112: George Orwell Essays
It’s phraseology and pachyderms, as Daniel Daughetee discusses Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language” (1946) and “Shooting an Elephant” (1936). John McCoy with Daniel Daughetee.
Episodes
Sophomore Lit
A podcast about your 10th grade reading list, hosted by John McCoy.
Episodes
111: Our Town
Enjoy every, every minute of Phil and John discussing Thornton Wilder’s Our Town (1938). John McCoy with Phil Gonzales.
110: Persuasion
Maybe you should consider listening to this episode, in which Sammi C. discusses Jane Austen’s Persuasion (1817). Actually, we must insist. John McCoy with Sammi C.
109: Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
Marina McCoy returns to discuss faith, fairies, and newspapers in Francis Pharcellus Church’s “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” (1897). John McCoy with Marina McCoy.
108: The Crucible
Why am I persecuted here? Travis Bedard discusses Arthur Miller’s 1953 The Crucible. John McCoy with Travis Bedard.
107: Trees
I think that I will never see brothers so drunk as we three. Drunken Thanksgiving continues this year with Rob, Dan, and John discussing Joyce Kilmer’s Trees (1914). John McCoy with Rob McCoy and Dan McCoy.
106: Atlas Shrugged
Who cares who John Galt is? Bridget Kennedy discusses the geniuses and moochers of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (1957). John McCoy with Bridget Kennedy.
105: Native Son
Jelani Sims returns to discuss Richard Wright’s 1940 wake-up call, Native Son. John McCoy with Jelani Sims.
104: Walt Whitman: Lincoln Poems
O Captain, My Captain, the podcast has begun! Daniel Daughetee discusses two Whitman poems about Lincoln. John McCoy with Daniel Daughetee.
103: White Noise
I considered posting an hour of static, but instead here’s Erin Gambrill and me discussing Don Delillo’s postmodern novel White Noise (1985). John McCoy with Erin Gambrill.
102: Rebecca
Last night I dreamed I did a podcast again. It seemed to me that Gena Radcliffe discussed Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (1935). John McCoy with Gena Radcliffe.
101: Little Women
Christmas isn’t Christmas without presents, and literary podcasts aren’t literary podcasts without an exhaustive conversation about Louisa May Alcott’s essential coming of age book. Shannon Campe discusses. John McCoy with Shannon Campe.
100: Required reading
Happy 100th episode everybody! For this special Sophomore Lit, I asked random people what they remembered most about their high school literature classes. John McCoy.
99: "Tam O' Shanter" and "To a Mouse"
Och, please dinnae make fun of non-Scottish people Darren Husted and John as they discuss and try to read aloud excerpts of Robert Burns’s “Tam O’ Shanter” (1791) and “To a Mouse” (1785). John McCoy with Darren Husted.
98: The Martian Chronicles
You’re the Martian now, Dog! Jason Snell discusses frontiers and sad houses in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles (1950). John McCoy with Jason Snell and David J. Loehr.
97: A Christmas Memory
It’s fruitcake weather! John and Marina discuss memory, dog bones, and kites in Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” (1956). John McCoy with Marina McCoy.
96: The Way of All Flesh
It’s a big long book about Victorian religion and railroad investments! Daniel Reifferscheid discusses Samuel Butler’s The Way of All Flesh (1903). John McCoy with Daniel Reifferscheid.
95: Casey at the Bat
There is no joy in Mudville. My brother Dan discusses “Casey at the Bat” (1888). Happy Thanksgiving! John McCoy with Dan McCoy.
94: The Bear
And still bellowing he came. Jacob Haller discusses William Faulkner’s “The Bear” (1942). Jacob Haller.
93: Mrs. Dalloway
Does anybody really know what time it is? Zach Powers discusses Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel, Mrs. Dalloway. John McCoy with Zach Powers and Jean MacDonald.
92: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
I promise we won’t make any jokes about losing our heads. Sarah Ifft Decker discusses Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. John McCoy with Sarah Ifft Decker.
91: The Sword in the Stone
We didn’t mention that the titular Sword is not the same thing as Excalibur because you already knew that. Rosalynde Vas Dias discusses T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone (1938). John McCoy with Rosalynde Vas Dias.
90: The Wind in the Willows
There is nothing half so much worth doing as messing about in boats, except maybe messing about in podcasts. Erin Gambrill discusses The Wind in the Willows. John McCoy with Erin Gambrill and Kelly Guimont.
89: Flatland
John Siracusa returns to discuss Edwin Abbott’s Flatland (1884). Will it give us a new perspective or will it leave us flat? (Spoiler, John hated it.) John McCoy with John Siracusa.
88: Fifth Business
After four failed IPOs, we’re sure this one will work! Dan McCoy discusses Robertson Davies’s Fifth Business (1970). Dan McCoy.
87: The Importance of Being Earnest
The truth is rarely pure and never simple. However, podcasts are both. Ollie Brady discusses Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). John McCoy with Ollie Brady.
86: The Yellow Wallpaper
Caroline Fulford returns to discuss a nice story about home decorating, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” John McCoy with Caroline Fulford.
85: The Long Winter
John’s wife, Marina, returns to discuss strange birds, hidden wheat, and barrel turkeys in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Long Winter. John McCoy with Marina McCoy.
84: Guy De Maupassant
Anaïs Concepcion returns to discuss necklaces, hypocrisy, and roasted chickens in jelly in Guy De Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and “Boule de Suif.” John McCoy with Anaïs Concepcion.
83: The Day of the Locust
Some people just want to watch the world burn. Josh Hollis and Brian Skinner discuss Nathaniel West’s 1939 novel, The Day of the Locust. John McCoy with Josh Hollis and Brian Skinner.