The American Vandal

What is the relationship between literary criticism and media studies? How has criticism adapted to the digital revolution? These questions are considered by examining the origins of the blogosphere [5:00], its recent reemergence [17:00], the specific case of "Brittle Paper" [29:00], and strategies of adaptation within the profession [46:00]. The episode then turns to two examinations of multimedia parasitical criticism: Jacque Derrida's "Limited Inc." [60:00] and Ryan Ruby's "Context Collapse" [71:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Ainehi Edoro, Matt Seybold, Howard Rambsy, Sheri-Marie Harrison, John Guillory, Ryan Ruby Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Parasite, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts

An attempt to triangulate politicization, professionalization, and publication by examining several periods in the history of criticism. The episode begins with Joe Locke describing an overt turn towards social justice in his music following police murder of George Floyd, followed by a discussion of the misperception of "Professing Criticism" as a call to depoliticize [7:00]. An epilogue to "The Chicago Fight" [17:00] and humanist criticism [24:00]. Discussion of the implicit politics of the paracademy [51:00], its emergence in response to conglomeration [56:00], and the reemergence of patronage [68:00] precede profile of Las Vegas Review of Books [81:00] and epilogue at University of Puerto Rico [100:30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Joe Locke, Bruce Robbins, John Guillory, Eddie Nik-Khah, Tom Lutz, Katie Kadue, John Hay, Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Paracademy, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.

The Chicago Critics won the Chicago Fight of the 1930s, but they lost the Chicago Cold War. Chicago Economics got its start dismantling the Chicago Plan. This episode covers the brief victory of the Neo-Aristotelians, the long tail of Economics Imperialism [18:30], the rivalry between economics and literary criticism [39:00], the Chicago Economists' parody of "Treasure Island" [55:00], the implicit alliance between Chicago Economics and the New Critics [60:00], and Robert Hutchins's dream of "The University of Utopia" [72:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Edward Nik-Khah, Matt Seybold, Studs Terkel, Robert Hutchins, Anna-Dorothea Schneider, Christopher Newfield, Anna Kornbluh Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/ChicagoFight, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.

A deep dive into the Chicago Critics who inspired John Crowe Ransom's 1937 essay, "Criticism Inc.," as well as their working conditions at the University of Chicago under Robert Maynard Hutchins. His implementation of "The Chicago Plan" and the resulting "Chicago Fight" [9:00], the afterlives of the Chicago Critics in contemporary literary studies [30:00], the import of the Walgreen Hearings [49:00], and the seeding of the Chicago School of Economics. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Bruce Robbins, Anna-Dorothea Schneider, John Guillory, Harold Langer, Edward Nik-Khah, Robert Maynard Hutchins Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/ChicagoFight, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.

Explore the political economy of New Criticism and the racist interpretation complex. Learn about Langston Hughes' testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Discover the entanglement of anti-communism, anti-black racism, and new critical project. Delve into the impact of the racist interpretation complex on the university and mainstream publications. Discuss the tools of the critic and scholar in literary studies and the tension between close reading and broader perspectives.

This episode discusses the abolition of the World Languages Department at WVU and the effects of monolingual education. It explores alternative paths for literary studies and the cosmopolitan cultural abundance often overlooked. There is an interview with Joe Locke about his jazz education and his new album honoring a Lebanese musician. The impact of social media on self-perception and the issue of access and privilege in the arts and humanities are also discussed. The chapter concludes by exploring the value of podcasts as platforms for meaningful conversations.

Jed Esty, a literary critic, and Matt Seyb discuss the impact of defunding humanities academia, the flourishing culture industry, Eurozone Debt Crisis, funding and distribution mechanisms, and potential futures of disruption and declinism in the podcast.

In this podcast, they discuss the meaning and importance of criticism in literary studies. They explore the challenges of spreading and legitimizing English literary studies, including the difficulties faced by adjuncts and grad student workers. They also delve into concern trolling in the humanities and the relationship between genre, theory, and podcasting. Overall, they provide unique insights into the field of interpretation and the ongoing struggles in academia.

This podcast covers the crisis in literary criticism, demands for a cosmopolitan turn in literary studies, the alleged golden age of popular criticism, and the role of para-academic publications like the Los Angeles Review of Books.

A first look at the eighth season of The American Vandal Podcast, an assessment of the contemporary state of literary criticism and literary studies through conversations with more than two dozen scholars, students, editors, working critics, and other creators.