, Avidly Reads Guilty Pleasures (NYU Press). Arielle joins me to explore just some of the thought-provoking arguments made in her book and coach me on letting myself enjoy imperfect media. It's not a book about romance novels (although they're discussed), but the topic is highly relevant for any media that is coded as "femme," especially stories about love. NEWS: Dame Jodie Slaug...
Jul 20, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 91
A touch of taboo...the Joyless Hags (Katrina Jackson & Tasha L. Harrison) reunite to dissect Seducing My Guardian by Katee Robert. We ask "What is this book trying to do?" When a book opens a door, does it have to close a window somewhere?! Also some news! - NEWS: Dame Jodie Slaughter River Boat Cruise & Virtual Event with Copper Dog Books! (August 10 & 11, 2021) River Boat Cruise - Essex, MA - Tues. August 10, 2021 Virtual Event - Wed. August 11, 2021 I launched a Patreon! Watch my ...
Jul 13, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 90
Problematizing romance: what happens when we dare to interrogate the assumptions that underlie the worlds into which we escape? Morgan & Isabeau from Whoa!mance podcast join me to discuss commodity fetishism, Marx, how it's easier to cancel than realize there is no terminus, and how we can't sloganize or consume our way out of oppression. It's the whole enchilada. Don't miss an epilogue to our conversation about North and South that pulls it all together. ("I don't want to marry you to posse...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 89
Suspend your assumptions about rare books - Rebecca Romney shares how rare book collection can be for everyone, and is a critical component of preserving romance genre history. Work by marginalized people has frequently been considered unimportant or devalued in the rare book world - learn how Rebecca's work (part detective, part scholar, part marketer) is important not just for romance scholars, but for all of us, and how we all have a role to play. Rebecca Romney is a rare books specialist who...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 88
"Safe sex" in romance novels with Dame Jodie Slaughter, part 2. We'll finish discussing the research published in 2000 about if reading romance impacts condom usage, and then I'll share some Twitter poll results from the community about condom usage in the last contemporary romance they read, as well as some results on where folks learned information about safe sex - what's your guess on how many were impacted by media including romance novels? Jodie and I brainstorm some ways to incorporate les...
Apr 27, 2021•47 min•Ep. 87
Dame Jodie Slaughter joins me to talk about sex education, the messages about safe sex in romance novels, the symbolic nature of sexual choices in romance, and discussion of research on these topics. Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com 15 Romance Novel Audiobooks that Combine Swoony Words with Great Performances Check out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episod...
Apr 20, 2021•45 min•Ep. 86
I reflect on listener favorite episodes from 2020, share what I'll be speaking more of in 2021, and say thank you to the Holiday Fairies! (Originally recorded in January when 2021 was still fresh.) Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Check out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episode Shelf Love episodes with transcripts Listener Favorite Episodes from 2020 (Pop...
Apr 13, 2021•34 min•Ep. 85
Evil Prince Jack Harbon busts captive romance out of its cage: is captivity and kidnapping only found in dark romance, or are its themes more prevalent? We discuss why this trope is pleasurable and different manifestations in popular culture: Beauty and the Beast, Persephone Hades, the patriarchy, medical school, and alien abduction. Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Check out Shelf Love’...
Apr 06, 2021•27 min•Ep. 84
1 Bonkers Book; 3 Joyless Hags. If you could escape earth, would you happily hitch your wagon to a lizard-man's space ship? When we scratch the surface of alien abduction romance, what do we find, and does insta-love exist? All of these questions are answered in the first ever Joyless Hags Book Club. I'm joined by Tasha L. Harrison and Katrina Jackson to discuss Alien Mate Experiment by Zenobia Renquist. - Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instag...
Mar 30, 2021•59 min•Ep. 83
Dr. Julie Moody-Freeman, host of Black Romance Podcast, uses a multi-modal cultural studies perspective to engage students in critical engagement with Black romance texts to "liberate learners from the mimicry of the powerful." Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Check out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episode Shelf Love episodes with transcripts Guest: Dr. ...
Mar 23, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 82
Part 1: https://shelflovepodcast.com/episodes/season-2/episode-80/080-i-now-pronounce-you-colonialism-capitalism-white-supremacy/ Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Check out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transcript for this episode Shelf Love episodes with transcripts Guest: Dr. Margo Hendricks Website | Twitter Article we talk about: Archives and Histories of Racial Capitali...
Mar 16, 2021•52 min•Ep. 81
Have you ever wondered when Shelf Love would finally cover the unholy marriage of Colonialism, Imperialism, Capitalism, and White Supremacy? Dr. Margo Hendricks drops in to explain why you can't talk about just one because they're inextricably linked. Yes, this is still a romance novel podcast! - Show Notes: Shelf Love: Sign up for the email newsletter list | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Email: Andrea@shelflovepodcast.com Check out Shelf Love’s updated website including the transc...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 80
