Shows
It's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat is creative writing research?I'm back with a quick episode about a topic I'm passionate about--in fact, the topic I teach. If "creative writing research" sounds like an oxymoron to you, listen in to find out how research can provide inspiration and information to even the most fantastical creative work.
2024-07-0314 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat is a memorable character?My quick take on a few characteristics that make a fictional character unforgettable.
2023-10-2413 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessRe-Reading Middle Earth: The Wrap-up, with Jordan MartinusJordan joins me again for my last episode in this series. We make some general observations on The Return of the King, share thoughts on LOTR as a whole, and discuss what the trilogy has led to in pop culture and what we predict will be the future of the trilogy's popularity.
In the episode, I showed my ignorance when I said I didn't know who Peter S. Beagle was. Turns out he was a perfect person to write a much-reprinted foreword to The Lord of the Rings. Here's his bio: https://beagleverse.com/about/
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2023-08-0936 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessThe Two Towers: Part TwoIt's been a long time, but...well, I'm back. Join me as I wrap up my observations on The Two Towers in preparation for an upcoming mega-episode on The Return of the King and all things Tolkien.
2023-07-1920 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessThe Two Towers chs. 1-4Join me as I re-read The Two Towers! In this short episode, I talk about Aragorn's leadership crisis, Merry and Pippin's surprising intelligence, orcs' names and personalities, and more.
2023-01-2415 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessRe-Reading Middle Earth: Fellowship of the Ring Wrap-UpNow that I've finished re-reading The Fellowship of the Ring, I pick up on some topics from my first Fellowship episode and identify some themes to watch for as we move on in the trilogy. I also talk about meeting the four hobbit actors at Steel City Con earlier this month!
2022-12-2326 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessRe-Reading Middle Earth: The Fellowship of the Ring chapters 1-9My quick takes on Tom Bombadil, the strengths and weaknesses of Tolkien's prose, and dreaming about LOTR.
2022-10-2614 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessRe-Reading Middle-Earth: The HobbitWelcome to the first episode of a new series, in which I re-read J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth saga and talk about how, if at all, my impressions have changed since I entered that world at age 13. Here, I discuss The Hobbit, focusing on Tolkien's descriptions of nature and the change of seasons, as well as Bilbo Baggins' peacemaking and self-reflection skills. And yes, I do a little bit of comparison between the book and the movies.
I'd love to have you join me in my re-reading adventure! Next on the list is, of course, The Fellowship...
2022-09-0720 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Hobbit? with Jordan MartinusMy husband, Jordan Martinus (from the board game episode!) joins me in a discussion of why we love The Lord of the Rings, why it's been such a cultural phenomenon, and why we especially love a few of the characters. (Believe me, it was hard to get this list down to a few!)
Near the end of the episode, I mentioned a quote from Samwise Gamgee and promised I'd put it in the show notes. It turns out that this isn't a direct quote by Sam, but a narration of what goes through his mind when he...
2022-07-2531 min
It's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Jedi? with Andy ThigpenOkay, if you want to get into a grammatical discussion, I suppose it might have been better to have called this episode "Who Are the Jedi?" But I'm sticking with my choice, because in this episode, we try to discover the essence of what it means to be a member of Star Wars' legendary Jedi order--and why it's a good thing for that essence to be questioned and reassessed periodically. Join me as I geek out with returning guest Andy Thigpen (from the Godfather episode!) about Jedi ethics, clone armies, and lightsaber training.
2022-05-111h 03It's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Picture Book? with Allison StockslagerJoin the wild rumpus and listen to my conversation with children's book expert (and my sister-in-law) Allison Stockslager. We read and discuss the entire text of Where the Wild Things Are and talk about why nobody is too old for picture books.
Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
HarperCollins 200th Anniversary Website Author Audio Tour (background on Maurice Sendak and Where the Wild Things Are): http://www.harpercollins200audiotour.com/ (When you get to the site, click on #8 on the map!)
New York Times opinion piece by Pamela Paul: https://www.nytimes...
2022-04-2236 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat is the Happiest Place on Earth? with Sarah ScheffelWith the literal sounds of childhood providing the soundtrack to our discussion (listen to find out what I mean!), my sis and I discuss how Walt Disney World appeals to all five senses to create an immersive story experience for all ages.
2022-02-0449 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Makes a Game Like a Story? with Jordan MartinusMy husband and I tell the story of how he turned me into a board gamer, and we discuss the best games for people who love stories.
2021-12-0943 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Zombie? with Vickie Stockslager and Mark StockslagerI chat with my mom and brother, two George A. Romero superfans, about Romero's influence on the portrayal of zombies in pop culture. If you thought zombie movies were mindless gorefests, this episode will make you think again.
2021-11-2636 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Novel?Let's talk novels: what they are, where they came from, what they're good for, and what it takes to be a good novel reader. (This episode was previously aired.)
2021-10-2130 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Story?Literature teachers, editors, and critics have given many definitions of what a story is, but the average person would probably struggle to define the term and might simply say that a story is "something you tell." Find out why that definition isn't so far off. (This episode was previously aired.)
2021-10-2134 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is Short Fiction? with Cathy McCrumbI chat with my author and online friend Cathy about her work as a short fiction editor, her favorite fiction (long and short), and her upcoming science fiction release!
Here are the websites Cathy mentions in the episode:
gohavoc.com (the flash fiction site she edits for)
sparkflashfiction.com (another good place to read flash fiction)
flashfictiononline.com (ditto)
cathymccrumb.com (her website)
2021-09-2056 minIt's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat the Dickens? with Todd StockslagerMy dad and I talk about our mutual favorite author (who also happens to be the author of Our Mutual Friend), Charles Dickens. In this wide-ranging episode, we discuss Dickens's most memorable characters, the deep dark secrets of his life, and why you should give him a chance even if you hated reading Great Expectations in high school.
2021-09-1653 min
It's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat is a Superhero? with Sam HarrisSam and I talk about what makes a character a superhero, what defines a superhero story, and where this wildly popular genre is headed over the next few years.
2021-08-281h 11
It's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat is a Lousy Book? with Christy AustinChristy and I talk about the top seven things that make her quit reading a book--and the one thing that gets her to keep reading.
2021-08-2155 min
It's Lit Time! with Dr. TessWhat Is a Family? with Andy ThigpenAndy and I talk about The Godfather film trilogy: how it defines the concepts of family and country, how it changed the gangster genre forever, and why all you holdouts should finally watch it.
2021-08-141h 01
Shitty Idea Time: a celebration of bold business experimentsDecolonizing fitness by running Slow AF, with Martinus EvansMartinus Evans is a marathon runner, author, run coach, and award-winning speaker who helps plus-size individuals be active without the pressure of weight loss. He is also the host of the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast and the Long Run with Martinus and Latoya Podcast on the 300 Pounds and Running Podcast Network available on all podcast platforms. Martinus is also the founder of the Slow AF Run Club. In this episode Martinus shares how he went from selling suits to creating a vibrant community of runners of all sizes and abilities. We talk about the importance of motivation...
2021-04-1534 min