After a brief check-in at the top with Tehran Taylor, Jen and Jacob launch into Palantir CEO Alexander Karp's Manifesto, "The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West." More specifically, we look at Palantir's 22 point summary of the text it put out, to a concerning amount of praise from the liberal and conservative establishment alike.
Do you want it? If by “it” you mean Gretchen Felker-Martin’s 2025 queer horror novel, “Black Flame,” the answer is 100% yes! We are joined by Jon Greenaway, writer, co-host of the “Horror Vanguard” podcast, and certified gothic literature understander. Together we enter this story about being so horny it warps reality, trauma-haunted art, supernatural resistance against patriarchal violence, and Rodney Dangerfield. Go follow us on Patreon go be blessed beyond your wildest imagination Guest plugs...
War propaganda has always been strange... But now it's got Wii Sports and Legos in it. Caleb of Kill the Computer and 60 Minute Drill joins us to talk about the "meme war" that has raged parallel to the Iran war. First we check out the White House's slop: warning, not for the faint of heart. Then we look at Explosive Media, an Iranian-state backed media collective's, use of AI Legos to call Trump, Hegseth, and anyone else they hate every insult under the sun. What does this mean for the future o...
What if the Jewish diaspora had established a mini-state in Alaska? What if Harry DuBois had a gigantic muscle-pal instead of Kim? What is the Messiah was gay? All this and more is addressed in Michael Chabon’s 2007 alternate history novel, “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union.” On top of being some darn good genre fiction, this book takes a hard and unique look at U.S. empire and its relationship to Zionism. It’s also a beautiful and fun look at numerous aspects of Jewish culture, which Chabon deligh...
Folks, we regret to inform you that the internet has kind of become...important. Today we are joined by Anthony DePice, activist, movement cheerleader, and digital organizer to talk about the wide, wonderful, horrid world of social media. We talk some (and laugh more) about various platforms, their highs and lows, and how people pursuing liberation can make our intervention on the web (hopefully without killing each other while we're at it). Also, we talk about the online right and left more bro...
PRIORITY: We finally got a Patreon! Supporting us there wins you 1 million Lit Points. Go check it here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/WorkersLit Today we cover “The Unworthy,” a 2023 horror novel by Agustina Bazterrica (of “Tender is the Flesh” fame). Religious trauma, oppression of women, lesbian sex jokes, puppy girls, this episode is 100% worth the obligatory purification ritual in the Tower of Silence you must undertake to listen....
Bad times in the USA...and elsewhere. The Iran war rages, trans rights come under assault, millions of people take to the streets, and calls for a general strike are building. It's just another week in 2026. Articles referenced and quoted: https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-goes-commando https://www.foxnews.com/politics/communists-democrats-use-nokings-rally-call-may-day-strike-shut-down https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/supreme-court-rules-against-conversion...
This book sucks. But the episode? It goes hard. We are joined by returning guest Talia Bhatt, writer and radical trans-feminist whose work covers epistemic injustice, Third World feminism, and ranked competitive breast growth (yes, she has RANGE!) to discuss "GamerGate's favorite feminist," Christina Hoff Sommers' anti-feminist rant from 1994, "Who Stole Feminism? How Women Have Betrayed Women." We know you love it when the Lit Ladies eviscerate a horrible book. Enjoy. You can find info on all o...
The war hasn't stopped. Today we discuss the U.S. and Israel's murderous war against Iran and Lebanon as the Iran War escalates into what may be an even larger conflict. We get into the absurd communication style of the White House around the war, the confusion around what the point even is, and how we're all just trying to piece together our own little reality. Also, we get sidetracked and talk about the Apostle Thomas for some reason. Sources and links referenced here: https://www.dropsitenews...
The Hunger Games are finally at an end. Welcome to "Mockingjay," Suzanne Collins' 2010 conclusion to the Hunger Games trilogy that will make you say, "Well that was depressing!" (though your mileage may vary on whether or not you consider that an endorsement.) We get INTO IT about revolution, violence, retribution, propaganda, and the silly lizard guys underneath the Capitol.
"It's like toothpaste that's left the tube. Trans and queer people have become a fact of life in the United States, they won't be forced back into hiding." We are absolutely thrilled to be joined by the brilliant activist, author, scholar, and artist Julia Serano for today's episode! The queer (especially trans) community in the USA is facing a historic assault by the far right, but with that comes the opportunity for historic resistance! Listen to Julia talk about her journey as a thinker and c...
We normally talk books on Monday, but lyrics are a type of literature, and Nathan sure is waging the narrative battle. Country music artist and writer Nathan Evans Fox joins us for a wide ranging discussion about Southern cultural and artistic traditions, the stranglehold of evangelical Christianity over the south (and this country), and the joy of writing a hillbilly hymn Listen to Nathan's music, check out upcoming tour dates, and learn more about him here! Read Nathan's writing on Substack he...
Break the siege! Jacob is joined by organizer, writer, and Communications Director for Progressive International, James Schneider to discuss the Nuestra América Convoy to Cuba. Learn how organizations like Progressive International, The People's Forum, and many more were inspired by the brave actions of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla and now seek to break the blockade on Cuba. The convoy will convene in Havana on March 21, 2026. It is all of our job not just to support it financially (though we should ...
THIS GIRL IS ON FIIIIREEEEE We're back for part 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, 2009's "Catching Fire." The first book was about survival, this book is about revolution. Revel with us in the drama of resistance, cringe at the fandom memories we unearth, and prepare for the forces of fascism to overplay their hand at the onset of the dreaded QUARTER QUELL!
Game time. We keep the dystopian mood alive as we take on Suzanne Collins' 2008 YA smash hit, "The Hunger Games." Join us for a conversation about colonialism, necessary vs. unjustified violence, fanfiction, bodily autonomy, and more! What do YOU want to see out of a Workers' Lit Patreon? Email us at workerslit@gmail.com to let us know!
The American ruling class is at war. Physically, they are at war with Iran, pummeling the country with unrelenting airstrikes, slaughtering civilians, and doing their best to make yet another nation unlivable. But they are fighting another war: a psychological war against every one of us. They are building a world of declining literacy, misinformation, confusion, and fear. Combine those two wars and you get an apathetic American populace even as its own country murders untold innocents Breht O’S...
Lenore and Jen are joined by Rae of ProlesPod to discus Gabriel Rockhill's new book, "Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism?" You may be asking: what is a piper? Well, that part's not important. What IS important is the way the CIA and other U.S. government forces spent the 20th century infiltrating the media and every level of academia, squelching dangerous opposition, promoting capitalist propaganda, and even bolstering controlled left opposition that posed no threat to U.S. empire. ProlesPod...
Last time we covered Stephen King, we were walking a long ways. Now we're running. We're speeding up, folks! Today we're covering King's 1982 dystopian novel, "The Running Man." Joining us are Evan and Bill from the "Left of the Projector" podcast. Together, we'll get mad at how clearly Stephen wrote this book in just one week and then...didn't fix it. Topics include the fetishization of the working class, super-individualism, King's recurring bigotries, and 9/11. If you're wondering if there's ...
It's a bonus interview with the great science fiction author, Nick Mamatas! We talk about Nick's new book, the horrors of Silicon Valley, and Shakespeare adaptations. Don't miss out: go get your copy of "Kalivas! Or Another Tempest" right now. You can follow him on Bluesky @nmamatas.bsky.social
2026 is an election year, and we have no intention of ignoring it! We are joined by candidate for Governor of Georgia, Representative Ruwa Romman. Ruwa represents GA’s 97th House of Representatives district in Gwinnett County and is the first Muslim and Palestinian woman to ever be elected to the GA House of Representatives. She is a long time organizer, served as a delegate of the Uncommitted movement in 2024, and has a plan to build an affordable, better Georgia for ALL, not just the 1%. In th...
We promise we're super mature with Philip K. Dick's last name. Mostly. This week we're taking on Philip K. Dick's 1956 sci-fi novelette, "The Minority Report." What if you could solve crime before it happens? What if said process led to a lot of violence and exploitation? What if you dealt with all that that while worrying that your wife was cheating on you with your hotter assistant? That's more or less the vibe here. We go further and discuss science fiction's broader contribution (positive an...
Can you kill a country with hardly anyone noticing? The Trump Administration intends to try with Cuba. In this episode we examine the criminal blockade on Cuba, and the way knowledge of it is essentially non-existent among Americans. Plus, we touch on different levels of information warfare based on class strata, Marco Rubio's plots, and...Elmo's feud with Taylor Swift?? Support the Let Cuba Live Campaign here: https://www.letcubalive.info/ Articles quoted in this episode: https://www.dropsitene...
Gay. Gothic. Romantic. I know you’re already cheering, and you should be, because we’re covering Vincent Verga’s 1980 novel “Gaywyck.” Why must breathy bodice rippers feature only the heteros? There’s plenty of good gay drama to be had, and gay drama Gaywyck delivers. We discuss the genre of the gothic romance, the groundbreaking nature of Verga’s willingness to not pull punches, and the place weird queer fiction like this is situated in the narrative. Cover art comes from the original publicati...
This is a really, really, REALLY cool guest. Today we are joined by Talia Bhatt, writer and radical trans-feminist whose work covers epistemic injustice, Third World feminism, and ranked competitive breast growth (yes, she has RANGE!) Want to know more? Just listen! She’ll explain it better than we can. You can find info on all of Talia’s work (including her new book, “Brown/Trans/Les”) at her website below: https://taliabhatt.com/...
What's more literary than talking about one piece of literature? Talking about the very nexus from which literature flows! Today we sat down with Dave Ring of Neon Hemlock, an independent press for speculative fiction, rad zines, and queer chapbooks. Discussion topics range from the mission of Neon Hemlock to the state of publishing in the Age of Slop to the importance of queer art. Links to check out the things we mention in this episode: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davering/what-elega...
Welcome to Workers' Lit, your favorite show about the battle for narrative. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Today we talk about our focus as a show before discussing the ongoing narrative war in our culture...on several fronts. First, we made Jen watch Hamilton, so we chat about that, which turns into a bit of a side conversation about right-wing films. Then we get back into ICE and mass deportations. Is Trump on the back foot? Will the Democrats step up? Is the so-called "Joe Rogan Coalition...
9/11, Hamlet, the Statue of Liberty, Segismundo, Zoroastrianism, Puerto Rican Independence, Bananas: If you hear all those terms and think, “wow, this sure does sound like the building blocks of a great book,” then congrats, you’re award-winning author Giannina Braschi. We are joined by brilliant writer and host of Podside Picnic, Karlo Yeager Rodríguez, to discuss Braschi’s 2011 postmodern novel, “The United States of Banana.” This book gets real weird with it, so follow along as we spring Segi...
We are officially one year into Donald Trump’s second term. How’s everybody feeling? This week we discuss the nightmare 365 days that have passed, the battles to come, and the framework that’ll beat Trump for real. Also, we congratulate Usha Vance and her pool boy on their soon-to-be-born child. (We had some technical issues on sound today, so sorry about that!) Articles quoted from in today’s episode: https://zeteo.com/p/our-year-from-hell-trump-first-draft https://zeteo.com/p/trump-robbery-285...
It’s time to get real old-sporty This week we narrowly avoided death-by-pool to deliver you a discussion of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 gilded age masterpiece, “The Great Gatsby.” Joining us is Joshua Ilon, voice actor on The Penumbra Podcast (Juno Steel, Mr. Serling, Jacob, Sir Tristan the Cold) to discuss just how ridiculously relevant Gatsby has become in 2026, our own fraught gilded age. Listen to the Penumbra Podcast here! Listen to Kevin and Harley of Penumbra’s episode of Workers’ Lit abou...
It's time to break the ICE. Jen and Jacob discuss the dramatic week that's passed since the murder of Renée Nicole Good, the latest stats on ICE, Trump, and Congress' popularity, and the campaigns in motion to hold these fascists to account. Read Renée's poem here: https://poets.org/2020-on-learning-to-dissect-fetal-pigs Sources cited in the episode: https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2026/1/dfp_ice_shooting_minneapolis.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/04/ic...
