Listen now | No, it wasn't the most important election of our lives (unless you're 18 months old). Plus: America's sweetheart is Steve Kornacki, "House of Spears" is the best article of the year, and shalom!
I am all for a 3rd, or 4th, or 5th party. But however much the D's and R's disagree, they strongly agree on passing election laws to make getting a third party on the ballot extremely difficult, in many states. I don't have much hope for those laws changing. Ranked choice voting might help, too.
I have to confess I've never heard of Steve Kornacki, sounds like a good guy! I guess I'd need to be watching cable TV news shows.
Since it had been a day or three since the last podcast, I've been re-listening to the first four episodes, before the podcast got its name and intro music. If you haven't listened to them before, they are well worth it; lots of interesting ground is covered. It reminded me how how I fell in love with the podcast.
Haven’t finished yet, but I remember reading that Bradbury story about the house. Love that story. I had forgotten it was Bradbury and where I read it, but it is so eerie and good.
I just listened to this episode and missed the open thread where Sarah was looking for essay, short story, and poem recommendations. I'm also not a huge poetry reader, but here are some essays and short stories I loved:
All of the essays in Charles D'Ambrosio's LOITERING are brilliant. I can't find any links to the essays here but it looks like the book is around $7 on Amazon.
Nancy: If you want to go dark re: Israel books, I recommend Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassination. Sounds like you’re already reading a book about spies, but this one’s pretty damn comprehensive. Looking forward to what you write! I grew up steeped in conservative Judaism, so even though I’m not religious at all these days, I have all sorts of contradictory feelings/thoughts on the topic.
I read through the show notes last night before listening, and I pored through the Britney Spears article before listening to the episode. So good! The sentence about women of a certain age remembering Britney’s walk is so true; I was pretty anti-pop music around that time, but I can still picture it perfectly.
Also, re: Oregon elections, I’m proud that I threw my governor vote away by voting for the independent. She was the only one who sounded remotely reasonable.
As a Canadian, I never thought I'd have so much to say about a podcast on American politics. However, what I have to say about this episode isn't about the politics part, just about everything else!
1) Sarah, get well soon! I was worried about both you and Nancy when we didn't hear from you so long. I'm not pleased that you have Covid, but pleased that a larger catastrophe has not befallen either of you.
2) Nancy, with the cats in Israel. Oh, my heart. I travelled a little bit in Jerusalem and I wanted to take every little cat home with me. It was also the first time I ever saw a female cat with swollen teats - in our society where we spay and neuter our pets, it was an unusual and interesting sight.
3) Sarah, I have never read any Ray Bradbury, but we just revisited the classic Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Pierce Brosnan voices the Simpsons' automated house and gets super inappropriate with Marge. Now I want to read the Bradbury story so that I can hear the automated house's voice in my head as Pierce Brosnan's, and also because I'm sure the story is worth reading for other reasons.
4) Yesterday was my birthday, and I received a generous gift card to Chapters (Canada's Barnes and Noble). I'm going to go today and get very spendy with it, and on my list is this month's issue of New York magazine so I can read the Britney article this evening in a bubble bath. I'm also going to look for the Nick Flynn memoir. Thank you so much for the recommendations.
Ugh. I voted for Hochul but am not happy about it. Dobbs got me to the polls last day of early voting. I surprised myself with the sense of obligation I felt. She will have learned nothing even though she really did get trounced by a Long Island twerp.
Sarah, thanks so much for including the Bradbury short story right in the shownotes. Are you reading a collection of Bradbury's stories? (I see there are a few collections available, including "100 of His Most Celebrated Tales".)
For Sarah's essay/short story/poetry list, I'd like to add the late Frank Deford, as I was just reminded of him while coming across a long story he wrote about Bill Russell.
Deford did a regular stint on NPR Morning Edition for many years; I would always try not to miss it. They are sports-oriented, of course, but they are good.
Good podcast! Sarah, get well soon!
I am all for a 3rd, or 4th, or 5th party. But however much the D's and R's disagree, they strongly agree on passing election laws to make getting a third party on the ballot extremely difficult, in many states. I don't have much hope for those laws changing. Ranked choice voting might help, too.
I have to confess I've never heard of Steve Kornacki, sounds like a good guy! I guess I'd need to be watching cable TV news shows.
Since it had been a day or three since the last podcast, I've been re-listening to the first four episodes, before the podcast got its name and intro music. If you haven't listened to them before, they are well worth it; lots of interesting ground is covered. It reminded me how how I fell in love with the podcast.
Okay, off to check out the show notes.
"I've got a head cold so please forgive me if you can hear that." -Sarah
So you sound MORE sultry than usual. OK, I think I can live with that.
" America needs the intervention of a cognitive behavioral therapist."
---Sarah Hepola.
Audible laughter heard in Mendota Heights, MN!
Haven’t finished yet, but I remember reading that Bradbury story about the house. Love that story. I had forgotten it was Bradbury and where I read it, but it is so eerie and good.
Here are two essays that have been important to me in these years of our woke overlords.
https://areomagazine.com/2016/12/29/why-i-no-longer-identify-as-a-feminist/
https://areomagazine.com/2017/02/15/the-problem-with-intersectional-feminism/
I just listened to this episode and missed the open thread where Sarah was looking for essay, short story, and poem recommendations. I'm also not a huge poetry reader, but here are some essays and short stories I loved:
Roger Ebert's essay he wrote not long before dying is perfect: https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/go-gentle-into-that-good-night
All of the essays in Charles D'Ambrosio's LOITERING are brilliant. I can't find any links to the essays here but it looks like the book is around $7 on Amazon.
Short stories: I love George Saunders and anything he writes. "The Semplica-Girl Diaries" (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/15/the-semplica-girl-diaries) and -"Civilwarland in Bad Decline" (https://www.ashevilleschool.org/uploaded/Parents/PDFS/Summer_Reading/Civilwarland-in-Bad-Decline-George-Saunders.pdf?1526650881706) are two of my favorites.
Anytime Karen Russell has a new short story, it is a cause for joy in my world. (https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/karen-russell)
Hope you feel better SOON, Sarah. 💜
Nancy: If you want to go dark re: Israel books, I recommend Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassination. Sounds like you’re already reading a book about spies, but this one’s pretty damn comprehensive. Looking forward to what you write! I grew up steeped in conservative Judaism, so even though I’m not religious at all these days, I have all sorts of contradictory feelings/thoughts on the topic.
I read through the show notes last night before listening, and I pored through the Britney Spears article before listening to the episode. So good! The sentence about women of a certain age remembering Britney’s walk is so true; I was pretty anti-pop music around that time, but I can still picture it perfectly.
Also, re: Oregon elections, I’m proud that I threw my governor vote away by voting for the independent. She was the only one who sounded remotely reasonable.
I meant to say this before but Nancy, your Hebrew accent is quite good.
"The most important election of your lifetime!" - yeah, if you're 18 months old...(Nancy)
So funny and so true!
As a Canadian, I never thought I'd have so much to say about a podcast on American politics. However, what I have to say about this episode isn't about the politics part, just about everything else!
1) Sarah, get well soon! I was worried about both you and Nancy when we didn't hear from you so long. I'm not pleased that you have Covid, but pleased that a larger catastrophe has not befallen either of you.
2) Nancy, with the cats in Israel. Oh, my heart. I travelled a little bit in Jerusalem and I wanted to take every little cat home with me. It was also the first time I ever saw a female cat with swollen teats - in our society where we spay and neuter our pets, it was an unusual and interesting sight.
3) Sarah, I have never read any Ray Bradbury, but we just revisited the classic Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Pierce Brosnan voices the Simpsons' automated house and gets super inappropriate with Marge. Now I want to read the Bradbury story so that I can hear the automated house's voice in my head as Pierce Brosnan's, and also because I'm sure the story is worth reading for other reasons.
4) Yesterday was my birthday, and I received a generous gift card to Chapters (Canada's Barnes and Noble). I'm going to go today and get very spendy with it, and on my list is this month's issue of New York magazine so I can read the Britney article this evening in a bubble bath. I'm also going to look for the Nick Flynn memoir. Thank you so much for the recommendations.
Great pod, as usual. Take care, ladies!
Ugh. I voted for Hochul but am not happy about it. Dobbs got me to the polls last day of early voting. I surprised myself with the sense of obligation I felt. She will have learned nothing even though she really did get trounced by a Long Island twerp.
New York Mag is so good! I love Jason Diamond’s food writing. Lots of New York culture stuff https://www.grubstreet.com/author/jason-diamond/
And, they have an interesting midterm breakdown interview with David Shor https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/11/election-results-who-won-the-midterms-david-shor.html
Sarah, thanks so much for including the Bradbury short story right in the shownotes. Are you reading a collection of Bradbury's stories? (I see there are a few collections available, including "100 of His Most Celebrated Tales".)
For Sarah's essay/short story/poetry list, I'd like to add the late Frank Deford, as I was just reminded of him while coming across a long story he wrote about Bill Russell.
https://www.si.com/nba/2014/08/15/bill-russell-boston-celtics-ring-leader-si-60-frank-deford
Deford did a regular stint on NPR Morning Edition for many years; I would always try not to miss it. They are sports-oriented, of course, but they are good.