

Heavy Bored
Andrew Wittstadt
Heavy Bored is a writing and literature podcast hosted by poet and writer Andrew Wittstadt as he speaks with guests about all things books, poetry, art, and culture. Join Heavy Bored on Patreon or Substack to get full access to book clubs, bonus interviews, Jerkshop, and more.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 26, 2023 • 2h 15min
#33 F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
Sophie crashes a car into a pedestrian while Andrew helps bury the body and avoids vehicular manslaughter charges. Both become hermits and avoid large towns for the rest of their lives. Topics include–The Great Gatsby’s reputation–the state of the publishing industry–readers lacking options in terms of current books–did Gatsby love Daisy?--what’s up with Nick Carraway?--why Gatsby was Fitzgerald’s only good book–and more. *LINKS**Buy the Books*The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: https://amzn.to/4k2q0aVMore Books by F. Scott Fitzgerald: https://amzn.to/4k5VqNIJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Feb 12, 2023 • 1h 43min
#32 Olena Kalytiak Davis And Her Soul Out of Nothing
Sophie becomes an animal bone while Andrew goes on tangents about love, loss, and self-help. Both become souls trapped by bodies while knowing nothing. Topics include–The thing about first books–Why you should love OKD–sex in poetry–line breaks–gen x–and more.*LINKS**Buy the Books*And Her Soul Out of Nothing by Olena Kalytiak Davis: https://amzn.to/3F7ZwFMMore Books by Olena Kalytiak Davis: https://amzn.to/3YPTe4bJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Jan 29, 2023 • 13min
#31 William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (preview)
Andrew and Sophie fix the Hamline University controversy before diving into the deep sweaty realms of strange small-town southern America. Topics include–small-town settings–classic novels–Faulkner’s legacy and reputation–Dewey Dell being the best character–whats up with Vardaman?--class elements in Faulkner–and more. This episode is a free preview. To get access to the full episode, support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com.heavybored*LINKS**Buy the Books*As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: https://amzn.to/4klIdQnMore Books by William Faulkner: https://amzn.to/4jZTYfuJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Jan 15, 2023 • 2h 15min
#30 Lana Del Rey's Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
Sophie gets lost in a big haunted vagina, while Andrew makes himself at home in the pepsi-filled cervix. Absolutely no drugs were consumed in the making of this episode. Topics include–celebrity poetry–collage art–whisper voices–mushroom trips–Instagram poetry–bad photography–aesthetic over art–what gives a poem meaning?–the line between song lyrics and poetry–and more. *LINKS**Buy the Books*Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey: https://amzn.to/4kr4jRKHowl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg: https://amzn.to/4dqXFIODirecting Herbert White by James Franco: https://amzn.to/4j9miLcThe Lords and the New Creatures by Jim Morrison: https://amzn.to/3SE6hSHJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Jan 1, 2023 • 2h 37min
#29 Artistic Visions w/ Lee Matalone
Author Lee Matalone joins the pod to discuss her debut novel, Homemaking, in a wide-ranging conversation on everything from reality TV to the current state of the literary scene. Topics include–MFA’s–Corporate side of writing–David Foster Wallace–Book Publishing–The state of the literary scene–Writing routines–why social media sucks–and more.*LINKS**Buy the Books*Homemaking by Lee Matalone: https://amzn.to/43HWcJRInfinite Jest by David Foster Wallace: https://amzn.to/3H15OYjFind More From Lee Matalone: http://www.leematalone.com/Join Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadt@Lee_Matalone https://x.com/Lee_MataloneInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/@livelaughleelee https://www.instagram.com/livelaughleelee/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Dec 18, 2022 • 2h 10min
#28 Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
Sophie gets her Hitler’s out after ye went on his Hitler tour while Andrew cries like a little bitch about how much he loves Christmas. Topics include–what’s the meaning of Christmas?–Humor in Dickens works–Redemption archetypes–Male pattern baldness–The Muppets Christmas Carol–Christmas tunes–and more. *LINKS**Buy the Books*A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: https://amzn.to/43yIGcjMore Books by Charles Dickens: https://amzn.to/4mjWajBJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Dec 4, 2022 • 1h 42min
#27 Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems
Allen Ginsberg, a prominent figure in beat literature, discusses his masterpiece 'Howl and Other Poems'. Topics include beat writers, banned books, the absence of counterculture in literature today, masculinity, book reputations, Ginsberg's influence, and more.

Nov 20, 2022 • 2h 20min
#26 Zoje Stage's Baby Teeth
Sophie talks love handles and low-rise jeans while Andrew simps for Jessica Biel. Both agree Britney Spears should still be under lock and key. Topics include–Literary vs Pop Fiction–ass crack exposure ratios–what makes a good horror story?–sex in novels–Zoje Stage’s career so far–disturbing scenes in books–and more*LINKS**Buy the Books*Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage: https://amzn.to/4jWGEZfMore Books by Zoje Stage: https://amzn.to/4j8ZJX9It by Stephen King: https://amzn.to/4k494RiJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Nov 6, 2022 • 2h 36min
#25 Carl Phillips Coin of the Realm
Sophie talks passionately about her true calling–waxing holes. While Andrew rants about aliens controlling the weather and denies climate change. Topics include: authority in writing–spirituality in art–identity politics in poetry–why the new critics are correct–balance in one's writing–and more.*LINKS**Buy the Books*Coin of the Realm by Carl Phillips: https://amzn.to/4dpPZqcThe Art of Daring by Carl Phillips: https://amzn.to/3S8Fo9hMore Books by Carl Phillips: https://amzn.to/3ZkK9k0Join Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*

Oct 23, 2022 • 1h 42min
#24 Bram Stoker's Dracula
Sophie gets bored while reading about Victorian-era drivel, while Andrew gets obsessed with the sexual nature of horror. Topics include Horror and Sex, Victorian-era niceties, Male brain vs Female brain, Dracula’s cultural legacy, monster stories and movies, structuring thriller fiction, and more. *LINKS**Buy the Books*Dracula by Bram Stoker: https://amzn.to/4mgAyVhFrankenstein by Mary Shelley: https://amzn.to/4mhc4LHMore Books by Bram Stoker: https://amzn.to/44ytzkeJoin Patreon or Substack for FREE!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Substack: https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Sign up for Andrew’s Newsletter for FREE! https://andrewwittstadt.substack.com/Contact us: heavyboredpodcast@gmail.comLeave a 5-Star Review on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-bored/id1617156706Follow Us!Twitter: @heavyboredpod https://x.com/HeavyBoredPod@AndrewWittstadt https://x.com/AndrewWittstadtInstagram:@heavybored https://www.instagram.com/heavybored/TikTok:@heavyboredpodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyboredpodcastYouTube:@heavybored https://www.youtube.com/@heavybored@heavyboredclips https://www.youtube.com/@heavyboredclips*when available, we use affiliate links*