Shows
The Colin McEnroe Show‘You can be anything’: A look at Barbie and ‘Barbie’According to Mattel, more than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold since they launched the toy in 1959. Barbie and Ken are said to be the two most popular dolls in the world. It would be hard to overstate the influence — for better and worse — that the Barbie toy line has had on our culture. And now, you may have heard, there’s a movie. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is the No. 1 movie in the country. Its opening last weekend was the largest ever for a movie based on a toy, and it’s expected to hold onto the N...
2023-07-2950 min
The Colin McEnroe ShowThe Nose’s guide to the 94th Academy AwardsOver the last eight months, The Nose has covered 11 of this year’s Academy Award-nominated movies, encompassing 54 nominations. So on this special edition of The Nose, we look back at our discussions of nominated movies, and we look ahead to Sunday’s Oscars ceremony with film and television star (and Oscars voter) Illeana Douglas. Some of the movies covered include: Being the Ricardos, Coda, Drive My Car, Dune, House of Gucci, King Richard, Last Night in Soho, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, No Time To Die, The Power of the Dog,Spencer, West Side Story, The Wors...
2022-03-251h 35
Mid LitFranzenpalooza: Part 2Forget Jonathan Franzen, we've got Seth Corwin from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List on this episode! Rebecca is talking one-on-one with our Instagram pal about "Crossroads." Here's the moral of the story: If you only read two Franzen books, let them be "Crossroads" and "The Corrections." Let's dig in and talk about Mister Difficult himself. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midlit/support
2022-03-151h 04Mid LitFranzenpalooza: Part 1Ya'll love you some Franzen... or at least love to listen to us talk about him! So, we're covering Jonathan Franzen's latest work "Crossroads." We're kicking it off with a big, ol' roundtable of guests new and old. In part one, we're joined by Colin McEnroe, Irene Papoulis, and Bill Yousman to talk about 70s youth groups, faith, and whether or not you can smoke enough 70s weed to hallucinate. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midlit/support
2022-03-1451 minMid LitCucumber Sandwiches & Magical Thinking: RIP Joan DidionWe're popping in with a mini-episode to bid a fond farewell to Joan Didion, a magical thinker who depressed the hell out of us and lived an amazing life. Didion was, in a lot of ways, an inheritor of ol' Ginny Woolf's legacy, and we're paying homage by talking about the books we (sorta) read, the essays we're planning on revisiting, and why you should check her out even if high brow literature isn't your thing. And as long as we have your attention, check out "The Center Will Not Hold," the Netflix documentary about Didion....
2022-02-0135 minMid LitMini-episode: The Lord's WorkWe're talking about John Irving again, but it's a bittersweet victory for Theresa. Why? We're diving into "The Cider House Rules," John Irving's pro-choice opus because several states are actively trying to strip women of their reproductive rights. We won't get into it right now, but the tale of an American hero, Wilbur Larch, and reluctant abortion provider, Homer Wells, seemed like the right book to be talking about at this moment in time. We discuss our feminist AF grandmas and their pro-choice rhetoric and take some detours into "If These Walls Could Talk," "Friday Night Lights" and other...
2021-12-211h 10
Mid LitSpray My Rage EverywhereWe're wrapping up our thoughts on the twisted mind, the compelling work of Gillian Flynn, and a bunch of feminist AF protagonists who are fighting for our right to be just as gross, and mysanthropic as male characters. We rank our deeply flawed heroines by how much we want to hang out with each of them (spoiler alert: Rebecca's status as a possible psychopath remains in tact), somehow American psycho Patrick Bateman makes an appearance, and Rebecca gets truly icked out by Theresa's latest description of annoying male angst. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest wa...
2021-11-1640 min
Mid LitStay Away from Dark PlacesThe movie adaptation of "Dark Places" shouldn't be as bad as it is. There's a good cast -- with Charlize Theron and Christina Hendricks carrying the drama -- and Gillian Flynn co-wrote the screenplay. But something went wrong somewhere, because this book we loved was practically unwatchable in movie form. Is it the lack of Velveeta sandwiches? You tell us. Carolyn Paine stops by to talk about why she actually had to get up and pace around the house just to finish the movie. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. ht...
2021-11-0935 min
Mid LitSatan at Your ServiceGillian Flynn's "Dark Places" is one of her lesser-known novels, but we loved it! Between the Satanic Panic of it all, Ben Day's big Damien Echols vibes, and the reminder of all the ways big banks have been screwing over regular Americans since long before the 2008 crash, there is a lot to dig into here. Is the Angel of Debt a folk hero or just another dude preying on desperate people? Is Diondra scarier than Amma? Is Lyle a creep? Tune in as Carolyn Paine makes a rare appearance to chat about an actual book!--- This episode...
2021-11-0258 min
Mid LitNever Trust Little GirlsAmma. Adora. Camille. They're all brought to terrifying and startling life in HBO's interpretation of "Sharp Objects." Jean-Marc Vellee's vision and tour de force performances from Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and Eliza Scanlen bring the Preaker/Crellin women to life but for some reason Theresa won't stop talking about Elizabeth Perkins as drunk Jackie. Meanwhile, Rebecca has a scandalous theory about Camille's daddy, so tune in to find out what her twisted mind has come up with this time around. But if there's one thing we've learned, it's that little girls are terrifying and not to be trusted....
2021-10-2656 min
Mid LitWatch Out For Those Sharp ObjectsCamille Preaker has serious mommy issues, and her sister, Amma, isn't going to win any awards for being well-adjusted either. Meanwhile, the ill-behaved girls of Wind Gap are turning up dead. Tune in as we talk to Lara Bricker, author, journalist, and Crime Writers On panelist, about what Gillian Flynn's "Sharp Objects" gets right about Munchausen's by Proxy, her personal experience with malevolent mothers, the Gypsy Rose Blanchard of it all, and the reality of being a small-town reporter. Lara also dishes about living in Exeter, New Hampshire which is simply infested with writers like Dan Brown a...
2021-10-1958 min
Mid LitBen Affleck Embodies Terrible Husbands EverywhereWhat it lacks in nonsensical bear costumes, "Gone Girl" makes up for in great performances from Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tyler Perry. Tune in as Carolyn Paine joins us to talk about her possibly over-emotional response to "Gone Girl" and why she never considered Amy Elliot Dunne a feminist icon. (Score one for Carolyn not being a possibly dangerous psychopath!) Learn why putting a human face on Nick Dunne's suffering (even if it's Affleck's) helped Rebecca have some empathy for this mediocre, cheating husband. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The ea...
2021-10-1239 min
Mid LitThat Girl is Gone, DudeGillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" is more than a book. It's a playbook for every angry wife with a neglectful, cheating husband. Get out your notepad, ladies, and make your husbands tremble in fear of what you're capable of. And also, fear Rebecca and our special guest, Blair from Unwelcome Recommendations on Instagram who maybe have a little too much admiration for psychopathic Amy. Is Gillian a feminist, a misogynist, or just a good writer with a truly terrifying imagination? We may never know but we will discuss it to death! Does any of it matter, considering what a bleak...
2021-10-051h 08Mid LitMini-Episode: Unconventional Beach Reads, Read at Your Own RiskWhat does "beach read" mean to you? We explore the possibly sexist term with the help of an essay from Jennifer Weiner, and then recommend some of our favorite books to read with our toes in the sand (or, if you're Theresa, while avoiding the beach like the very pale person she is). As it turns out, Rebecca may not really understand what a beach read is, but that didn't stop us from putting together a list for you to choose your next read from! So join us as we explore the joy of a leisurely beach read....
2021-07-2730 min
Mid LitMini-Episode: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? We Are!We stumbled on a real doozy of a rant from the fist-lady of highfalutin literature, Virginia Woolf. Turns out, she haaaates "middle brows." So we knew we had to do a mini-episode in which Rebecca gets to flex her grad school skills by taking us on a very serious trip through British modernism and into ol' Ginny's life and times. Meanwhile, Theresa gest to remind us why she was a mediocre student and life-long Mid Lit fan by vaguely recalling reading "Mrs. Dalloway."--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://a...
2021-07-131h 01Mid LitMini-Episode: We're All Somebody's Cat PersonIn this mini-episode, we revisit Cat Person, Kristen Roupenian's 2017 short story for The New Yorker. As it turns out, the characters in Celeste Ng's books aren't the only ones who don't know how to communicate. Tune in to hear Theresa advocate more violence-by-women and rail against the patriarchy that trains us not to be loud and proud about our opinions, wants, and needs. Meanwhile, Rebecca maintains a level head while reconsidering her response to the initial reading of this story.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport t...
2021-06-2952 min
Mid LitCeleste Ng: Wrap-Up EpisodeYou've heard us gush about Celeste Ng's masterful way of depicting families, communities, and the complicated dynamics that propel them all to inevitable(?) consequences. Now hear us debate which of her books are "better," and get all of our wild predictions about Ng's next book. If we're right, send us a prize. And don't forget to visit our bookshop to get your copy (of Celeste Ng's books or any of the books we've talked about, or even just mentioned).--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/ap...
2021-06-0158 min
Mid LitBurn It All DownHulu's adaptation of "Little Fires Everywhere" goes off into some weird territory, making Mia a borderline unfit mother and Elena marginally more likable by contrast. And all the while we're asking, "What is Kerry Washington smelling now?" Seriously, if we were to judge by Mia's sneer throughout the entire show, we'd have to say someone was stinking up the set. By the end of it, we're on board with the uber-privileged Richardson children and screaming, "BURN IT ALL DOWN!" Oh, Celeste Ng... what did they do to your lovely book?Tune in to hear more o...
2021-05-2543 min
Mid LitWhat We Have Here is a Failure to CommunicateIt's all right there in the title, folks! Celeste Ng's debut novel, "Everything I Never Told You," is about all the things that go unsaid in a family... and ruin the relationships as a result. The kids. The parents. The siblings. No one is talking in the Lee household! Is this kind of poor communication still a thing? Find out in our latest episode, with special guest Mel Geter from the Curlyyop Reads Booktube. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/appSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midlit/su...
2021-05-181h 03
Mid LitThere Are Little Fires Everywhere, ManMid Lit is back for Season 2, and we're jumping into a book that burns the house down, literally... In Celeste Ng's "Little Fires Everywhere" you know from the very beginning that the Richardson family will lose it all by the end of the book, you just aren't sure why or how. We'll talk about motherhood, the 90s, and whether or not it's OK to ever steal a baby. Also, is this chick-lit? You decide.Want to read along? Check out our book list and get a copy of your own. --- This episode is sponsored by · An...
2021-05-111h 04
Mid LitMini-Episode: Living with an Owen Meany AddictHave you ever wondered what it's like to live with someone who is obsessed with Volvos, doesn't trust anyone who can't drive a stick, and yells about the Undertoad all the time because of a two-decade-long obsession with John Irving? Well, here's your chance to find out. In this mini-episode, Theresa interrogates her other half about that time she made him listen to "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and whether or not he thinks she is more or less obsessed with Owen than she is with "Gilmore Girls." Oh, and you'll learn how they ended up with an armadillo...
2021-03-3032 min
Mid LitMini-Episode: Overrated Author - Jonathan FranzenIt's time for another mini-episode, and this time we're tackling an author we think is overrated. Jonathan Franzen has received heaps of praise, prestigious awards, and plenty of backlash from women who aren't feeling the current de facto leader of the "Dude Writers." We compare Jenny Fields to Patty from "Freedom" and discuss why we'll take a pill-popping Jack Kerouac over bird-watching Franzen. But it wouldn't be a Mid Lit episode if we didn't explore some wild tangents. So please tune in to learn why we might be buying Jonathan Franzen's next book despite having no desire to actually...
2021-03-1647 min
Mid LitMini-Episode: A Good Flannery is Hard to FindShe was a crotchety southern belle with a problematic history and love of the grotesque, but Flannery O'Connor made us laugh. Join us for a quick talk about "Good Country People" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find," arguably O'Connor's most famous works. Is there a little bit of Hulga in you? Do you find yourself sympathizing with the Misfit instead of that annoying family? Then you've come to the right place. Tune in to take a dive into the Southern Gothic world of Flannery O'Connor. And check out our Freethinking Women list on Bookshop.org....
2021-03-0225 minMid LitBonus Episode: The StandYou can't talk about Mid Lit without talking about Stephen King. "The Stand" is a King classic, but only a sadist would ask a guest to read that weighty tome. Instead, we asked Kevin Flynn from "Crime Writers On" and "These Are Their Stories: The Law & Order Podcast" to spend roughly 9 hours of his life watching the latest mini-series based on the book and then chat with us about his thoughts and feelings. Take a deep dive into the perplexing economy of New Vegas and ponder the mystery of the new ending and why King took this opportunity to...
2021-02-171h 02
Mid LitJohn Irving: The Final ExamWe've come to the end of Season 1, but before we set the bears free forever, we have some great personal John Irving stories to share. From one friend's profound experience with a John Irving commencement speech to writer Rand Cooper's bromance with Irving that spans two continents and at least a decade. (Salman Rushdie and Erica Jong also make cameos!) Theresa and Rebecca also get into everything from their favorite characters to which book Rebecca should read next. And there are plenty of tangents to be explored, so don't miss a minute.--- This episode is sponsored by · A...
2021-01-261h 23
Mid LitThe Set of "The World According to Garp" According to Colin McEnroeThe World According to Garp was a huge hit way back in the early 80s. People went to the theaters in droves to see Robin Williams in a wrestling uniform. But one of our special guests got to hop on a boat and head to the set of the film long before anyone else saw the movie. Hear all about Colin McEnroe's trip to the movie set, why Carolyn Paine felt the presence of the undertoad all through the film, and why Jim Chapdelaine will only watch basketball these days. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The ea...
2021-01-1248 min
Mid LitA Prayer for John IrvingWe're kicking off Season 1 by diving into Theresa's favorite book of all time, "A Prayer for Owen Meany." This 1988 John Irving novel also happens to be a favorite for Rebecca Lavoie from Crime Writer's On, so she was gracious enough to stop by and talk to us about Owen, the nature of John Wheelright's love for his diminutive friend, and just what we're supposed to think about the nature of faith by the end of this book. Tune in for a deep dive into Irving's best-selling book of all time.--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The e...
2021-01-121h 07
Mid LitSimon Birch Must DieWhether you love "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and hate "Simon Birch," or you've never read the book but love the movie, or somehow, inexplicably, love both, we've got you covered. Tune in to hear how our resident movie critic, Carolyn Paine, felt about this wild Hallmark meets Chicken Soup for the Soul version of John Irving's beloved novel; learn why Rebecca Lavoie will never (NEVER!) watch this movie; get a deep dive into the merits or lack thereof from our hosts. Also, take a slight detour into The Gilmore Girls, Friday Night Lights, Northern Exposure, and the story...
2021-01-1253 min
Mid LitAn Alarming Number of BearsCome visit The Hotel New Hampshire where you can choose whether you want to stay on the violent radical floor or the floor with the very noisy sex workers. There's something for everyone! Tune in as we talk about this surrealist romp that spans two continents, one Freud (but not that Freud!), and two bears. Irene Papoulis, Principal Lecturer in the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric at Trinity College, joins us to talk about what John Irving's post-Garp novel is saying, or isn't saying, or is maybe kind of saying... and what exactly a writer has...
2021-01-121h 20
Mid LitThe Hotel New Hampshire is New York's Hottest ClubRob Lowe. Jodie Foster. Beau Bridges. Tiny baby Seth Green. With a cast like that it had to be a hit, right? Not quite. Apparently, the American public didn't embrace Susie the Bear and Sorrow the taxidermied dog in this film adaptation of John Irving's novel. Tune in to find out what our resident movie critic Carolyn Paine thinks of this movie that Rob Lowe thought would be "his Dirty Dancing" (shut your mouth, Rob Lowe... there's only one Swayze and only one Johnny Castle). Be prepared for bears...lots of them. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anc...
2021-01-121h 09
Mid LitThe Revolution According to GarpThe World According to Garp changes John Irving's life, turning him into a full-time writer and best-selling author. This book was, perhaps, ahead of its time, even if Irving worried that his novel about "sexual hatred" (or the politics of sex, sexuality, and gender) would be outdated by the time it came out. Sadly, it's more relevant than ever, but that doesn't mean Garp didn't have an impact on the world. Tune in to hear from Colin McEnroe, host of WNPR's Colin McEnroe Show, and rockstar Jim Chapdelaine, to hear about how they felt about Garp when the book...
2021-01-1245 min
Mid LitTrailer: Welcome to Mid LitMid Lit is part book club and part lit class, but 100% in praise of unpretentious books! Tune in as Rebecca & Theresa of Big Little Podcast fame tell us why they're turning their attention to books, and why they're focusing on popular books that they can't put down instead of the books we're all "supposed to read." And find out which author they are deep diving into first (*Hint: He is really into bears and wrestling!)--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midlit/support
2020-12-1514 min
Big Little PodcastSeason 2 Trailer #MerylisComingThe Big Little Podcast ladies take a look at the trailers recently released for the second season of HBO's Big Little Lies-now with Meryl!Join us as we make predictions and ask the big questions we all have going into the second season.Featuring Rebecca Castellani, Theresa Cramer, and Carolyn Paine.Music by Brian Chevalier
2019-05-2700 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 7: You Get What You NeedA party where everyone is dressed like Audrey Hepburn and Elvis and doing karaoke. What could go wrong? We finally get the murder we knew was coming but where does this leave us with Season 2? What are they hiding? What will they lie about now?Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn PaineMusic by Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 6: Burning LoveLots to talk about here as things begin to reach a boiling point with Celeste finally fighting back and breaking Perry's penis and Jane scratching Renata in the eye. And nothing ruins a dinner party like puking on the perfectly rustic table. Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn PaineMusic by Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 5: Once BittenWho is the murderer? Renata? Jane? Nathan? The puppet? Amabella and Celeste continue to be victims. Who are we supposed to hate here? Other than horrible Perry obviously.Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn PaineMusic by Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 4: Push Comes to ShoveWhy can't Bonnie and Madeline get along? Does this show just make men out to be all creepy assholes? And why can't they have puppets fucking in Monterey? All we know is after this episode, we are sure Nicole Kidman deserves all the acting awards. Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn PaineMusic by Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 3: Living the DreamErections at a children's birthday party or Stevie Nicks sing alongs on the way to Disney on Ice? Plus we see shit get real in one of the most intense TV therapy sessions ever. And we discuss Monterey real estate porn. Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn PaineMusic by Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 2: Serious MotheringLet's talk about sex. These women are having a lot of it and not all of it is good. Also, we deal with working moms like fucking Renata, fighting husbands in spandex and play "Would You Rather?"Most importantly-is Chloe available to DJ our next party?Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn PaineMusic by Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 minBig Little PodcastEpisode 1: Somebody's DeadIs Madeline Martha MacKenzie a nightmare and the killer? Or is she just having one of her massive periods? Why is Amabella under attack? And should Janie have a gun?Featuring:Rebecca CastellaniTheresa CramerCarolyn Paine Music by Brian Brian Chevalier
2019-04-3000 min