Books of Some Substance

In this installment of the Books of Some Substance podcast, Nick is joined by University of California-Berkeley English Professor Catherine Flynn to dissect the endless permutations of Samuel Beckett’s oft-overlooked Watt. Is there meaning behind Sam’s lists upon lists upon lists? Is this a reality more real than realism itself? And will there be an opportunity for Nick to —most predictably — use the term “post-post-post modern”? To language, we raise our glass, and descend into the Schopenhauerian darkness . . . but with a few delightful aphorisms destined for refrigerator magnets along the way.

You may be thinking: If I had a dollar for every time I felt like I was just sitting in the waiting room of life—except that the room was an open field with a single tree in it and my best bud just wouldn’t keep his boots on—I’d be rich!  Or in a hit Samuel Beckett play.  Whether it is about morality or acceptance or the morality of acceptance, Beckett’s Waiting for Godot resonates indefinitely.  Listen in as David, Nick, and the recently returned Nathan talk it through, possibly existentially navel-gazing in the process.

[Update (8/12/19): After recording and releasing this podcast, it has come to our attention that Sarvis has been barred from teaching in Florida public schools following allegations he engaged in inappropriate communications with students on social media.  We in no way condone this alleged behavior.  This episode will remain available and those that choose to listen may do so at their discretion.] In this edition of The Substance of Influence, David and Nick speak with Caleb Michael Sarvis, managing editor of Bridge Eight Press and author of the short story collection Dead Aquarium or (i don’t have the stamina for that kind of faith) available from Mastodon Publishing.  They discuss the lasting impact of Denis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son, the perks of interpreting the past as fiction, and, of course, all those damn nutria down in Florida. Check out Caleb’s work here and follow him on Twitter.

In this episode, Kathleen Founds, author of Wise Blood, discusses the intense nature of Flannery O'Connor's novel and its relevance today. They explore nihilism, the disjointed structure of the book, and the backlash when critiquing beloved figures. The hosts also discuss George Saunders' writing transition, moral centers of progressive atheists, and the pursuit of God in Wise Blood.

In this latest installment of the Books of Some Substance podcast San Francisco State University English Professor Sarita Cannon returns to talk about the violent grace (or graceful violence?) of Flannery O’Connor’s short story A Good Man Is Hard to Find.  Listen in as Nick and Sarita talk about the curious relationship between Catholicism and the grotesque, how O’Connor can keep a live audience laughing right up until a story plunges into mass murder, and the intriguing, dark-prophet nature of The Misfit.  Somewhat surprisingly, zero Glenn Danzig references were made.

On this, our first episode of The Substance of Influence episodes, David speaks with fiction writer and poet Chaya Bhuvaneswar, winner of the 2017 Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize for her first book White Dancing Elephants. They discuss authorial voice, being a reader and a writer, influence in general, direct influence in particular with Chaya's selection of the novel Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and, of course, her wonderful collections of short stories.  You can find Chaya and her work at  https://chayabhuvaneswar.com/ and on Twitter @chayab77  As always you can find us here at http://www.booksofsomesubstance.com/  and on Twitter & Instagram: @booksosubstance 

In this latest installment of the Books of Some Substance podcast David, Nick, and Eric go for a disorienting ride through the comedic darkness of László Krasznahorkai’s Satantango. This paragraph-shunning tome from the “Hungarian Master of the Apocalypse” is perfect for the reader seeking that good ole bleak, rain-soaked, mud-packed, worm-eatin’, dust-filled vibe.  Listen in for a rousing discussion in which we unlock all of the secrets: why Satantango can feel like an amalgamation of influences while being entirely its own; whether or not the point of Irimiás’ scheme remains entirely unclear; and why it is that Nick owns so many black T-shirts.

In this episode of the Books of Some Substance podcast, Stanford English Professor Roanne Kantor stops by to chat with Nick about Mohammed Hanif’s A Case of Exploding Mangoes.  While providing a fertile ground to discuss what exactly Global Anglophone literature is, the 2008 novel also packs many a nod to Latin America greats García Márquez and Vargas Llosa and pairs well with that other stellar work about General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and 1980s Pakistan, Salman Rushdie’s Shame. A Case of Exploding Mangoes is also hilarious, thus asking the question: Is realism or satire the correct way to address topics as unsettling as the violence and oppression of a dictator’s regime?  Either way, rest assured: The general dies in this one.

If by chance—and what else really controls it all other than chance?—you are into examining the futility of it all, or, of course, the scorn of it all, then the latest B.O.S.S. podcast on László Krasznahorkai’s The Last Wolf in which David, Stephanie, and Nick examine the tale of how a washed up German author tells the tale of traveling to the barren plains of Spain to encounter a warden telling a tale of how the area’s final wolf perished—yes, perished—all told to the Hungarian barman who doesn’t totally mind, even though this Stammgast isn’t Hungarian or even a good looking chick, is for you (the podcast episode, that is, but also the book, naturally).

In a captivating discussion, literature professor Summer Star, known for her expertise in Victorian literature, delves into Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights.' They tackle the murky depths of love and revenge, exploring Heathcliff's complex character and his critique of 19th-century class structures. The dialogue reveals Brontë's unconventional narrative style and her enigmatic life, while probing the gothic elements that enhance the story's allure. Themes of faith and immortality in Brontë's poetry also provide a rich backdrop for this haunting literary exploration.