
Sophomore Lit
A podcast about your 10th grade reading list, hosted by John McCoy.
Latest episodes

Sep 5, 2024 • 54min
163: The Twenty-One Balloons
Because twenty would be too few and twenty-two would be ridiculous. Shaenon K. Garrity discusses William Pène du Bois’s The Twenty-One Balloons (1947).
John McCoy with Shaenon K. Garrity
Referenced Works
The Twenty-One Balloons
Show Notes & Links
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Aug 13, 2024 • 46min
162: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Rain Main meets Air Bud. Dan McCoy discusses stims and happy endings and Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003).
John McCoy with Dan McCoy
Show Notes & Links
Dan McCoy's Special Interests
My brother’s newsletter mentioned in the episode.
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Jul 15, 2024 • 58min
161: A Canticle for Leibowitz
This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a bunch of monks sitting around copying stuff. Jelani Sims returns to discuss Walter M. Miller Jr.’s A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959).
John McCoy with Jelani Sims
Referenced Works
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Show Notes & Links
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The Internet Archive has all episodes of the 15-part NPR Playhouse adaptation which aired in 1981.
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Jun 21, 2024 • 44min
160: Why I Live at the P.O.
Stick some stamps on the top of our heads. Deborah Stanish discusses Eudora Welty’s “Why I Live at the P.O.” (1941)
John McCoy with Deborah Stanish
Referenced Works
Why I Live at the P.O.
Show Notes & Links
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May 30, 2024 • 52min
159: The Phantom Tollbooth
The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between. Moisés Chiullán discusses Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth (1961).
[We’ve re-issued this episode to correct an audio problem.]
John McCoy with Moisés Chiullán
Referenced Works
The Phantom Tollbooth
Show Notes & Links
The Phantom Tollbooth (1970)
Trailer for Chuck Jones’s adaptation.
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Apr 22, 2024 • 38min
158: A Perfect Day for Bananafish
Podcasters: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things?? Let’s Find Out! Jason Snell talks about marine life in J.D. Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” (1948).
John McCoy with Jason Snell
Referenced Works
A Perfect Day for Bananafish
Show Notes & Links
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Apr 5, 2024 • 30min
157: The Veldt
Lions and tigers and bea— you know what, just lions. Jordan Morris is here to discuss Ray Bradbury’s story “the Veldt” (1950).
John McCoy with Jordan Morris
Show Notes & Links
"The Veldt" radio drama
From the 1983 NPR Playhouse series Bradbury 13.
"The Veldt"
Track by Combustible Edison from the album I, Swinger (1994).
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Mar 15, 2024 • 58min
156: Heart of Darkness
Dive into the dark depths of Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' as the hosts dissect colonialism, imperialism, and the enigmatic character of Kurtz. Explore the mastery of Conrad's language, the conflicting ideologies of the era, and the subtle critique of European colonialism within the narrative. Unravel the themes of invasion fiction in Victorian literature and the complexities of interpreting the layers of meaning within the story.

Feb 1, 2024 • 60min
155: Tom Sawyer
In this episode, the hosts discuss Mark Twain's 'Tom Sawyer' and their personal history with the novel. They explore the satirical elements in Twain's writing, the evolution of Happy Days, and Tom Sawyer's theme of nostalgia and disillusionment. The speakers also delve into the relevance and popularity of the book today, discuss the connection between 'Huckleberry Finn' and 'Tom Sawyer Detective', and speculate on Mark Twain's financial difficulties.

Jan 10, 2024 • 52min
154: Wide Sargasso Sea
Actually, I need this sea in an extra wide. Caroline Fulford discusses postcolonialism and recurring fires in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea (1966).
John McCoy with Caroline Fulford
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