The Socialist Shelf

Article Brain returns!Once again, we try to drive each other insane with articles, and this time both comes from close to home…Yeah scrapping all our institutions of public health is bad, but have you considered maybe they deserve it because sometimes doctors try to be trans inclusive? That’s what our first article seems to think.And then we talk about “The Department of War” name change and how words matter…so much that calling it “The Department of Defense” meant we hadn’t been doing anything bad before.

It’s a bonus episode!!Lenore sat down with Alec Karakatsanis, civil rights lawyer and author of the book, “Copaganda” and a newsletter by the same name, to talk about his writing, the deeply violent nature of the American police state, and the way our media plays an active role in carrying out police terrorGet Alec’s book here!Read Alec’s newsletter here!Cover art is the book’s cover.

The Sleepers? Yeah, I sure do feel sleepy trying to get through this damn book!The great Josh Boerman returns to the pod to talk about Matthew Gasda’s truly heinous 2025 novel, “The Sleepers.”We discuss the hack nature of the “post left,” the long 2016, and the strange enduring rage a certain type of guy holds for Chapo Trap House. We also get really, really mad because this book SUCKS dude.Josh is one of the podcasting GOATS, and as he’s now joined us five times we have elected to honor him with his own Socialist Shelf Bust. Shout out to @WeetleBeetle on Instagram for the art.Check out Josh’s show, Worst of All Possible Worlds. Also check out Josh’s other show, Ill Conceived.

It’s Iowa time.Josiah Sutton of Fruitless joins us to discuss John Darnielle’s (of “The Mountain Goats” tame) Midwestern Gothic semi-horror, “Universal Harvester.” Themes: Iowa, corn, VHS tapes, beer, loneliness, more Iowa.If you like our show, you’ll like Fruitless. Check it out now!Episode art is a whole lot going on at a barn

Hey! So due to some logistical issues and Covid-19 dunking on Lenore, this week’s episode will be late, but we still wanted to give you something to listen to for your Tuesday.Please enjoy this shameless self promo as Jacob reads the prologue and first chapter of his upcoming novel, “They Called Her Rebel.”Pre-order Jacob’s novel here!

More like capitalist fake-ism…This week we take on Mark Fisher’s 2009 philosophical work, “Capitalist Realism,” an explanation of the seeming all-encompassing, eternally-enduring, indestructible nature of capitalism (and the systems that propagate that myth).We are joined by filmmaker, writer, photographer, and Fisher-appreciator Jonathan Kennedy to break down what this book actually says vs. what the strange internet cult that formed around it seems to think it says, wrestle with its contradictions, and talk a little about pixel art.Check out Jonathan’s website (and all his phenomenal films!) hereYou can also follow him on Instagram and Bluesky @getradifiedMusic by SoloMonk, episode art is the spirits of Lenore and Jacob joining Mark Fisher himself in capital integration.

We're going roach mode.This week we cover Franz Kafka's 1915 classic, "The Metamorphosis," a story about a man getting straight up turned into a giant cockroach...bro still tries to go to work.We get into the life of Kafka and the challenges of life as a Jewish man in early century Austria-Hungary. We discuss his numerous complexes and obsessions and how they manifested in this book that would become a staple of classrooms everywhere.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) Episode art if from this great roach dance concert video.

Disclaimer: killing people is bad actually. Don't try Patrick Bateman's techniques at home.This week we check out Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 work of horror, "American Psycho." Join us as we dive into the absolute horrifying nihilism that is late century Wall Street and its logical conclusion: mass, indiscriminate torture and murder.We get into the elements of the book the film fails to capture, the author's own limitations politically, the genius of language, and some high quality fashion advice.While we don't quote the gnarliest bits of the book, this is a story that features rape and murder aplenty...so keep that in mind. No sweat if you need to skip this one.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is Jacob behaving poorly.

Welcome to a new subseries of The Socialist Shelf: Article Brain!Once a month, we'll take a break from the books for each of us to bring forward an article specifically designed to drive the other two insane. We'll read them, we'll laugh, we'll weep, we'll rage.This week we talk about: CNN's 2028 Democratic primary predictions, the NYT Opinion Section asking you to pleeeeeeaaaase stop protesting, and Newsweek's AI-fueled Trump glaze session.You've asked for more current events content, so here you go! Hope y'all enjoy.Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is us straight up dueling.

Y'all like socialism?Y'all like queers?Get ready for some...queer socialism!!Matéo Penado of the Rainbow Collective joins us to talk about Leslie Feinberg's 2008 collection, "Rainbow Solidarity: In Defense of Cuba," an analytical, journalistic, and educational analysis of the history of the queer liberation struggle since the socialist Cuban revolution of 1959.How did Cuba go from being hell on earth for queer people under capitalism to the kind of place that passes the most progressive family codes in the world in 2022? That's through the tireless work of the militant queer working class!Interested in the Rainbow Collective? Check it out here!Follow Matéo on Instagram here!Music by Solo Monk (@SoloMonk256 on Twitter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/solomonkart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,) episode art is "El Che Radiante" by Alfredo Rostgaard.