Shows
Two Month ReviewTMR 29.4: "What Principle Is Not a Prejudice?" [The Tunnel]As Kohler begins to dig his actual tunnel, Chad, Kaija, and Brian talk about Culp as a sort of döppelganger, complicity, the symbolism of a tunnel, losing one’s wedding ring, whether the breakup scene with Lou really took place, the formal constraints of dirty limericks, and much more. For all the daily fascism in the novel, the conversation about it is fun and funny, while teasing out various themes and exploring the core issues.This episode’s music is “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White.Next week we’ll cover the second section, “M...
2025-11-131h 01
Two Month ReviewTMR 29.3: "I Think He Was Loud Because He Was Alone" [The Tunnel]This week Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about the midwest as hell, locusts and tornados, one’s family and attempts to escape it, forms of love found in the book, aging (as always), History and history, Rilke, whether or not we “know” Kohler, and much more. It’s a fun, illuminating episode covering a section that, despite the exploding glass and wind, is a bit slower and more focused than the previous two.This episode’s music is “Whirring” by The Joy Formidable. Next week we’ll cover the second section, “We Have Not Lived the Right Life” (p...
2025-11-0654 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 29.2: "Our Proper Bliss Depends on What We Blame" [The Tunnel]On this week’s episode, Ted Morrissey (author, creator of The Tunnel at 25) joins Kaija, Brian, and Chad to talk about “Koh Whistles Up a Wind” and how to approach The Tunnel overall. (He also unveils what he thinks is Gass’s real masterpiece—you’ll have to listen to the end to find out.) They talk about the “trap” Gass set for reviewers, enticing them to identify him with Kohler, about the “milk crate edition,” and other aspects of the making of this novel, about the realization Ted has about page 92, and much more.This episode’s music is “Sincere” b...
2025-10-301h 16
Two Month ReviewTMR 29.1: "We Must Study the Fascism of the Heart" [The Tunnel]For this season of the Two Month Review, we’re leaving the sunny, paranoid skies of Pynchon’s California behind in favor of William Frederick Kohler’s study, where, instead of writing an introduction to his recently completed book, Guilt and Innocence in Hitler’s Germany, Kohler starts writing about his life and things that annoy him, about annoyances and disappointments, and about the awful aspects of ourselves that we never want to directly confront. In this particular episode, Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about Gass’s life and other writings and provide a general framework for anyone approaching this maste...
2025-10-231h 02
Two Month ReviewTMR 28.6: "Preparation H" [Vineland]Peter Coviello (Vineland Reread) joins Kaija, Brian, and Chad to talk about the ending of Vineland, how it compares to One Battle After Another, what the Thanatoids are, the sheer joy of reading Thomas Pynchon, and more. A very lively way to end the season filled with laughs and Coviello’s wonderful insights. Up next, for Season 29 is . . . you’ll have to wait and see. Announcement coming soon, but in the meantime, be on the lookout for a one-off episode about Pynchon’s new book, Shadow Ticket.This week’s music is “Maybelline” by Chuck Berry.
2025-10-021h 14
Two Month ReviewTMR 28.5: "Is This The Start of a Cheap Romance" [Vineland]For the penultimate episode of this season, Andrew Merritt of the Life on Books podcast joined Chad and Kaija to talk about the original arrangment between Vond, Frenesi, and Zoyd, about how, once again, this book is too prophetic in delineating our current situation, about misoneism, about postpartum depression, untested forms of therapy, etc. But the highlight is probably “Pynchon Character or Baseball Player?” featuring some of the wackiest names in all of . . . baseball? Pynchon? Both?This week’s music is “Pynchon Character or Baseball Player?,” which was fully made by AI as a joke.Next week...
2025-09-251h 11
Two Month ReviewTMR 28.4: "The People's Republic of Rock and Roll" [Vineland]Chad, Brian, and Kaija try to start out on a light note—goofing on the Phoenix children’s names—but things get deadly serious (pun intended) when they get into talking about Weed Atman’s murder on a college campus and how it’s brought into being thanks to our Big Bad, Brock Vond, and the government’s strategy of shutting down leftest hippies. They talk about forms of revolution, what works and doesn’t seem to, sneaking in political awareness via sit-com level humor, and more. It’s an odd episode given the chilling reality of life in September 2025...
2025-09-1858 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 28.3: "This Perhaps Demented Karmology Hustle" [Vineland]A bit of a digressive episode in which Brian, Kaija, and Chad discuss expectations and excitement, why Vineland is considered a “lesser” book of Pynchon’s, the inversion of cause and effect in Pynchon’s narratives, Thanatoids, Karmic grifting, DL’s adventures, the goofy sit-com logic and setups behind much of this book, and more.This week’s music is “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr.Next week we’ll be reading through page 267 (chapters 11 & 12), where we will learn more about Frenesi and the downfall of the 24fps, and will be forced, once again, to look at how Vineland mi...
2025-09-1159 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 28.2: "A Sort of Esalen Institute for Lady Asskickers" [Vineland]On this week’s episode, Chad, Kaija, and Brian discuss chapters 6–8 of Pynchon’s Vineland, three very episodic chapters featuring Frenesi and her family history, an Italian wedding in which Deleuze & Guatari get name-checked, and a visit to the Sisterhood of Kunoichi Attentives. Lots of fun and hijinks, some anti-binary, anti-computer sentiments, more fetishization of weapons, and some random (?) coincidences that start linking up our various characters.This week’s music is “Frenesi” by Artie Shaw.Next week we’ll be reading through page 191 (chapter 9) and getting deeper into Pynchon’s vision of the 60s and 80s and the...
2025-09-0459 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 28.1: "They Love it When You Owe Money" [Vineland]Our six-week discussion of Pynchon’s Vineland kicks off with a bang as Brian, Chad, and Kaija are joined by Rodrigo Fresán (author of Melvill, Mantra, The Part Trilogy, and who’s had four books featured on TMR) to breakdown the first five chapters of the book, although most of the time is spent introducing Pynchon’s world, illustrating how relevant this book is today (an ICE raid on an airplane, perhaps?), and what makes him such a fun author to read. Lots of laughs in this book and episode, after which, no one should be too intimidated to read...
2025-08-281h 00
Two Month ReviewTMR 27.7: "She, The Child, The Buddha" [Tomb of Sand]At long last we learn of Ma’s connection to Pakistan and Rosie, and the stories behind the Buddha featured in Part II and the chironji seeds. Chad, Kaija, and Brian break this down, reflect on how the information alters their understanding of all that came before, and how the shape of the novel is finally snapping into place. They also make predictions about what’s to come and try and figure out how years work. Next week’s episode will cover all of Tomb of Sand! (And, if all goes according to plan, will feature Daisy Rockwe...
2025-08-1453 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 27.6: "The Calculus Gets Scrambled" ["Tomb of Sand"]With Brian still settling in to his new digs, Chad and Kaija are left to take on the most unsettling section of Tomb of Sand so far—the death of Rosie and the discourse surrounding it. They do their best though, as the book gets very emotional, setting up Ma’s journey to Pakistan.And stay tuned after their conversation to hear a conversation with translator and professor Jason Grunebaum about SALT, South Asian literature, narrative styles, and more!Next week’s episode will cover up to Chapter 21 of Part III. Full schedule is available here...
2025-08-071h 10
Two Month ReviewTMR 27.5: "Translation Isn't Easy" [Tomb of Sand]Chad and Kaija go it alone this week, so there are a few more inside jokes than usual. (And a nod to the brilliant Knowledge Fight podcast.) But they also talk about this section of the book, which they both loved, breaking down each character, and what it’s like becoming like your parents and struggling with their aging. It’s a section buoyed by Rosie/Raza, and ends with what seems to be a turning point in the plot . . . Next week’s episode will cover up to Chapter 4 of Part III. Full schedule is available here. And yo...
2025-07-3157 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 27.4: "Rag-Tag Shoulder Sack-Toting Gang" [Tomb of Sand]After a blissful, quiet time in which Ma and Rosie Bua turn junk into Etsy projects, the chaos descends on Beti’s house—and the missing Buddha is found. And then Ma falls. Brian, Chad, and Kaija talk about these plot points, the lists and verbal trills that denote Shree’s style, the sections that they struggled with, and the pleasures of letting a wild, unpredictable novel of this sort just take over.Next week’s episode will cover up to Chapter 66 of Part II. Full schedule is available here. And you can purchase Tomb of Sand from Boo...
2025-07-2547 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 27.3: "And She Begins to Make Music" [Tomb of Sand]This week, Chad, Brian, and Kaija discuss their various reactions to the end of Part I and opening of Part II. They also revisit the idea of “meeting a book where it is”—via a discussion of the new Superman—along with the struggle to get a holistic picture of the book’s form and intent. They also get into the tonal differences between the parts, namely the chaos of Part I and the “sunny,” more singularly focused vibes of Part II. Next week’s episode will cover up to Chapter 45 of Part II. Full schedule is available here...
2025-07-1739 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 27.1: "Dude, Can't You Laugh?" [Tomb of Sand]Chad, Kaija, and Brian start of the new season featuring Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree and translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell by looking at the number of titles from Hindi (and all Indian languages) that have made their way into America and stereotypes about Indian literature the average American reader might have about Hindi fiction, before turning to discuss the fun, playful nature of the novel. Next episode will cover up to Part 1, Chapter 35. (Full reading schedule available here.)This week’s music is “The Sun Never Sets” by Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid.You...
2025-07-0354 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.9: "The Two Women Kissed and Separated " [The Golden Notebook]Kaija, Brian, and Chad reach “The Golden Notebook” inside of The Golden Notebook, and discuss the ways in which this novel push back against various interpretations, ways in which the world can break you, men and their microaggressions, men and their egotism and their I I I I, the ways in which this is and isn’t a feminist text, and more. The next season starts on July 3rd and will feature Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell. The full schedule is available here.After that, in September, season...
2025-06-271h 08
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.8: "I No Longer Had a Sense of Time" [The Golden Notebook]On this, the penultimate episode of the season, Kaija and Chad talk about Anna’s dissociation and dissolution, Saul Green and who he really is, narrative and societal traps, a room of one's own, and if Marion peacing out on her family makes her the most free woman in the book. They also realize mid-podcast the connection between the asterisked numbers the yellow and blue notebooks. This week’s music is Steve Reich’s “Jacob’s Ladder: II. Vayachalom (And he dreamed)” performed by the New York Philharmonic.You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spoti...
2025-06-1258 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.7: "And What Is the Next Stage?" [The Golden Notebook]In this episode, Kaija, Chad, and Brian talk about the really awful men in this book, along with fragmentation, fractals, and postmodernism talk as they struggle to remember which character is which (“is that Anna or Ella?”) and how to get a grasp on the whole of the novel. They also discuss placing things into firm categories, Jungian psychotherapy, grand narratives, and wonder: Will this novel end with a braiding together or a spinning apart?This week’s music is “Schizophrenia” by Sonic Youth.Next week’s episode will cover up to the start of “The Golden Not...
2025-06-0555 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.6: "The Dream Marked a Change in Anna" [The Golden Notebook]In this section, Chad, Brian, and Kaija go over "Free Women: 3," asking if anyone is truly free, along with the next excerpt from the "Black Notebook," which includes a significant number of dead pigeons. They talk about the overall fragmentation of this novel, its specific non-linear approach, what's "real" and what's a literary game, the humor found in the book, and who exactly is James?As Kaija calls out at the end of the podcast, the only possibility for this week’s music is “Kicking Pigeons” by [spunge].Next week’s episode will cover up to the s...
2025-05-291h 03
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.5: "Everything Will Be As Usual, In Fact" [The Golden Notebook]In this new episode covering up to page 352 of Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook, Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about the difficulty in keeping the various characters in the various notebooks straight—especially as the novel gets more recursive and hall of mirrors-like—the play with dates in the “Blue Notebook,” existential dread, fragmentation, and the breakdown of systems, how publishing works, the French, and more.This week’s music is “Jump Out” by Ezra Furman.You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.Follow Open Lett...
2025-05-2341 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.4: "You Can Be Very, Very Serious in a Musical" [The Golden Notebook]Is The Golden Notebook just novels all the way down? Brian, Kaija, and Chad talk about the idea that the “Free Women” sections of the book are just another novel, that Anna Wulf is disgusted by everything and parodies it in her notebooks, about generational distrust, colors, musicals, and more. They don’t talk about how the ending of “Free Women: 2” is a perfect TV cliffhanger, leading directly into a discussion of TV adaptations . . . This week’s music is “Drugstore Drastic” by Throwing Muses.You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get...
2025-05-1558 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.3: "Literature Is Analysis After the Event" [The Golden Notebook]Chad, Kaija, and Brian finish off the first "part" of Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook by looking at the Yellow Notebook (a novel called "The Shadow of the Third") and the Blue one (dreams, psychoanalysis, and newspaper clippings). They talk about the names, the constant doubling, the assumptions of what is "real" and what is "fiction," how men are awful, and more.This week’s music is “National Anthem” by Radiohead.Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the T...
2025-05-0848 min
Mining the Dalkey Archive PodcastSpecial Edition Podcast: The History of the NEA (and the Attacks on It)This is part one of a two part series (for now) on the National Endowment for the Arts and the, by now, much reported on letters that NEA grantees received on May 2nd, 2025 terminating or withdrawing their approved funding.In this scripted episode, Chad goes over much of the history of the founding of the NEA, its core mission, the “Culture Wars” in the 1990s, trying to articulate how things are different today, and essentially providing a primer on what the NEA is, what nonprofit publishing is, and what the termination of this funds and possible dissolution of t...
2025-05-051h 43
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.2: "Mashopi Hotel" [The Golden Notebook]Brian returns this podcast to talk about his initial thoughts, especially as they relate to postmodernism and fragmentation. In the rest of the episode Chad, Kaija, and Brian discuss Anna’s first entry in her “Black Notebook,” which focuses on the time she spent in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with her socialist friends, which is the material she remixed into her novel, Frontiers of War. Also: Go Timberwolves!This week’s music is “The Turning Ground” by The Tara Clerkin Trio.Next week’s episode will cover up to page 242 (up to “Free Women: 2”). You can find the complete...
2025-05-0151 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 26.1: "Chaos, That's the Point" [The Golden Notebook]This new season kicks off with a bit of an overview of Doris Lessing’s career and some of her fun quotes. Then, after getting into her 1971 introduction to The Golden Notebook (one of the best intros ever), Chad and Kaija dive into the first 80 pages, in which we’re introduced to Anna, Molly, Richard, and Tommy, along with the “Black Notebook.”This week’s music is “Communist Daughter” by Neutral Milk Hotel. All previous seasons of TMR are available on our YouTube channel (this episode can be found here) and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. Please ra...
2025-04-241h 02
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.9: "Discipline and Anarchy" [Empire of the Senseless]Chad—the world’s biggest Kathy Acker stan?—Brian, and Kaija finish up their discussion of Kathy Acker’s Empire of the Senseless looking for possibly pathways to a better life, such as, becoming a pirate or joining a motorcycle game. They talk about Acker’s work as a map, they discuss the three-part structure, and, finally, Huckleberry Finn appears, tying this book back into James . . .They also announce the next three seasons of the Two Month Review. All the information will be posted next week, but as a bit of a teaser, Season 26 features a Nobel Prize winn...
2025-04-101h 01
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.8: "The USA Is a Dead Nation" [Empire of the Senseless]Chad doubles down on his love of Kathy Acker while Kaija continues to be unamused, and Brian sits somewhere in the middle. Nevertheless, this leads to a great discussion about revolution, if it felt rebellious reading Acker back in the 90s, forms of oppression (government, the uber-wealthy, language), and how the only escape seems to be by motorcycle or pirate ship. This week’s music is “Rebel Girl” from Bikini Kill.Next week we’ll be talking about the final part of Empire of the Senseless—and announcing the next three seasons of TMR . . .All prev...
2025-04-0355 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.7: "This Fortune Stuff Is Bullshit" [Empire of the Senseless]This episode is the one to listen to if you find Empire of the Senseless/Kathy Acker distasteful, unpleasant to read, a slog, hard going, etc. That summarizes Kaija’s experience, whereas Chad argues for the value in books that refuse to get in line, and Brian talks about why Acker is so divisive. If you’re not reading along, this episode is a great summary of why Acker is lauded, while also copping to the extreme nature of her prose. Also: Can one subvert language using language—even of the nonsensical variety?This week’s music is “Tota...
2025-03-2852 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.6: "It Was a Dark Night for Pirates" [Empire of the Senseless]The second part of this season of the Two Month Review kicks off with a bang as Chad, Brian, and Kaija shift to talking about Kathy Acker and her Empire of the Senseless. It’s Kaija’s first exposure to Acker, so a lot of time is spent explaining where Acker came from, her aesthetic approach, the political moment of the mid-80s (and how that connects to now), elements of her life that frequently get remixed into her works, and various forms of plagiarism. This week’s music is “Empire of the Senseless” from the Mekons.Next...
2025-03-201h 06
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.5: "I Was Befriending My Anger" [James]First off: Congrats to Rodrigo Fresán & Will Vanderhyden for winning this year’s Republic of Consciousness Prize for Melvill!!! If you didn’t listen to our season on this novel, I suggest going back to it—and ordering a copy of the book from Open Letter.This week, Chad, Brian, and Kaija go over the last part of James by Percival Everett and all love the ending and the philosophical challenges it presents. The whole book gets slightly reframed, and the appreciation of Everett’s craft deepens.This week’s music is “Reset” and “How it Breaks” fr...
2025-03-1459 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.4: "Obvious Confidence Scheme" [James]In the penultimate episode on Percival Everett's James, Chad, Kaija, and Brian discuss how unnerving Part II is to read (especially in relation to Brock), the choices that James is left with, the extended metaphor running throughout this part, the bits of humor in this book that's primarily filled with horrors, and much much more.This week's music is "Foot on Necks" by Sault.Next week we’ll cover part III of James and discuss the book as a whole. You can find the complete reading schedule for this season here.All previous se...
2025-03-0651 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.2: "With My Pencil, I Wrote Myself into Being" [JAMES]In this episode, Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about the role of James as a writer, how long James will parallel Adventures of Huck Finn, the geography of the U.S., and the malicious intent of people in power, con men, father figures, Huck and James’s relationship, and much more.This week's music is "Can’t Get Enough of It" by Sprints.Next week we’ll cover pages 124-185 (through the end of Part I) of James. You can find the complete reading schedule here.All previous seasons of TMR are available on our...
2025-02-201h 06
Two Month ReviewTMR 25.1: "Papa, why do we have to learn this?" [JAMES]The 25th season of the Two Month Review will dive into two books related to the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, starting with Percival Everett’s highly praised, award-winning, James. This week Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about Huck Finn, the language games in the opening chapters of the novel, discuss masks, grifters, how the two books intersect, and much more. This week's music is "Request Denied" by El-P.Next week we’ll cover pages 60-123 of James. You can find the complete reading schedule here. All previous seasons of TMR are available on our...
2025-02-131h 00
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.10: "What Comes Next Is What Remains" [Melvill]Special guest Rodrigo Fresán joins Brian, Chad, and Kaija to celebrate being on the Republic of Consciousness longlist, talk about his novels, his career, the ideas he circles back to time and again, the idea of a writer creating their reader, what’s next for him, and much more. Also: The books for Season 25 are announced at the very end.The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy.This week's music is "Colorado River" by Shovels & Rope.Stay tuned for the schedule and details about Season 25, coming in...
2025-01-161h 14
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.9: "I Hate Thinking about Thinking about Myself Like This" [Melvill]In the penultimate episode of this season, there’s a lot of talk about Melville’s relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne as we get more of Melville’s life as he bounces through time, writes Moby-Dick and the creation of “its own kind of reader: an inexhaustible reader. A reader that didn’t yet exist . . .” The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy. Next episode will be next week at the regularly scheduled time and will cover the end of Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill. You can find the full reading schedule here. This week's musi...
2025-01-1153 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.8: "Fampiro" [Melvill][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. And this one if you listen on Spotify. The others will be going away in the near future.] On the final episode of 2024, Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about Nico C. and being unmoored from time, last words, footnotes and ellipses, some highlights from the past year, ice, and more. The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy. Next episode will be next week at the regularly scheduled time and will cover pages 189-245 of Rodrigo Fresán's Me...
2025-01-111h 01
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.9: "I Hate Thinking about Thinking about Myself Like This" [Melvill]In the penultimate episode of this season, there’s a lot of talk about Melville’s relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne as we get more of Melville’s life as he bounces through time, writes Moby-Dick and the creation of “its own kind of reader: an inexhaustible reader. A reader that didn’t yet exist . . .”The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy.Next episode will be next week at the regularly scheduled time and will cover the end of Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill. You can find the full reading schedule here.This week's...
2025-01-1053 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.8: "Fampiro" [Melvill]On the final episode of 2024, Chad, Brian, and Kaija talk about Nico C. and being unmoored from time, last words, footnotes and ellipses, some highlights from the past year, ice, and more. The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy.Next episode will be next week at the regularly scheduled time and will cover pages 189-245 of Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill. You can find the full reading schedule here.This week's music is "Water" by Ra Ra Riot.You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our Y...
2024-12-311h 01
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.7: "The White Delirium" [Melvill][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please subscribe to this feed.] Lori Feathers (Across the Pond podcast, Involutions of the Seashell, Interabang Books, and Republic of Consciousness Prize USA) joins Chad and Kaija to talk about prizes—Melvill is longlisted for the NBCC Greg Barrios Prize for Translated Literature!—the narrative structure of Melvill, Nico C., and vampires. A lot of fun is had along the way. The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy. Next episode will be in TWO WEEKS and will cover pages 123-188 of Rodrigo Fresán's...
2024-12-201h 14
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.7: "The White Delirium" [Melvill]Lori Feathers (Across the Pond podcast, Involutions of the Seashell, Interabang Books, and Republic of Consciousness Prize USA) joins Chad and Kaija to talk about prizes—Melvill is longlisted for the NBCC Greg Barrios Prize for Translated Literature!—the narrative structure of Melvill, Nico C., and vampires. A lot of fun is had along the way.The "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt is still available and still sexy.Next episode will be in TWO WEEKS and will cover pages 123-188 of Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill. You can find the full reading schedule here.This week...
2024-12-201h 14
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.6: "Liquidate It At Cost" [Melvill][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. The other one will be going away in the near future.] With Melville's Fidèle receding into the dark distance, we turn our attention to Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill, a bombastic book about Alan Melvill and Herman and the passing down of stories from one generation to the next. On this special episode, translator Will Vanderhyden joins Brian, Chad, and Kaija to talk about translating Fresán, about the style and word play found in his books, about the footnotes, about what's to come. They also t...
2024-12-131h 20
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.6: "Liquidate It At Cost" [Melvill]With Melville's Fidèle receding into the dark distance, we turn our attention to Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill, a bombastic book about Alan Melvill and Herman and the passing down of stories from one generation to the next. On this special episode, translator Will Vanderhyden joins Brian, Chad, and Kaija to talk about translating Fresán, about the style and word play found in his books, about the footnotes, about what's to come. They also talk about the line connecting this to Confidence-Man, and how to read footnotes. And about the interplay between two narratorial voices in this first par...
2024-12-131h 20
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.5: "Very Charming." [Confidence-Man][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. The other one will be going away in the near future.] Chad, Brian, and Kaija venture into the darkness and turn off the light on Melville's The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, one of the oddest, most slippery books to be included in the Two Month Review. They talk about transcendentalism, self-reliance, Melville's interludes, Jean Giono's Melville, and more. And here's the "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt mentioned in this episode. Next episode will cover pages 1-61 of Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill. You can find...
2024-12-061h 03
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.5: "Very Charming." [Confidence-Man]Chad, Brian, and Kaija venture into the darkness and turn off the light on Melville's The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade, one of the oddest, most slippery books to be included in the Two Month Review. They talk about transcendentalism, self-reliance, Melville's interludes, Jean Giono's Melville, and more.And here's the "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt mentioned in this episode.Next episode will cover pages 1-61 of Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill. You can find the full reading schedule here.This week's music is "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" by The National.You c...
2024-12-051h 03
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.4: "How Unreal All This Is!" [Confidence-Man][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. The other one will be going away in the near future.] Opening with a couple of rants, this week's podcast is spicy and also tries to make sense of a few of the more perplexing parts of the book. There's a wonderful interlude in this section from the narrator themselves, and, apparently, nine jokes? And a magic trick involving coins. You'll have to listen to understand. And here's the "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt mentioned in this episode. This week's music is "...
2024-11-291h 04
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.4: "How Unreal All This Is!" [Confidence-Man]Opening with a couple of rants, this week's podcast is spicy and also tries to make sense of a few of the more perplexing parts of the book. There's a wonderful interlude in this section from the narrator themselves, and, apparently, nine jokes? And a magic trick involving coins. You'll have to listen to understand.And here's the "Grifters Gonna Grift" t-shirt mentioned in this episode.This week's music is "Jealousy" by Phantogram.Next episode will cover all of of The Confidence-Man. You can find the full reading schedule here.You...
2024-11-271h 04
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.3: "You Are a Punster" [Confidence-Man][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. The other one will be going away in the near future.]"Grifters Gonna Grift" merchandise coming soon! This episode exposes just how useful footnotes can be as we transition from dusk to darkness, with the confidence-men being replaced by the Cosmopolitan. Under Discussion: The WWE, how nothing ever changes, the New Adam, land ownership, stripping people of their "humanity," cognative fallacies, peace pipes, and more.This week's music is "The Ballad of the Costa Concordia" by Car Seat Headrest.Next episode...
2024-11-211h 00
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.2: "Trust Me, Nature Is Health" [Confidence-Man][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. The other one will be going away in the near future.] Chad and Kaija go it alone this week, talking about some of the more uncomfortable parts of the book to read in 2024, the Goneril story and the "evil touch," how almost every beat in this novel has a counterpart, the wonderful authorial intrusion discussing the "consistency" of characters, and, with glee in their hearts, the Herb-Doctor. This week's music is "Is This What I Have Missed?" by Jerome Blazé. Next e...
2024-11-151h 04
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.2: "Trust Me, Nature Is Health" [Confidence-Man][Note: If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, please resubscribe to this feed. The other one will be going away in the near future.]Chad and Kaija go it alone this week, talking about some of the more uncomfortable parts of the book to read in 2024, the Goneril story and the "evil touch," how almost every beat in this novel has a counterpart, the wonderful authorial intrusion discussing the "consistency" of characters, and, with glee in their hearts, the Herb-Doctor. This week's music is "Is This What I Have Missed?" by Jerome Blazé.Next ep...
2024-11-141h 04
Mining the Dalkey Archive PodcastTwo Month Review: "The Confidence-Man" by Herman Melville (ep. 1)Not the happiest day in which to record a podcast, but Chad, Brian, and Kaija speak their fears and then dive into Melville’s Confidence-Man, talking about grifters, the value of footnotes, and just how modern and amazing Melville’s prose is. They guess at who the “confidence man” might be, the burnt over district of western New York, Mormons, and a lot more.This week’s music is “All Bets Are Off” by Japandroids.Next episode will cover Chapters 10-19 of The Confidence-Man. You can find the full reading schedule here.You can find all prev...
2024-11-1359 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 24.1: "May I Ask if You Have Confidence?" [Confidence-Man]Not the happiest day in which to record a podcast, but Chad, Brian, and Kaija speak their fears and then dive into Melville's Confidence-Man, talking about grifters, the value of footnotes, and just how modern and amazing Melville's prose is. They guess at who the "confidence man" might be, the burnt over district of western New York, Mormons, and a lot more. This week's music is "All Bets Are Off" by Japandroids. Next episode will cover Chapters 10-19 of The Confidence-Man. You can find the full reading schedule here. You can find all pre...
2024-11-0759 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 24.1: "May I Ask if You Have Confidence?" [Confidence-Man]Not the happiest day in which to record a podcast, but Chad, Brian, and Kaija speak their fears and then dive into Melville's Confidence-Man, talking about grifters, the value of footnotes, and just how modern and amazing Melville's prose is. They guess at who the "confidence man" might be, the burnt over district of western New York, Mormons, and a lot more. This week's music is "All Bets Are Off" by Japandroids. Next episode will cover Chapters 10-19 of The Confidence-Man. You can find the full reading schedule here. You can find all prev...
2024-11-0759 min
Two Month ReviewTMR Supplement #2: "Joytime Killbox" by Brian WoodAfter referencing Joytime Killbox on hundreds of TMR episodes, we finally break it down with the author himself! Conversation includes ideas about short stories and how they function, the nature of endings, and how Brian has grown as a writer since this collection first came out, while also examining the intent behind a number of the stories, and how they work. This week's music is "All My Friends" by Broken Social Scene. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. Please rate and review! It hel...
2024-10-311h 09
Three Percent PodcastTMR Supplement #1: "Dear Dickhead" by Virginie Despentes & Frank WynneOn the first ever one-off episode of the Two Month Review, Chad breaks down Virginie Despentes's Dear Dickhead for Kaija and Brian, a novel about . . . well, just listen. (It'll be more fun if you don't know what's coming.) This new format really digs into the book in a way that you can't in (to quote Zoé Katana) "lamestream media," and, simply put, rocks. This week's music is "Cannonball" by Grouplove. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone el...
2024-10-161h 18
Two Month ReviewTMR Supplement #1: "Dear Dickhead" by Virginie Despentes & Frank WynneOn the first ever one-off episode of the Two Month Review, Chad breaks down Virginie Despentes's Dear Dickhead for Kaija and Brian, a novel about . . . well, just listen. (It'll be more fun if you don't know what's coming.) This new format really digs into the book in a way that you can't in (to quote Zoé Katana) "lamestream media," and, simply put, rocks. This week's music is "Cannonball" by Grouplove. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone els...
2024-10-151h 18
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.9: "My Maps Are Out of Date" [Lanark]It all gets wrapped up with a "Catastrophe,." "Explanation," an "End," and a "Tailpiece." Chad, Brian, and Kaija discuss global capitalism, the fight for love and the be human, AI, the Bardo, and much more on this final episode of Season 23. Listen to the end for an announcement about changes to the podcast and what to look for going forward! This week's music is "When I Was Dying" by Dan Deacon. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before a...
2024-08-1655 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.9: "My Maps Are Out of Date" [Lanark]It all gets wrapped up with a "Catastrophe,." "Explanation," an "End," and a "Tailpiece." Chad, Brian, and Kaija discuss global capitalism, the fight for love and the be human, AI, the Bardo, and much more on this final episode of Season 23. Listen to the end for an announcement about changes to the podcast and what to look for going forward! This week's music is "When I Was Dying" by Dan Deacon. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before a...
2024-08-1655 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.8: "The Critic Fights Back" [Lanark]From the Olympics to the most meta moment of the whole of Lanark, this week's podcast has you covered! Brian, Chad, and Kaija banter about divorce, plagiarisms versus influences, and how to read this book as a whole. There are a ton of amazing lines throughout this section of the novel, making this one of the most fun episodes of the season. This week's music is "Entropy" by El Ten Eleven. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before an...
2024-08-091h 12
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.8: "The Critic Fights Back" [Lanark]From the Olympics to the most meta moment of the whole of Lanark, this week's podcast has you covered! Brian, Chad, and Kaija banter about divorce, plagiarisms versus influences, and how to read this book as a whole. There are a ton of amazing lines throughout this section of the novel, making this one of the most fun episodes of the season. This week's music is "Entropy" by El Ten Eleven. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before an...
2024-08-091h 12
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.7: "Not a Domestic Man" [Lanark]The reviews were right: Once you hit page 410, the Unthank sections of Lanark snap into place. Chad, Brian, and Kaija discuss that, capitalism, how terrible advertisements are, jobs, J.D. Vance and his proclivities, politics, unintended consequences, and how Deadpool & Wolverine is the Kamala Harris of film. This week's music is "Hollywood" by Car Seat Headrest. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with the hosts, etc. And p...
2024-08-0252 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.7: "Not a Domestic Man" [Lanark]The reviews were right: Once you hit page 410, the Unthank sections of Lanark snap into place. Chad, Brian, and Kaija discuss that, capitalism, how terrible advertisements are, jobs, J.D. Vance and his proclivities, politics, unintended consequences, and how Deadpool & Wolverine is the Kamala Harris of film. This week's music is "Hollywood" by Car Seat Headrest. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with the hosts, etc. And pl...
2024-08-0252 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23:6 "Upon This Spot King Edward Had Lunch After Stalking" [Lanark]If you want to send Chad through the roof, simple crap on his conceptual publishing project five years in the making . . . To that end, everyone reading this should preorder Attila by Javier Serena and Attila by Aliocha Coll and prove our distributor wrong. And then, after you do that, listen to this discussion about art and audience, the frontispiece for Book 4 of Lanark, parallax views expressed in the novel, the pull (or non-pull) of the Unthank sections, and much more. This week's music is "I Touch" by Jockstrap. You can find all previous seasons of TMR...
2024-07-261h 11
Two Month ReviewTMR 23:6 "Upon This Spot King Edward Had Lunch After Stalking" [Lanark]If you want to send Chad through the roof, simple crap on his conceptual publishing project five years in the making . . . To that end, everyone reading this should preorder Attila by Javier Serena and Attila by Aliocha Coll and prove our distributor wrong. And then, after you do that, listen to this discussion about art and audience, the frontispiece for Book 4 of Lanark, parallax views expressed in the novel, the pull (or non-pull) of the Unthank sections, and much more. This week's music is "I Touch" by Jockstrap. You can find all previous seasons of TMR o...
2024-07-261h 11
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.5: "His Brain Rotten with Resentful Dreams" [Lanark]Duncan Thaw feels like he's on the brink in this week's episode which includes conversations about incels, kind fathers, painting and art, perfection and Aliocha Coll, and much more. This week's music is "Here's Your Future" by The Thermals. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with the hosts, etc. And please subcribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. ...
2024-07-2254 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.4: “Homo A Se Coctum Esumque Crustum Est Hoc Fecit Separation” [Lanark]Chad and Brian break down the loss of Duncan Thaw's mother, his entrance into art school, his reasons for creating art, religious imagery throughout the book, fathers who are better than Bandit, mispronounciations, the "engine" that drive the two distinct parts of this novel, and much more. This week's music is "It's All Gonna Break" by Broken Social Scene. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with t...
2024-07-1250 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.4: “Homo A Se Coctum Esumque Crustum Est Hoc Fecit Separation” [Lanark]Chad and Brian break down the loss of Duncan Thaw's mother, his entrance into art school, his reasons for creating art, religious imagery throughout the book, fathers who are better than Bandit, mispronounciations, the "engine" that drive the two distinct parts of this novel, and much more. This week's music is "It's All Gonna Break" by Broken Social Scene. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with t...
2024-07-1250 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.3: "Normal Underworlds" [Lanark]Come for the book discussion, stay for Thaw's unproven remedies for asthma! One of the most fun, and conventional, sections of the book so far, Chad, Kaija, and Brian follow Duncan Thaw through his childhood, discussing his reasonable dad, why math sucks, school journals, and a tinge of sinister violence that might presage things to come. This week's music is "Isimo" by Bleachers. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity t...
2024-06-281h 03
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.3: "Normal Underworlds" [Lanark]Come for the book discussion, stay for Thaw's unproven remedies for asthma! One of the most fun, and conventional, sections of the book so far, Chad, Kaija, and Brian follow Duncan Thaw through his childhood, discussing his reasonable dad, why math sucks, school journals, and a tinge of sinister violence that might presage things to come. This week's music is "Isimo" by Bleachers. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity t...
2024-06-281h 03
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.2: "Can He Help Lanark Out of Hell?" [Lanark]As mentioned from the top, we had severe technical difficulties, so the sound quality on this is janky. (Mostly Chad's voice is quiet, which, for many, is likely to be a relief.) Nevertheless Chad and Kaija power on, talking about "The Institute" as a metaphor, the allusions to Duncan Thaw, dragons, dragon scales as metaphor, the prologue and stories within stories, and then the opening "quest" of "Book One." This week's music is "Holy Moly" by Young Fathers. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Pa...
2024-06-211h 04
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.2: "Can He Help Lanark Out of Hell?" [LANARK]As mentioned from the top, we had severe technical difficulties, so the sound quality on this is janky. (Mostly Chad's voice is quiet, which, for many, is likely to be a relief.) Nevertheless Chad and Kaija power on, talking about "The Institute" as a metaphor, the allusions to Duncan Thaw, dragons, dragon scales as metaphor, the prologue and stories within stories, and then the opening "quest" of "Book One." This week's music is "Holy Moly" by Young Fathers. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Pa...
2024-06-211h 04
Three Percent PodcastTMR 23.1: "Book Three" [Lanark]Mostly a set-up episode about Alasdair Gray and Lanark, in which Chad, Kaija, and Brian discuss the introduction (weird), the start of the novel (which opens with "Book 3"), the influence of Dante's Divine Comedy and Kafka, and much more. There are some good laughs, a bit of insight into where we are, all building toward next week's episode, which will finish Book Three, cover the Prologue, and start Book One. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along wi...
2024-06-141h 00
Two Month ReviewTMR 23.1: "Book Three" [Lanark]Mostly a set-up episode about Alasdair Gray and Lanark, in which Chad, Kaija, and Brian discuss the introduction (weird), the start of the novel (which opens with "Book 3"), the influence of Dante's Divine Comedy and Kafka, and much more. There are some good laughs, a bit of insight into where we are, all building toward next week's episode, which will finish Book Three, cover the Prologue, and start Book One. This week's music is "Anna" by Will Butler, the video for which features Emma Stone. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouT...
2024-06-141h 00
Three Percent PodcastTMR 22.10: "Butterfly Coma" [Praiseworthy]Praiseworthy ends with some praise, a bit of exhaustion, questions about satire and the ending, and a dirty phrase Chad can't quit competing. Then there's the TMR Class Draft in which Chad, Kaija, and Brian each selected five previous TMR titles to create imaginary classes: "Dismal Lady Stuff," "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor," and "Laying Brick." Now it's up to you to choose which class "wins." Fill out this survey and we'll analyze the results in June when we return for Season 23, Lanark by Alasdair Gray. This week's music is "One Milkali (One Blood)" from Electric Fie...
2024-05-1344 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 22.10: "Butterfly Coma" [Praiseworthy]Praiseworthy ends with some praise, a bit of exhaustion, questions about satire and the ending, and a dirty phrase Chad can't quit competing. Then there's the TMR Class Draft in which Chad, Kaija, and Brian each selected five previous TMR titles to create imaginary classes: "Dismal Lady Stuff," "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor," and "Laying Brick." Now it's up to you to choose which class "wins." Fill out this survey and we'll analyze the results in June when we return for Season 23, Lanark by Alasdair Gray. This week's music is "One Milkali (One Blood)" from Electric Fiel...
2024-05-1144 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 22.9: "One Donkey at a Time" [Praiseworthy]Like a first time marathon runner, Chad, Brian, and Kaija are losing steam this season, but persist in talking about the book and their mixed feelings. They do learn some things about donkeys and mules though! And they set up next week's game: each co-host will draft five books from the twenty-two seasons of the podcast which would constitute a reading list (and listening list) for a college class. Then, y'all get to vote on which class you'd be most excited to take. Tune in live next week—it's going to be wild. This week's music is "B...
2024-05-0650 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 22.9: "One Donkey at a Time" [Praiseworthy]Like a first time marathon runner, Chad, Brian, and Kaija are losing steam this season, but persist in talking about the book and their mixed feelings. They do learn some things about donkeys and mules though! And they set up next week's game: each co-host will draft five books from the twenty-two seasons of the podcast which would constitute a reading list (and listening list) for a college class. Then, y'all get to vote on which class you'd be most excited to take. Tune in live next week—it's going to be wild. This week's music is "B.I...
2024-05-0650 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 22.8: "Madder Than White Heat" [Praiseworthy]Little discussion of Priaseworthy in this episode. Instead there's a longer discussion about publishing, art, sales, how do these books get made?, favorite lines, future games, and much more. It's a 20,000 foot view of book culture with an emphasis on success, investment, and more. Enjoy! This week's music is "Pedestrian at Best" from Aussie musical savant Courtney Barnett. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with the ho...
2024-04-2759 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 22.7: "@CheapIllegalPeopleSmuggler" [Praiseworthy]Talk of Australian cartoons—and not just Bluey—morphs into a look at several specific passages in Wright's Praiseworthy, discussion what makes the book "difficult" to read, the style of humor, what pushes us away from the text and then re-grabs out attention, and much more. This week's music is "Frontier Psychiatrist" from The Avalanches. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel and you can support us at Patreon and get bonus content before anyone else, along with other rewards, the opportunity to easily communicate with the hosts, etc. And please...
2024-04-2358 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 22.6: "Nuisance Bugger Donkeys" [Praiseworthy]Chad and Kaija make up this week's panel as they play the "Slang Game," then discuss the elliptical meta-structure of the book and how this impacts their reading and the book's effectiveness. They also discuss Sam Rutter's New York Times review of the novel, addressing the difficulties of discussing the workings of the text itself given the burden of having to contextualize so much for a foreign audience. This week's music is "Under the Milky Way" from The Church, one of Australia's most widely known bands. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on ou...
2024-04-121h 00
Two Month ReviewTMR 22.6: "Nuisance Bugger Donkeys" [Praiseworthy]Chad and Kaija make up this week's panel as they play the "Slang Game," then discuss the elliptical meta-structure of the book and how this impacts their reading and the book's effectiveness. They also discuss Sam Rutter's New York Times review of the novel, addressing the difficulties of discussing the workings of the text itself given the burden of having to contextualize so much for a foreign audience. This week's music is "Under the Milky Way" from The Church, one of Australia's most widely known bands. You can find all previous seasons of TMR on ou...
2024-04-121h 00
Three Percent PodcastTMR 22.4: "Devotion to Off-Grid Religions" [Praiseworthy]Emmett Stinson (Murnane) joins Chad W. Post and Kaija Straumanis this week to educate us about Australian culture and literature and things we should keep in mind while reading Praiseworthy. He also participates in a round of the world-famous trivia game: "Australian Baseball Player or Indigenous Australian Writer?" There is, of course, Bluey talk and cuck jokes, along with analysis of the end of "The Censer." This week's music is "Pinball Lez," the original intro music to Bluey, by Custard, fronted by David McCormack who you might know as the voice of Bandit. For more of...
2024-03-2956 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 22.4: "Devotion to Off-Grid Religions" [Praiseworthy]Emmett Stinson (Murnane) joins Chad W. Post and Kaija Straumanis this week to educate us about Australian culture and literature and things we should keep in mind while reading Praiseworthy. He also participates in a round of the world-famous trivia game: "Australian Baseball Player or Indigenous Australian Writer?" There is, of course, Bluey talk and cuck jokes, along with analysis of the end of "The Censer." This week's music is "Pinball Lez," the original intro music to Bluey, by Custard, fronted by David McCormack who you might know as the voice of Bandit. For more of...
2024-03-2956 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 21.3: "Wildwording" [Same Bed Different Dreams]Protect yourself: There's a chance you'll catch Chad's illness simply by listening to this episode. An episode in which he tries to recap a number of elements of the book—the 2333 game, the louse, wildwording—to Kaija Straumanis amid coughing fits and a dissolving brain. He also shares the most bizarre dream he's ever had, which is something else. This week's music is "Gospel for a New Century" by Yves Tumor. Whose 2023 album, Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is quite brilliant. You can find all previ...
2023-12-231h 20
Two Month ReviewTMR 21.3: "Wildwording" [Same Bed Different Dreams]Protect yourself: There's a chance you'll catch Chad's illness simply by listening to this episode. An episode in which he tries to recap a number of elements of the book—the 2333 game, the louse, wildwording—to Kaija Straumanis amid coughing fits and a dissolving brain. He also shares the most bizarre dream he's ever had, which is something else. This week's music is "Gospel for a New Century" by Yves Tumor. Whose 2023 album, Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is quite brilliant. You can find all previo...
2023-12-231h 20
Two Month ReviewTMR 19.11 "Exit and No Return and Gone Forever" [THE REMEMBERED PART]Kaija Straumanis guest stars on this episode in which we discuss brain tumors, memory loss, the true story behind the story of The Impossible Story sending the exwriter into exile, whether of not Saint George is a saint (and dragons), paternity, and the next Fresán book to come out from Open Letter, Melvill. This week's music is "UFO" by Veps. Next week we'll be finishing the book (full schedule), and you can watch it live here, or by subscribing to our YouTube channel. You can purchase each of the books in the trilog...
2023-07-2951 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 19.3: "DREAM + MEMORY = INVENTION" [THE REMEMBERED PART]Kaija Straumanis pinch hits this week for a discussion about Lost, airplanes, the past and nostalgia, writers vs. narrators, autofiction, how hard it is to sustain a rant, ghosts, pop culture references, where we are in Fresán's trilogy, and much more. The Remembered Part keeps gathering steam, and you'll want to catch up after listening to this so that you can be there for the explosive conclusion to one of the century's greatest literary trilogies. This week's music is "Tropic Morning News" by The National. Next week we'll be covering pages 144-204 (full schedule), and...
2023-06-0253 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 18.7: "I Would Like To Exhaust the Limits of the Possible" [Ann Quin]Kaija Straumanis filled in for a domestically distressed Brian, and Chad went all psych0-philosophical on this week's episode, talking about schizoid personality splits, R. D. Laing, reading the various parts of Passages simultaneously, postulating wild hot takes, and saying "fuck off" to a wide swath of bad actors. (Looking at you, Kanye.) This week's music is "Outlook for the Future" by Inventions. You can watch next week's discussion of Tripticks live on YouTube. (Reading schedule can be found here.) And you can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel. A...
2022-12-101h 00
Two Month ReviewTMR 18.7: "I Would Like To Exhaust the Limits of the Possible" [Ann Quin]Kaija Straumanis filled in for a domestically distressed Brian, and Chad went all psych0-philosophical on this week's episode, talking about schizoid personality splits, R. D. Laing, reading the various parts of Passages simultaneously, postulating wild hot takes, and saying "fuck off" to a wide swath of bad actors. (Looking at you, Kanye.) This week's music is "Outlook for the Future" by Inventions. You can watch next week's discussion of Tripticks live on YouTube. (Reading schedule can be found here.) And you can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel. An...
2022-12-101h 00
Three Percent PodcastTMR 18.5: "Reads Without Turning a Page" [Ann Quin]Kaija Straumanis joins Chad and Brian this week to talk about orchids, hot takes (did S. sleep with L.?? how exactly did she die?), creepy British dudes, symmetry in Three, Ann Quin's statement on threesomes, the ambiguity of the text, and much more. This week's music is "What Went Down" by Foals. You can watch next week's discussion of Passage live on YouTube at 4pm ET on Thursday, December 1. (Reading schedule can be found here.) And you can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel. And you can support us at...
2022-12-0149 min
Two Month ReviewTMR 18.5: "Reads Without Turning a Page" [Ann Quin]Kaija Straumanis joins Chad and Brian this week to talk about orchids, hot takes (did S. sleep with L.?? how exactly did she die?), creepy British dudes, symmetry in Three, Ann Quin's statement on threesomes, the ambiguity of the text, and much more. This week's music is "What Went Down" by Foals. You can watch next week's discussion of Passage live on YouTube at 4pm ET on Thursday, December 1. (Reading schedule can be found here.) And you can find all previous seasons of TMR on our YouTube channel. And you can support us at...
2022-11-3049 min
Three Percent PodcastTMR 15.13: "Gangland Shooting" [Vernon Subutex]Chad almost had to do this episode solo, but all of you were spared that catastrophe by Kaija Straumanis and David Smith (whose delay makes for some funny moments). The talk about what you would do for $100 million dollars, what most terrifies them, fear in general, Max as Lex Luthor, and much more. This week's music is from the Velvet Underground and, ugh, Korn. Sorry. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Thursday, July 8th, ask questions, make co...
2021-07-021h 02
Three Percent PodcastTMR 14.10: "Hoppin' with Flavor!"Kaija Straumanis joins Chad and Brian this week to talk about toxic masculinity, the genius of the J R audiobook, Bach, "up yours, up mine," connections to Pynchon, shit & money & the American Dream, and the implosion of J R's paper empire. This week's music is "Deadlines (Hostile)" by Car Seat Headrest. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. (This episode is really fun to watch because Chad's camera shorted out . . . ) You can join us next week for the final episode with a special fi...
2021-02-191h 00
Three Percent Podcast2MR: Radiant Terminus (Chapters 9-13)Rhett McNeil joins Chad Post and pinch-hitter Kaija Straumanis to talk about the first half of part two of Radiant Terminus, "Ode to the Camps." From recounting Chad's latest Volodine-inflected dream to a discussion of the ways various ideologies (fairy tales, anarcho-capitalism, Marxism-Leninism) play out in the novel, to the connection between these ideologies and male violence and the way in which the characters are almost like shadows in the novel, this is a wide-ranging, very dialed in episode. As always, there is laughter and a lengthy recap, but it also goes very deep into the novel and Volodine's o...
2019-02-151h 07
Idaacadda Galabnimo - VOARadiant Terminus: Chapters 9-13Rhett McNeil joins Chad Post and pinch-hitter Kaija Straumanis to talk about the first half of part two of Radiant Terminus, "Ode to the Camps." From recounting Chad's latest Volodine-inflected dream to a discussion of the ways various ideologies (fairy tales, anarcho-capitalism, Marxism-Leninism) play out in the novel, to the connection between these ideologies and male violence and the way in which the characters are almost like shadows in the novel, this is a wide-ranging, very dialed in episode. As always, there is laughter and a lengthy recap, but it also goes very deep into the novel and Volodine's overall g...
2019-02-141h 07
Three Percent Podcast2MR: THE BOOK OF DISQUIET Sections 1-39 with Thomas FlynnThis is one of the most Two Month Review podcasts yet. Chad, Brian, and Tom Flynn (Volumes Books in Chicago) come together to discuss the first forty-six pages (sections 1-39) of the complete version of Fernando Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet. In addition to breaking down the philosophy and literary style representing Vicente Guedes--Pessoa's heteronym for this section of the book--they swap favorite lines, invent a new Instagram idea for Chad, link up Pessoa with emo bands, and try and tackle the difficulty of reading this book sequentially versus dipping in and out. As always, you can fi...
2018-10-1147 minIdaacadda Galabnimo - VOAThe Book of Disquiet: Sections 1-39 with Thomas FlynnThis is one of the most Two Month Review podcasts yet. Chad, Brian, and Tom Flynn (Volumes Books in Chicago) come together to discuss the first forty-six pages (sections 1-39) of the complete version of Fernando Pessoa's The Book of Disquiet. In addition to breaking down the philosophy and literary style representing Vicente Guedes--Pessoa's heteronym for this section of the book--they swap favorite lines, invent a new Instagram idea for Chad, link up Pessoa with emo bands, and try and tackle the difficulty of reading this book sequentially versus dipping in and out.
As always, you can find the video for...
2018-10-1147 minIdaacadda Galabnimo - VOA#33: The Physics of Sorrow (Introduction)The new season of the Two Month Review kicks off now with a general overview Georgi Gospodinov's The Physics of Sorrow, one of the most beloved books Open Letter has ever published. Brian's on the lam, or in witness protection, or something, so Open Letter senior editor Kaija Straumanis stepped in to talk about one of the first books she ever worked on for the press.
You can participate in the next episode--covering the Epigraphy, Prologue, and Part I (1-58)--which will be recorded on YouTube LIVE on Monday, February 19th at 9pm EST. All you you have to do i...
2018-02-1529 min
Three Percent Podcast2MR: The Physics of Sorrow (Introduction)The new season of the Two Month Review kicks off now with a general overview Georgi Gospodinov's The Physics of Sorrow, one of the most beloved books Open Letter has ever published. Brian's on the lam, or in witness protection, or something, so Open Letter senior editor Kaija Straumanis stepped in to talk about one of the first books she ever worked on for the press. You can participate in the next episode--covering the Epigraphy, Prologue, and Part I (1-58)--which will be recorded on YouTube LIVE on Monday, February 19th at 9pm EST. All you you h...
2018-02-1529 min
Three Percent Podcast#47: The Initiation WellThis week, Chad W. Post and Kaija Straumanis talk with Philip Graham--a co-founder and current nonfiction editor of Ninth Letter, author of several books, including The Moon, Come to Earth: Dispatches from Lisbon about Portuguese culture and literature, specifically the works of Gonçalo Tavares, whose book The Neighborhood is coming out this month with Philip's introduction. (Which will appear here on Three Percent in the near future.) There's a lot of references included in the podcast this week, the main ones being to Sintra, an amazing town just outside of Lisbon that was...
2012-10-011h 02