Ralf Seybold - Podcast Details

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The American VandalThe Jameson Tapes, Side AThe first of two installments contextualizing Fredric Jameson's lectures at the 1977 Institute On Culture & Society begins with a discussion of "Marxism & Historicism," followed by conversations about historicizing the lectures [8:00], the process of recovering them [33:30], a key passage about commodity as its own ideology [55:00}, and the long arc of Jameson's thought and influence [71:30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Robert Tally, Matt Seybold, Anna Kornbluh, Caleb Smith, Fredric Jameson, Isabel Bartholomew Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.substack.com 2025-08-041h 35

The American VandalSpitesgiving in Flyover CountryAnalysis of the Gilded Age tropology of alienation precedes discussions of Hubert Humphrey & Tim Walz [9:00], the reception of "Hillbilly Elegy" and its aftermath [38:00], and "The Mismeasurement of Orcs" [78:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Andie Tucher, Samuel Freedman, Douglas Dowland, Dan Sinykin, J.D. Connor, Robert Tally Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/TheAmericanVandal/Spitesgiving, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.substack.com 2025-07-181h 34

The American VandalLiterary Sociology a.k.a. The Institutional Turn a.k.a The Spreadsheet School of Literary CriticismA so-called Spreadsheet Man responds. Does the institutional turn have a distinctly feminine ethos? [27:30] How is it rooted in the Post45 Collective? [49:00] What are its debts to New Historicism and Marxist Literary Criticism? [69:00] And to Fredric Jameson? [84:30] And what has become of Economic Criticism? [94:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Dan Sinykin, Matt Seybold, Brandon Taylor, Rachel Sagner Buurma, Laura Heffernan, J. D. Connor, Alexander Manshel, Fredric Jameson, Leigh Claire La Berge Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/TheAmericanVandal/SpreadsheetMen, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter...2025-07-011h 43

The American VandalThe Mutational Romances of Silicon Valley SpeculationOur ideology critique of contemporary tech fascist SciFi begins with the first selections from Fredric Jameson's 1977 seminar at the Institute On Culture & Society, followed by a journalists narration of the tech fascist turn in Silicon Valley [10:00], ideological analysis of Alt-Right speculative fiction [37:00], and technofeudal yearning to convert probability to prophecy [70:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Fredric Jameson, Matt Seybold, Jacob Silverman, Jordan S. Carroll Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Mutants, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.substack.com 2025-06-091h 42

The American VandalVandal Live: Affordances of Enclosure & The Ends of EmpiresOur inaugural installment of "live" podcasting was recorded with a small audience in the library at Quarry Farm. It features Caroline Levine and Jed Esty discussing their recent books, "The Activist Humanist" and "The Future of Decline," as well as responding to the themes of "A Tale of Today" and "Criticism LTD," and discussing the roles of humanities educators in addressing climate crisis, declinism, superpower nostalgia, and shock doctrine. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Caroline Levine, Jed Esty Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Affordances, or subscribe to...2025-05-161h 00

The American VandalSolidarity & SpeculationThe finale of our trilogy centered on Technofeudalism begins with the intersection of political economy with aesthetics and literary forms, followed by a synthesis of financial and fictive definitions of speculation [18:00], what can be done with the technofeudal thesis [27:30], the role of solidarity in the age of insecurity [33:00], the Panic of 1873 as a model [41:30], panics to come [53:00], and some final words from Yanis Varoufakis [72:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Yanis Varoufakis, Jordan S. Carroll, James Livingston, Astra Taylor, Leigh Claire La Berge Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete...2025-05-141h 17

The American VandalFrom Technostructure To TechnofeudalismAn exploration of the political economy of technofeudalism begins by defining the technostructure and introducing its personification, followed by testimony from a skeptic [26:00], competing periodizations of the present [48:00], and media praxis under the rein of the cloudalists [73:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Yanis Varoufakis, James Livingston, Astra Taylor Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Technofeudalism, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.substack.com 2025-05-051h 34

The American VandalNewspapers Worse Than Dead (But Print Is A Rent Strike)Episode opens with journalism's "race to the bottom," described by a journalist who lived it, followed by what "The Facebook Files" revealed about social media's relationship to news [8:00], the tactics of parallel journalism [27:00}, the difference between fake news and fake journalism [38:00], the fate worse than death for periodicals, but not books [48:00], what the acquisition of Twitter taught us about technofeudalism [65:00], and a call to return to institutional media [82:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Samuel Freedman, Matt Seybold, Jeff Horwitz, Gil Duran, Andie Tucher, Jeff Jarvis, Yanis Varoufakis, Tressie McMillan Cottom Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective For more about this episode, including a...2025-04-041h 28

The American VandalThe Facebook Files & The Gutenberg ParenthesisA two-part meditation on the history of journalism and the fate of investigative journalism under tech fascism begins with the model of Ida Tarbell, the epochal Wall Street Journal reporting on Facebook in 2021 [6:00], the professionalization of journalism during the Gilded Age and interbellum periods [38:00], the relationship between Silicon Valley and news organizations in the 21st century [54:00], the legacy of newspapers [63:00], and a periodization of print media [71:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Gil Duran, Matt Seybold, Jeff Horwitz, Andie Tucher, Jacob Silverman, Jeff Jarvis Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography...2025-04-011h 34

The American VandalThe Gilded NetworkOur 150th anniversary celebration of Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner's "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today" turns to political economies of mass media, then and now, beginning with a close reading of the novel's title. We are then introduced to the tech fascist fantasy of the Network State [21:00], theories of post-capitalism [47:00], ways of reading from the right [58:00], and a more optimistic technofuturism [77:00} Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Jeffrey Insko, Anna Kornbluh, Gil Duran, Eleanor Courtemanche, Jordan Carroll, Douglas Dowland, Jeff Jarvis Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a...2025-03-201h 36

The American VandalA Journey of CuriosityThe second act of "A Tale of Today," focused on HBCUs and the political economy of education in Gilded Ages old and new, concludes with a journey of curiosity through the unschooling movement, a historicist close reading of Ruth Bolton's time at Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania [24:40], analysis of the transition from secondary schools to higher education [35:00], a summary of this part of the series [82:00], and hope from the forgotten migration [87:30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Astra Taylor, Matt Seybold, Laura Heffernan, Rachel Sagnar Buurma, Alexander Manshel, Annie Abrams, Crystal Sanders Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For...2025-01-301h 36

The American VandalThe First Curriculum Is Work Without WagesFollowing Jelani Favors's description of how the second curriculum of HBCUs has been compromised since the 1980s, we look back at the origins of Howard University in the Freedman's Bureau [10:00], discuss the labor history of literature instruction [28:00], and mark the college football playoffs by discussing the dehumanization of athletic workers with the authors of "The End of College Football" [44:30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Jelani Favors, Laura Heffernan, Rachel Sagnar Buurma, Nathan Kalman-Lamb, Derek Silva Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/StudentWorkers, or...2024-12-311h 26

The American VandalFake Work, Fucking Models, & The Archive of EmpireArchives, physical and digital, are suffering from austerity, enshittification, and censorship. In this episode scholars discuss the ambivalent impacts of digitization, what information matters in the data economy [8:30], an analogy involving European colonialism [23:00], the competition to document between corporations and universities [46:00], the duty to tell the truth freely [73:30], preserving the counternarratives to empire [81:00], and managing an archive through Orbanization [95:30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Laura Heffernan, Rachel Sagnar Buurma, Matt Seybold, Kelly Grotke, Asheesh Kapur Siddique, Leigh Claire La Berge, Crystal Sanders, Jared Loggins, Andrew Douglas, Timothy Barber Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this...2024-12-232h 00

The American VandalHalf Castle 'Gainst The Scott Walkers"A Tale Of Today" returns with an episode inspired by "The Teaching Archive." Its authors discuss the pedagogical innovations of HBCUs and strategies for teaching literary history, followed by the legacy of New Historicism in the classroom [14:00], the model of the Monks of Lindisfarne [24:00], the historical rivalry between professors and journalists [36:30], the archives of HBCU student newspapers [43:00], and a reporter who spent decades on the education beat [64:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Laura Heffernan, Rachel Buurma, Matt Seybold, Jeffrey Insko, Anna Kornbluh, Eleanor Courtemanche, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Jelani Favors, Samuel Freedman Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For...2024-12-181h 30

The American VandalThe Education Gospel, Enshittify.edu, & The Expansion of Lower EdAn episode built around an interview with Tressie McMillan Cottom covers what lessons the rest of Higher Ed can learn from HBCUs [3:00], the vectors of financialization in the New Gilded Age [19:00], the migration of the for-profit model into not-for-profit institutions [60:00], and how Modern Monetary Theory might invigorate the Black University Concept [84:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Jared Loggins, Matt Seybold, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Kelly Grotke, Andrew Douglas Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/LoweEd, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.substack.com 2024-11-251h 34

The American VandalPhilanthrocapitalism UA Morehouse college commencement speaker makes an extraordinary financial commitment, but there's a "profound story" to tell about the durable funding of HBCUs in the US since the Gilded Age [12:00]. How does philanthrocapitalism work? [42:00] What is the Double Tax? [48:00] How might EdTech extract "intellectual capital" from HBCUs? [54:00] Can the second curriculum be sustained inside a philanthrocapitalist university? [64:00] Are HBCUs the vanguard of a new era of disruption to education? [74:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Andrew Douglas, Jared Loggins, Kelly Grotke, Crystal Sanders, Jelani Favors, Dominique Baker Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this...2024-11-121h 33

The American VandalThe Black University Concept & The Second CurriculumA brief history of HBCUs through conversations with five scholars about the second curriculum which informs movements for Civil Rights in the midcentury US, segregation scholars and the long withholding of postbaccalaureate education from HBCUs [40:00], the aspirational Black University Concept in W.E.B. DuBois and Vincent Harding [75:00], and the challenges facing HBCU students today [84:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Jelani Favors, Crystal Sanders, Andrew Douglas, Jared Loggins, Dominique Baker Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/HBCU, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter...2024-10-311h 50

The American VandalBONUS EPISODE: "First at Farce: Structures of Feeling in The Gilded Age" by Nathan Wolff (2024 Quarry Farm Symposium Keynote)As Nathan Wolff himself puts it, his recent keynote address at the 2024 Quarry Farm Fall Symposium is "very much in dialogue with The American Vandal." In this talk, Wolff not only summarizes Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner's "The Gilded Age" (1873), but further interpolates it with concepts like Lauren Berlant's cruel optimism, György Lukács's historical novel, and Raymond Williams's structures of feeling, all of which have been cited frequently in our "A Tale of Today" series. While this episode departs from the usual format of this podcast, listeners to the current season will undoubtedly see the synergy between re...2024-10-1845 min

The American VandalThe Historical NovelOrganized around a comparison of György Lukács's "The Historical Novel" and Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner's "The Gilded Age," in this episode we take a detour from Jameson to Lukács, question what realism means [8:30], whether "The Gilded Age" is a historical novel [19:30], whether historical novels are intrinsically conservative [33:30}, whether novelists can live up to Lukács's high expecations [41:00], what distinguishes historical novels from historical fictions [64:30], and who are the "spreasheet men" [85:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Brandon Taylor, Matt Seybold, Eleanor Courtemanche, Nathan Wolff, Anna Kornbluh, Jeffrey Insko, Alexander Manshel Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audi...2024-10-141h 43

The American VandalAlways Historicize?From Fredric Jameson on why "the most important goal is history itself" follows a series of conversations about dialectical criticism vs. new historicism [5:00], the wisdom of "always historicizing" [17:30], the anxiety of influence between new historicism and literary fiction [34:00] as well as between literary fiction and history [53:00], hinge points and shadow presentisms [59:00], and the layers of discourse about history in 2024 [88:30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Eleanor Courtemanche, Jeffrey Insko, Anna Kornbluh, Robert Tally, Alexander Manshel, Walter Johnson Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/AlwaysHistoricize...2024-10-011h 38

The American VandalStrategic Presentism & Resistance HistoryWhat's the difference? The episode opens with defenses of presentism by two literary critics and a reception history of "The Gilded Age" [6:30] before turning to a critique of resistance history from within the discipline [12:30], a response from a prominent historian [44:30], a consideration of the standpoint of resistance history [67:30], and why aren't there more literary critics on MSNBC? [75:30] Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Jeffrey Insko, Anna Kornbluh, Asheesh Kapur Siddique, Walter Johnson, Astra Taylor Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/ResistanceHistory, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal...2024-09-231h 26

The American VandalCruel Optimism & The Enclosure of the CommonsA new episode of "A Tale of Today" begins with an explanation of the forest charter and the enclosure of the commons through a revisionist version of a familiar story. The enclosure of the commons is then traced into The Gilded Age [8:00], before two scholars of the novel discuss its affective registers, as well as Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner's fraught attempts to periodize and historicize its contemporary political moment [21:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Astra Taylor, Matt Seybold, Nathan Wolff Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please...2024-09-121h 05

The American VandalThe Age of InsecurityA new season inspired by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner's 150-year-old novel, "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today," launches with an introduction to Colonel Sellers; a discussion of Astra Taylor's "The Age of Insecurity" (2023) [10:00]; questions about the discipline of history in the contemporary moment [28:00]; and Walter Johnson reflecting on resistance and his 20-year-old essay "On Agency" [41:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Astra Taylor, Asheesh Kapur Siddique, Walter Johnson Soundtrack: DownRiver Collective Narration: Nathan Osgood & SNR Audio For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/AgeOfInsecurity, or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter...2024-09-091h 18

The American VandalCriticism LTD: Continuing The Dialogue (A Project Narrative Event)Recorded at The Ohio State University, as part of the Project Narrative series, Matt Seybold reflects on the making of "Criticism LTD" [3:15], as well as ongoing Ponzi austerity, reassessment of close reading, and AI speculative euphoria since its conclusion [14:30]. James Phelan (Director of Project Narrative) argues for narrative theory's contributions to literary studies as a discipline [35:30] and they take questions from the audience [47:50]. Theme Song: "A Little Bit Strange To Begin With" by Redd Holt & The Heptet Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, James Phelan, Amanpal Garcha, Sandra Macpherson, Brian McHale, Christine Tulley For a bibliography of this episode...2024-02-261h 26

The American VandalClose Reading Feudalism(s) in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with James Phelan (A Project Narrative Crossover Episode)From the production studios of Ohio State University, American Vandal host, Matt Seybold, and James Phelan, the Director of Project Narrative, read aloud Chapter 18 of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain [3:40], then discuss it [30:00] with emphases on the opportunities the chapter presents for types of close reading. This episode is a crossover with the Project Narrative podcast, which you can learn more about at ProjectNarrative.osu.edu. For our episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/ProjectNarrative or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.Substack.com 2024-02-231h 16

The American Vandal2024 with Anna Kornbluh & J.D. ConnorThe finale episode of our miniseries on corporate allegory was recorded the day after the publication of Anna Kornbluh's "Immediacy, or The Style of Too Late Capitalism" by Verso. With numerous allusions to the book, Matt Seybold asks Kornbluh and "City of Industry" blogger J. D. Connor to consider the potential "perfect storm" of media disruption in 2024. Among the topics they cover are the enshittification of social, search, & and streaming, the investor-led rush to profitability justifiying downsizing across media sectors, the speculative euphoria associated with AI-generated art, and the eroding boundaries between media forms. Theme Song: "This Year" by The...2024-02-051h 23

The American VandaliLiberalism, The Morning Show, & The Sheeny Blandness of AppleTV+ with Anna Shechtman & Michael SzalayOur series on corporate allegory continues with an extended discussion of Apple TV+, both its film and television offerings, as well as the relationship between such "content" and the corporation's primary business: selling iPhones and other hardware. Among the specific works discussed are "Severance," "Killers Of The Flower Moon," "Lessons In Chemistry," "Fingernails," "Gutsy," "The Foundation," "Silo," "Ted Lasso," "The Last Thing He Told Me," and, most extensively, "The Morning Show." Theme Song: "This Year" by The Steel Wheels For more about this episode, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/AppleTV or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.Substack.com 2024-01-221h 12

The American VandalClose Reading, Conglomerate Authorship, & Qween Danielle Steel with Dan Sinykin & Johanna WinantIn an episode which operates as both coda to "Criticism LTD" and herald of 2024, Matt Seybold is joined by two scholars working on the complex history and sometimes conflicting methods of close reading. They also discuss the reception of Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed The Publishing Industry (Columbia UP, 2023) [31:00] and a bevy of novels by Danielle Steel, including The Promise (1978), Happiness (2023), and Worthy Opponents (2023) [39:00]. Theme Song: "This Year" by The Steel Wheels For more about this episode, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Steel or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.Substack.com 2024-01-011h 33

The American VandalThe Empire of Criticism (Finale)"Criticism LTD" concludes its lengthy examination of the unanswerable questions about the state of literary studies with a lengthy consideration of "The Future of Decline" [8:00], the delusion of progress [16:00], the British model of declinist politics [22:00] and literary criticism [29:00], an insider's account of the long tail of "The Chicago Fight" [45:00], the libertarian rejoinder [54:00], and the curriculum of cruelty [61:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Kim Adams, Saronik Bosu, Matt Seybold, Jed Esty, Bruce Robbins, Beci Carver, Gerald Graff, Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/EmpireOfCriticism, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where...2023-11-211h 23

The American VandalThe Empire of Criticism (Part Two)In the second part of the finale of "Criticism LTD," we hear about the origins of Jacque Derrida's "Limited Inc." from its editor, the fraught alliance between criticism and history [17:00], the Center For The Literary Arts at Washington University in St. Louis [33.00], the transition from creative writer to working critic [62:00], and critical vocationalism [72:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Gerald Graff, Matt Seybold, Jed Esty, Ignacio Infante, Danielle Dutton, Ryan Ruby Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/EmpireOfCriticism, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.2023-11-201h 24

The American VandalThe Empire of Criticism (Part One)The tripartite finale of "Criticism LTD" begins with a the feud between Matthew Arnold and Mark Twain, followed by "Bed Glee" [14:00], "Outing Criticism" [40:00], and "The Fate of Professional Reading" [59:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Beci Carver, Kim Adams, Ryan Ruby, Ainehi Edoro, Jed Esty, Matt Seybold, Gerald Graff, Harry Stecopoulos Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/EmpireOfCriticism, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.2023-11-171h 30

The American VandalEd Tech, AI, & The Unbundling of Research & TeachingA sometimes uncanny Halloween week exploration of the EdTech griftopia. Who's monetizing our data? How is EdTech being used to bust unions [8:00]? How does EdTech reveal the interdependence of teaching and research, and the horror of their unbundling [36:00]? How does being a union member effect literary studies research [61:00]? Is AI the end of literary criticism [81:00]? Cast (in order of appearance): Annie McClanahan, Sarah Brouillette, Matt Seybold, Bryan Alexander, Brian Deyo, Louise McCune, Max Chapnick, Lawrence Lorraine Mullen, Francesca Colonese, Ted Underwood Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Unbundling, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal...2023-11-022h 04

The American VandalPodcasting CriticismAn appropriately rangy discussion of the podcast medium and its debts to existing print and audio forms. The origin story of The American Vandal Podcast is followed by comparison with several other podcasts, including Revisionist History [11:30], Remarkable Receptions [30:00], and High Theory [68:00], interspersed with analysis of podcast editing as criticism [50:00], the conservative traditions of orality and radio [60:00], and how podcasting might by made to "count" for disciplinary professionalization [90:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Sheri-Marie Harrison, Matt Seybold, Joe Locke, Kim Adams, Saronik Bosu, Howard Rambsy II Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/PodcastingCriticism, or subscribe to...2023-10-272h 04

The American VandalCriticism in The Conglomerate EraAs mass-market literature has been consolidated into a small handful of publishing conglomerates, the critical work once done by publicity and editorial departments has been offloaded. In this episode we discuss the rise of literary agents and their function as critics [8:00] and the role of literary awards in canon formation and other processes of homogenization [28:00]. Finally, we ask, can criticism be a countervailing force against conglomeration? [60:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Dan Sinykin, Matt Seybold, Laura McGrath, Sheri-Marie Harrison, Ainehi Edoro, Howard Rambsy Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/conglomerate, or subscribe to our newsletter...2023-10-171h 21

The American VandalBookTube, BookTok, Wattpad, & The Audible Creation ExchangeWhat is literary knowledge? And, for that matter, what is literature? A survey of new literary media takes on audiobooks [5:00], BookTube and BookTok [26:00], and Wattpad [75:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Christopher Newfield, Matt Seybold, Laura McGrath, Mark McGurl, Sarah Brouillette Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/parabooks, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.2023-10-121h 41

The American VandalBrittle Paper & The BlogossanceWhat is the relationship between literary criticism and media studies? How has criticism adapted to the digital revolution? These questions are considered by examining the origins of the blogosphere [5:00], its recent reemergence [17:00], the specific case of "Brittle Paper" [29:00], and strategies of adaptation within the profession [46:00]. The episode then turns to two examinations of multimedia parasitical criticism: Jacque Derrida's "Limited Inc." [60:00] and Ryan Ruby's "Context Collapse" [71:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Ainehi Edoro, Matt Seybold, Howard Rambsy, Sheri-Marie Harrison, John Guillory, Ryan Ruby Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Parasite, or subscribe to our newsletter at...2023-10-021h 33

The American VandalPolitics & The ParacademyAn attempt to triangulate politicization, professionalization, and publication by examining several periods in the history of criticism. The episode begins with Joe Locke describing an overt turn towards social justice in his music following police murder of George Floyd, followed by a discussion of the misperception of "Professing Criticism" as a call to depoliticize [7:00]. An epilogue to "The Chicago Fight" [17:00] and humanist criticism [24:00]. Discussion of the implicit politics of the paracademy [51:00], its emergence in response to conglomeration [56:00], and the reemergence of patronage [68:00] precede profile of Las Vegas Review of Books [81:00] and epilogue at University of Puerto Rico [100:30]. Cast (in order...2023-09-231h 56

The American VandalThe Chicago Fight & Economics ImperialismThe Chicago Critics won the Chicago Fight of the 1930s, but they lost the Chicago Cold War. Chicago Economics got its start dismantling the Chicago Plan. This episode covers the brief victory of the Neo-Aristotelians, the long tail of Economics Imperialism [18:30], the rivalry between economics and literary criticism [39:00], the Chicago Economists' parody of "Treasure Island" [55:00], the implicit alliance between Chicago Economics and the New Critics [60:00], and Robert Hutchins's dream of "The University of Utopia" [72:00] Cast (in order of appearance): Edward Nik-Khah, Matt Seybold, Studs Terkel, Robert Hutchins, Anna-Dorothea Schneider, Christopher Newfield, Anna Kornbluh Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography...2023-09-111h 17

The American VandalThe Chicago Fight & "Criticism Inc."A deep dive into the Chicago Critics who inspired John Crowe Ransom's 1937 essay, "Criticism Inc.," as well as their working conditions at the University of Chicago under Robert Maynard Hutchins. His implementation of "The Chicago Plan" and the resulting "Chicago Fight" [9:00], the afterlives of the Chicago Critics in contemporary literary studies [30:00], the import of the Walgreen Hearings [49:00], and the seeding of the Chicago School of Economics. Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Bruce Robbins, Anna-Dorothea Schneider, John Guillory, Harold Langer, Edward Nik-Khah, Robert Maynard Hutchins Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/ChicagoFight, or subscribe...2023-09-051h 13

The American VandalThe Racist Interpretation ComplexWhat is the political economy of New Criticism? Are the racist and reactionary Cold War politics of the New Critics immanent to their trademark method: close reading? The episode begins with the story of Langston Hughes testifying before the the House Un-American Activities Committee on what goes into the interpretation of a poem. What constitutes "tactical criticism" [9:00]? Critics try to rescue close reading from the "bad politics" at its origins [38:00], endorse supplementary methods [59:00], and describe how New Criticism looks from outside the U.S. and U.K. [1:07.30]. Cast (in order of appearance): Langston Hughes, Andy Hines, Matt Seybold, Jed Esty...2023-08-281h 21

The American VandalPonzi Austerity & The Monolingual UniversityLast week, West Virginia University announced that it would abolish its World Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics Department, proposing to replace it with automated digital instruction. This is the apotheosis of trends going back decades. In this episode we talk about the effects of monolingual education, the case study in Ponzi Austerity at WVU [5:00], alternative paths for literary studies [11:00], the cosmopolitan cultural abundance that is sometimes overlooked by Anglophone criticism [50:00], and Matt Seybold interviews Joe Locke about "Makram" and jazz education [57:00]. Cast (in order of appearance): Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera, Ignacio M. Sanchez Prado, Matt Seybold, Joe Locke Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode...2023-08-241h 39

The American VandalPonzi Austerity in The Age of Cultural AbundanceHow has the systemic defunding and deprofessionalizing of humanities academia impacted literary criticism? Why is there such a flourishing culture industry if demand for cultural education is supposedly declining? We look to megatrends like U.S. hegemony, organizations like the MLA (6:30), analogues like the Eurozone Debt Crisis (19:30), mechanisms of funding and distribution (28:00), and potential futures of disruption and declinism (1:01.30). Cast (in order of appearance): Jed Esty, Matt Seybold, Anna Kornbluh, Christopher Newfield, Yanis Varoufakis Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/PonziAusterity, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive...2023-08-211h 24

The American VandalHungover From The Bad Old Days of High TheoryWhat is criticism? Why should it matter? Can it be saved from the gun-toting businessman? A crossover episode with the High Theory podcast connects internal and external crises (6:00), imagines confrontations with gun-toting businessmen (22:00) and sociopathic administrators (33:00), salutes the vanguard of academic labor (45:00), eulogizes the star system (59:00), demystifies the bad old days of high theory (1.13:00), and recommends "The Shush" (1.24:00). Cast (in order of appearance): Kim Adams, Matt Seybold, Saronik Bosu, John Guillory, Christopher Newfield, Bruce Robbins, Ryan Ruby, Sarah Brouillette, Katie Kadue, Kyla Wazana Tompkins, and Michelle Chihara Soundtrack: Joe Locke's "Makram" For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/HighTheory, or...2023-08-141h 27

The American VandalThe Golden Age of The Working CriticThe premiere of a new series, "Criticism LTD," on the contemporary state of criticism. This episode covers proclamations of crisis from legacy media earlier this year, demands for a cosmopolitan turn in literary studies (11:15), an alleged golden age of popular criticism (28:00), and the role of para-academic publications like the Los Angeles Review of Books (54:30). Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, John Guillory, Ignacio M. Sanchez Prado, Justin Smith-Ruiu, Ryan Ruby, Michelle Chihara For episode bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/GoldenAge, or subscribe to our newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.SubStack.com, where you will also receive episode transcripts.2023-08-071h 20

Esoterica CinemaSeYonce (Comedy Sketch)Today's comedy sketch is inspired by 1977's Japanese cult-classic House. Written, produced, and performed by Ryan Seybold.2023-05-2202 min

Esoterica CinemaBaron Pennington's House of Nothing (Comedy Sketch)Enjoy this comedy sketch inspired by Jacob's Ladder. Written and Produced by Jason Peters, Performed by Ryan Seybold and Jason Peters.2023-05-1502 min

Esoterica CinemaRe-Animatorade (Comedy Sketch)This week's sketch is inspired by Re-Animator. Written, Produced, and Performed by Ryan Seybold.2023-04-2401 min

Esoterica CinemaRose Colored Glasses (Comedy Sketch)This weeks sketch is inspired by the film Amores Perros. Written and Produced by Jason Peters. Performed by Ryan Seybold and Jason Peters.2023-04-1002 min

Esoterica CinemaCold Dishes Revengatorium (Comedy Sketch)This week's sketch is inspired by Oldboy. It was written and produced by Ryan Seybold, and performed by Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold.2023-03-2703 min

Esoterica CinemaElephantitus Man (Comedy Sketch)This week's sketch is inspired by David Lynch's The Elephant Man.Written and Produced by Jason Peters. Performed by Jason Peters, Deborah Peters, and Ryan Seybold.2023-03-1302 min

Esoterica CinemaHushpuppie's Fishpunchery (Comedy Sketch)This week's comedy sketch is inspired by Beasts of the Southern Wild, "Hushpuppie's Fishpunchery" Written and produced by Ryan Seybold, Performed by Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold.2023-02-2701 min

Esoterica CinemaThe Monster Consortium (Comedy Sketch)This weeks sketch is The Monster Consortium inspired by The Monster Squad. Written and Produced by Jason Peters, Performed by Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold.2023-02-1404 min

Esoterica CinemaAl-QaeDate (Comedy Sketch)Inspired by Four Lions. Written and produced by Ryan Seybold. Performed by Deborah Peters, Jason Peters, and Ryan Seybold.2023-01-3002 min

Esoterica CinemaLarry Brodka, P.I. (Comedy Sketch)Inspired by L'Avventura. Written & Produced by Jason Peters. Performed by Jason Peters & Ryan Seybold.2023-01-1702 min

Esoterica CinemaHula Hoopin' (Comedy Sketch)This week's sketch is Hula Hoopin', inspired by The Hudsucker Proxy.Written, produced, and performed by Ryan Seybold 2022-11-2101 min

Esoterica CinemaGramburger Helper (Comedy Sketch)This week's sketch is Gramburger Helper, inspired by Tokyo Story.Written and produced by Ryan SeyboldPerformed by Ryan Seybold and Jason Peters 2022-11-0901 min

Esoterica CinemaCrunters aka Drexler & Steve: Creature Hunters (Comedy Sketch)We've got our latest, greatest sketch live for your amusement in case you didn't catch the episode!Episode 87 of Season 3 features this sketch, "Crunters" inspired by Critters.This one was written & produced by Jason, and features voice acting from both Jason and Ryan.Enjoy!***Written & Produced by Jason PetersPerformed by Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out on Instagram EsotericaCinema#filmcomedy #moviecomedy #satire #fakecommercial #faketrailer #sketchcomedy #movies #film #indiepodcast #filmpodcast #filmreview...2022-10-2504 min

The American VandalRooting For Everybody Black in the Issa Rae Extended Universe with Jalylah Burrell & Danielle Fuentes MorganInspired by HBO shows "Insecure" and "Rap Sh!t," as well as Yvonne Orji's new stand-up special and recent Emmy wins for Quinta Brunson's "Abbott Elementary" and Jerrod Carmichael's "Rothaniel," Matt Seybold discusses the often precarious role of Black comic creators with two scholars of race, gender, and comedy in the U.S. For more about this episode, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/RootingForEverybodyBlack 2022-10-141h 15

Esoterica CinemaMurray & Beatrice's Fine Dresses & Alterations (Comedy Sketch)We've got our latest, greatest sketch live for your amusement in case you didn't catch the episode!Episode 7 of Season 3 features this sketch, "Murray & Beatrice's Fine Dresses & Alterations" inspired by Phantom Thread.This one was written & produced by Jason, and features voice acting from both Jason and Ryan, as well as sketch regular Debi!Enjoy!***Written & Produced by Jason PetersPerformed by Jason Peters, Ryan Seybold, and Debi Peters***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out on Instagram EsotericaCinema 2022-10-1102 min

Esoterica CinemaAir BnBeez in the Trap (Comedy Sketch)We've got our latest, greatest sketch live for your amusement in case you didn't catch the episode!Episode 6 of Season 3 features this sketch, "Air BnBeez in the Trap" inspired by Assault on Precinct 13.This one was written & produced by Ryan, and features voice acting from both Jason and Ryan, as well as sketch regular Debi!Enjoy!***Written & Produced by Ryan SeyboldPerformed by Ryan Seybold, Jason Peters, and Debi Peters***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out on Instagram...2022-09-2603 min

Esoterica CinemaOriginal Recipe Coca-Cola (Comedy Sketch)We've got our latest, greatest sketch live for your amusement in case you didn't catch the episode!Episode 5 of Season 3 features this sketch, "Original Recipe Coca-Cola" inspired by Sweet Smell of SuccessThis one features both Jason and Ryan, along with amazing voice actress Debi and the debut of our friend Patrick from Vintage Video!Enjoy!***Written & Produced by Jason PetersPerformed by Jason Peters, Ryan Seybold, Debi Peters, and Patrick O'Riley***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out...2022-09-1202 min

Esoterica CinemaSchoolhouse Rock the Vote (Comedy Sketch)If you're just hearing about us, we do these comedy sketches for each one of our main episodes, and then post them on their own the following week for anyone who didn't catch the episode to enjoy. They often take the form of a fake commercial, but they can sometimes look like (sound like?) sketchy-sketches.***Episode 4 of Season 3 features this sketch, "Schoolhouse Rock the Vote" inspired by Election.Enjoy!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Ryan Seybold***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us...2022-08-2903 min

Esoterica CinemaSalieri's Mediocre Italian Restaurant (Comedy Sketch)If you're just hearing about us, we do these comedy sketches for each one of our main episodes, and then post them on their own the following week for anyone who didn't catch the episode to enjoy. They often take the form of a fake commercial, but they can sometimes look like (sound like?) sketchy-sketches.***Episode 2 of Season 3 features this sketch, "Salieri's Mediocre Italian Restaurant" inspired by Amadeus.Enjoy!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Ryan Seybold***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us...2022-08-0102 min

Esoterica CinemaEsoterica Cinema Trailer - Season 3Esoterica Cinema is back with twice the fun and 367% more insight!*Join hosts Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold as they review and analyze lesser known films from the cinematic multiverse. From high art to genre crap, there's no film these guys won't touch.And on top of some strong analysis and plenty of laughs, there's also an original comedy sketch made by the guys based on the film they just reviewed.Why settle for stuffy review programs when you can get all of the insight with a healthy dose of fun right here...2022-07-1201 min

The American VandalBullshit Jobs, Fuck Work, & The Legacy of David Graeber with James Livingston & Corey McCallIs is possible to imagine a world without work? Or, at least, a world in which work is not romanticized, is not treated as defining element of social and individual achievement? James Livingston has predicted that we need to prepare for a postwork world, and David Graeber has challenged us to imagine alternatives to organization by bureaucracy, credit, and corporations. This episode features Livingston talking to Matt Seybold and Corey McCall about Graeber's posthumous book (The Dawn of Everything), the Great Resignation, QuitToks, Risk Shifts, and much more. For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies...2022-03-1857 min

Esoterica CinemaThe Keep: Actor Auditions (comedy sketch inspired by The Keep)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode.***Episode 20 of Season 2 features this sketch, "The Keep: Actor Auditions" inspired by The Keep. If you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written & Produced by Jason PetersPerformed by Ryan Seybold & Jason Peters***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out...2022-02-1404 min

Esoterica CinemaPaint on a Stoop (comedy sketch inspired by Crooklyn)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode.***Episode 18 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Paint on a Stoop" inspired by Crooklyn. If you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written, Produced, and Performed by Ryan Seybold***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out on Instagram EsotericaCinema#filmcomedy #moviecomedy...2022-01-3101 min

Esoterica CinemaWages of Fear: The Game Show! (comedy sketch inspired by (you guessed it) Wages of FearEvery episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode.***Episode 16 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Wages of Fear: The Game Show!" inspired by Wages of Fear. If you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written & Produced by Jason PetersPerformed by Jason Peters, Debi Peters, & Ryan Seybold***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica Cinema 2022-01-1603 min

Esoterica CinemaHorskoch Hot Dogs (comedy sketch inspired by The Last Detail)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode.***Episode 15 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Horsekoch Hot Dogs" inspired by The Last Detail. If you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Ryan Seybold***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck us out on Instagram EsotericaCinema#filmcomedy #moviecomedy...2022-01-1001 min

Esoterica CinemaMalt Diznee Presents: Mixar's VehiclesEvery episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode.***Episode 14 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Malt Diznee Presents: Mixar's Vehicles" inspired by Duel. If you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Jason PetersAdditional Performances by Ryan Seybold & Debi Peters***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica CinemaCheck...2021-12-2701 min

Esoterica CinemaThe 69th Chamber of Sex (Comedy Sketch inspired by The 36th Chamber of Shaolin)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode.***Episode 13 of Season 2 features this sketch, "The 69th Chamber of Sex" inspired by The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. If you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Ryan SeyboldAdditional Performances by Javan Aldridge & Debi Peters***Follow us on Twitter @Esoterica...2021-12-2002 min

Esoterica CinemaBall Club for Men (comedy sketch inspired by Hard Candy)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode. We're posting them separately in case you'd like to hear it again or for the first time!***Episode 10 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Ball Club for Men" inspired by Hard Candy (and Hair Club for Men!). In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Ryan...2021-11-2101 min

Esoterica CinemaLucky Severed Fingers (comedy sketch inspired by Holy Motors)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode. We're posting them separately in case you'd like to hear it again or for the first time!***Episode 9 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Lucky Severed Fingers" inspired by Holy Motors (and Lucky Charms!). In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written, Produced, & Performed by Ryan Seybold***2021-11-1501 min

Esoterica CinemaRy-Ant! (Comedy Sketch inspired by Matinee)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode. We're posting them separately in case you'd like to hear it again or for the first time!***Episode 7 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Ry-ant!" inspired by Matinee. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to hear to the sketch on its own again, catch it right here!***Written by Ryan Seybold and Jason PetersPerformed by Ryan Seybold, Debi...2021-11-0103 min

Esoterica CinemaCountry Store (Comedy Sketch Inspired by Tucker & Dale vs. Evil)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode. We're posting them separately in case you'd like to hear it again or for the first time!***Episode5 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Country Store" inspired by Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to listen to the sketch on its own again, give a listen!***Written, Produced, and Performed by Ryan Seybold***...2021-10-1101 min

Esoterica CinemaJody White for Sheriff (Comedy Sketch inspired by The Void)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode. We're posting them separately in case you'd like to hear it again or for the first time!***Episode 4 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Jody White for Sheriff" inspired by The Void. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to listen to the sketch on its own again, check it out!***Written, Produced, and Performed by Ryan Seybold***...2021-10-0402 min

Esoterica CinemaCamp Arcadia (Comedy Sketch inspired by The Endless)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial or sketchy-sketch at the end of the episode. We're posting them separately in case you'd like to hear it again or for the first time!***Episode 3 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Camp Arcadia" inspired by The Endless. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to listen to the sketch on its own again, give a listen!***Written, Produced, and Performed by Jason PetersAdditional voices by Ryan...2021-09-2002 min

Esoterica CinemaHome Seekers: New Zealand (Comedy Sketch inspired by Dead Alive)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial (or sketchy-sketch!) during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.***Episode 1 of Season 2 features this sketch, "Home Seekers: New Zealand" inspired by Dead Alive/Braindead. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to listen to the sketch on its own again, give a listen!2021-09-0603 min

The American VandalA Chair On The Chair with Karen TongsonThe new Netflix original series, The Chair, focus on the first woman of color to Chair the English Department at fictional Pembroke University. Dr. Karen Tongson (University of Southern California) can empathize with this character, played by Sandra Oh, but she is also an exceptional media critic. She talks with Matt Seybold about the reception of The Chair, its representation of literary studies, and where it fits in the history of the U.S. sitcom. For more about this episode, visit MarkTwainStudies.com/TheChair 2021-08-2844 min

The American VandalWhy Trust In Antitrust? with Sanjukta Paul & Marshall SteinbaumWith a series of recent events indicating bipartisan interest in antitrust reform from Congress and the Supreme Court, host Matt Seybold speaks with Law Professor, Sanjukta Paul, and economist, Marshall Steinbaum, about the history of antitrust movements in the United States from Mark Twain's Gilded Age to the New Gilded Age, as well as why they advocate for antitrust as a mechanism for improving worker welfare, reducing inequality, and protecting democracy. For more about this episode, including a complete bibliography, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Antitrust 2021-07-011h 08

The American VandalMark Twain, Journalism, & the Search for Genus Americanus with Loren Ghiglione, Alyssa Karas, & Dan ThamThe authors of Genus Americanus (2020) join host Matt Seybold to discuss their 2011 road trip. Inspired by Mark Twain, they went looking for American identity through interviews with other journalists, scholars, immigrants, and nomads. What did the find? And how has it shaped their understanding of the decade which followed? For more information, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/GenusAmericanus 2021-05-1958 min

Esoterica CinemaVincent Gallo Wines* (*Comedy Sketch - We doubt a major corporation could get away with such a profane slogan)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial (or sketchy-sketch!) during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.***Episode 19 features this sketch, "Vincent Gallo Wines" inspired by Buffalo '66. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it a listen!2021-04-1401 min

The American VandalThe Suez Canal, #Stuckboat, & The Sinews of War & Trade with Laleh KhaliliFollowing on the heels of the grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal last month, Matt Seybold speaks with Dr. Laleh Khalili, whose 2020 book, Sinew of War & Trade: Shipping & Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula, covers the history, present, & potential futures of maritime transport. For a bibliography of this episode, visit MarkTwainStudies.com/SuezCanal 2021-04-0851 min

Esoterica CinemaAudiodrome* (*Comedy Sketch - Werner Herzog is a strong supporter of the new flesh)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial (or sketchy-sketch!) during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.***Episode 18 features this sketch, "Audiodrome" inspired by Videodrome. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it a listen!***...2021-03-3102 min

Esoterica CinemaPortrait of a Man on Fire* (*Comedy Sketch - BBC makes killer programming, don't they?)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial (or sketchy-sketch!) during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.***Episode 17 features this sketch, "Portrait of a Man on Fire" inspired by Portrait of a Lady on Fire. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is...2021-03-1704 min

Esoterica CinemaTom's Cruise Lines* (*Comedy Sketch - Tom's Cruise Lines has no affiliation with the actor Tom Cruise, who may or may not operate a cruise line)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial (or sketchy-sketch!) during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.***Episode 16 features this sketch, "Tom's Cruise Lines" inspired by Born on the Fourth of July. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give...2021-03-0301 min

Esoterica CinemaZar-doze* (*Comedy Sketch - Ryan did not assault Jason during the making of this sketch)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.***Episode 14 features this sketch, "Zardoze" inspired by Zardoz.. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it a listen!***Written, Produced...2021-02-0301 min

The American VandalBONUS EPISODE: The Gospel of Revolt: Mark Twain in Elmira with Hal Holbrook & Will HolbrookDid you know that Mark Twain’s father-in-law lobbied for the release of a young woman arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law in 1853? That Twain’s grave lies in a cemetery with numerous conductors and stationmasters on the Underground Railroad? That Twain’s eulogy was given by the first woman ordained in the state of New York? With the help of Oscar-nominated actor, Hal Holbrook, and his grandson, Will Holbrook, Matt Seybold explores the largely forgotten and often surprising political history of the small town where the Center for Mark Twain Studies is located. This episode was originally produced for the of...2020-12-2347 min

Esoterica CinemaMelvin Van Peebles Presents: The Lord of the Rings* (Comedy Sketch - MVP may not have had anything to do with the making of this film. But he should have)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd share them with you separately during our off weeks.Episode 11 features this sketch, "Melvin Van Peebles Presents: The Lord of the Rings" from Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it...2020-12-2302 min

The American VandalDEEP CUTS BOOK CLUB #1: Mark Twain's "Letter From Santa Claus" with Mark Dawidziak, Penne Restad, & Jana TigchelaarThis episode focuses on a letter Mark Twain composed for his three-year-old daughter on Christmas 1875. After actor Mark Dawidziak reads the letter, Matt Seybold hosts a book club style discussion with Penne Restad and Jana Tigchelaar, two scholars who have done extensive research on the development of Christmas traditions in Nineteenth-Century America. SPOILER WARNING: The discussion (begins around 11:00) includes frank discussions of Santa and therefore may not be appropriate for young children.2020-12-181h 03

Esoterica CinemaFlippers Gentlemen's Club* (*Comedy Sketch - Even if Flippers were a real place, it would most certainly prove of ill refute)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd begin to share them with you separately during our off weeks.Episode 10 features this sketch, "Flippers Gentlemen's Club" from The Lighthouse.. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it a listen!***...2020-12-0902 min

The American VandalDave Chappelle & Killjoy Comedy with Jalylah Burrell, Bambi Haggins, & Maggie HennefeldAmerican Humor Studies scholars Jalylah Burrell, Bambi Haggins, and Maggie Hennefeld join host Matt Seybold to discuss the recent work of stand-up comic Dave Chappelle, especially his free half-hour routine, "8:46," released directly to YouTube the month after the murder of George Floyd.2020-12-011h 05

The American VandalMark Twain, James Redpath, & The Vigilante Origins of American PoliceConcluding the 2020 Trouble Begins Lecture Series, Matt Seybold interposes the early careers of Mark Twain and James Redpath, both of whom, in the years surrounding the American Civil War, denounced police forces in Charleston and San Francisco for violently oppressing people of color. What does it mean to be a witness?2020-11-2348 min

The American VandalAmerican Humor & Matters of Empire with Judith Yaross LeeComing off the 2020 Quarry Farm Symposium which she organized, Judith Yaross Lee talks with Matt Seybold about her ongoing project, the disciplinary history of American Humor Studies, romantic comedies, Amy Kaplan, and much more. To view the program for the 2020 Quarry Farm Symposium, which includes Dr. Lee's essay on "American Humor & Matters of Empire," as well as watch all the presentations, visit MarkTwainStudies.com/2020-Quarry-Farm-Symposium/2020-11-0257 min

The American VandalElmira Correctional Facility & The Prison Fix with Andrea MorrellWith the backdrop of a large COVID-19 outbreak within its walls, Andrea Morrell talks to Matt Seybold about Elmira Correctional Facility, one of the oldest continuously-operational prisons in the United States. What does it mean to be a "prison town"? How has the prison system changed during the long history of ECF? What does the current outbreak reveal about its future? For more about Andrea Morrell's research, visit AndreaMorrellOrg.wordpress.com or check out the associate post at MarkTwainStudies.org 2020-10-3051 min

The American VandalMark Twain, The World, & Susan K. HarrisSusan K. Harris, author of "Mark Twain, The World, & Me: Following the Equator, Then & Now," sits down with Matt Seybold to discuss the project that took her to Australia, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, among other places, and found her examining her own life and career, as well as the author whose footsteps she was following in.2020-10-2649 min

The American VandalThe Viral Reprinting of Mark Twain's Hawaii Jokes & Mark Twain Meets DraculaThis episode begins with Todd Nathan Thompson's paper for "The Viral Twain" panel at Virtual C19. Dr. Thompson tracks how Twain's jokes based on his visit to Hawaii were reprinted and often misprinted in the 1870s and 1880s, as Twain was increasingly approached as a pundit on annexation. The second half of the episode (24:00) contained Mark Dawidziak's Trouble Begins Lecture about the influence of Twain on Bram Stoker. For more information on joining "The Viral Twain" conversation, including the presentations by Avery Blankenship and Matt Seybold: https://marktwainstudies.com/the-viral-twain-at-virtual-c19-dissent/2020-10-1248 min

The American VandalJames Redpath, Bleeding Kansas, & The Networks of DisunionMark Twain's publicist and booking agent, proprietor of the Boston Lyceum Bureau, started his career as a hardscrabble freelance journalist. He discovered he had a knack for star-making long before he met Mark Twain. Matt Seybold tells the largely forgotten tale of James Redpath becoming John Brown's "right hand man" on the cusp of the Civil War. This episode is part of "The Viral Twain" panel at Virtual C19. For more information visit MarkTwainStudies.org or C19society.org.2020-10-1245 min

Esoterica CinemaDr. Volmer's Seaside Elixir* (*Comedy Sketch - Even if such a product existed, we wouldn't recommend consuming it.)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd begin to share them with you separately during our off weeks.Episode 5 features this sketch, "Dr. Volmer's Seaside Elixir" from A Cure for Wellness. In case you didn't listen to the episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it a listen!2020-09-3001 min

Esoterica CinemaAguirre's Existential Jungle Cruise feat. Werner Herzog* (*Comedy Sketch - May not be the real Werner Herzog)Every episode of Esoterica Cinema features a comedy sketch in the form of a fake commercial during one of our breaks. We put a lot of work into them, and since everyone seems to agree they're a lot of fun, we figured we'd begin to share them with you separately during our off weeks.Episode 1 features this sketch, "Aguirre's Existential Jungle Cruise" from Aguirre: The Wrath of God. In case you didn't listen to our first episode, or if you'd just like to see what the comedy aspect of our show is all about, give it a...2020-08-0501 min