Each episode, we take a deep-dive into the book we are focusing on—we explore the references, characters, plot, and everything in between from a non-scholarly point of view. We are just four fans who love these books and can talk about them endlessly.
Thomas Pynchon books discussed here!
We're going to be covering the short stories in Slow Learner after each section of Against the Day, as we are going through that. This episode we discuss The Small Rain, Pynchon's first published short story. What we liked, what we didn't like, and how Pynchon has grown as a writer are all topics of conversation and we hope you'll enjoy listening to our ramblings. We'll return to Against the Day in the next episode.As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com
After discussing Part One of Against the Day, we spent some time talking with our guest, Johan Harstad, about whatever came to mind—the music of Hüsker Dü, David Foster Wallace, the films of Ingmar Bergman, and so much else.We'll be back in two weeks to discuss The Small Rain, the first short story from Pynchon's Slow Learner collection before diving back into Against the Day.Please check out Johan's work wherever you buy books and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacktr/As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com
We've reached the end of The Light Over the Ranges, the first part of Against the Day! We were incredibly lucky to be joined by Johan Harstad, Norwegian author of Buzz Aldrin, What Happened To You In All the Confusion?, The Red Handler and, most recently, Under the Paving Stones, The Beach! We discuss our thoughts with everything that has happened in the story so far, the goofy, fun-natured boy-adventurers known as The Chums of Chance, the historical accuracy of Franz Ferdinand, some controversy around the Norwegian translation of Against the Day, and much more (so much more that there's a bonus epidsode in the works)!Please check out Johan's work wherever you buy books and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacktr/As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com
Woo-hee! finally, we cover some real ground. Back on the Inconvenience, the Chums are bickering and splitting within themselves, while here on land our own crew are becoming "frazzled" in their own way. It seems such polarization can only be expected as we reach the end of Part One, but stay tuned through this analysis for the announcement of our thrilling conclusory episode of The Light Over the Ranges.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Quaternions (somewhat) explained: https://eater.net/quaternionsCivil War Draft Records article by Michael T. Meier: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/civil-war-draft-records.htmlSpirits of the Land: A Tool for Social Education by Ólina Thorvarðardóttir: http://www.literature.at/viewer.alo?objid=14721&viewmode=fullscreen&scale=3.33&rotate=&page=35Films/TV: The Knick (2014-2015)Music: “Cat's In the Cradle” - Harry Chapin, “Father and Son” - Cat StevensAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com
With the recent passing of one of our favorite filmmakers, David Lynch, Kate and Cody sit down to talk about the impact of his work on our lives.If you aren't familiar with his body of work, the discussion covers his entire filmography without spoiling any major plot points. He was a truly unique artist and one who will be dearly missed by the both of us.As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
This week in Mapping the Zone: Movement appears stalled. Not only do we remain with the Traverse household, but the only motion to be found is that of the mind. Kit begins to fathom the depth of Vectorism through the primal texts of electicity, and who is to find his talents but Nikola Tesla? It turns out, the understudy-in-perpetuity to Vibe, Foley Walker. The Earth may be striving to destroy our schedule, but the intrepids of this show shall not rest until we've ridden lightning through its heart.We had planned on covering Chapters 9-10 in this episode, but by the time we were done recording, we had around 5 1/2 hours of audio, so the decision was made to split it into two episodes. As such, this episode ends with our discussion of Chapter 9—quotes, "Most 'Pynchon' Part" and details about our Part One wrap-up episode will be at the end of the Chapter 10 episode in two weeks.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Quaternions (somewhat) explained: https://eater.net/quaternionsCivil War Draft Records article by Michael T. Meier: https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/civil-war-draft-records.htmlSpirits of the Land: A Tool for Social Education by Ólina Thorvarðardóttir: http://www.literature.at/viewer.alo?objid=14721&viewmode=fullscreen&scale=3.33&rotate=&page=35Films/TV: The Knick (2014-2015)Music: “Cat's In the Cradle” - Harry Chapin, “Father and Son” - Cat StevensAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
Having made our way to the Rockies, now is the time to dismiss doubts as to what purposes Webb might intend. Not much travel along traditional coordinates in this conversation, instead we meet the waterheads of the Traverse clan and contemplate the molds in which the bonds between workers and those rascals who despise all shapes of mandate were set. Just try and keep your hat on, heavier things have been seen blown away in these mountains.Next episode: Pages 97-118 (End of Part One)If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (dir. Andrew Dominik, 2007)Music: Public Enemy, Nick CaveBooks/Authors: B. Traven's Jungle series (1931-1940); The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by Ron HansenAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
Well, folks, the Chums have flown away, and our cartographers are stuck on ground duty. Don't feel too broken up, though! While the vertical may be abandoned for now, we'll trace and retrace Middle America alongside Merle Rideout and begin zooming in on Dally, a true heroine-to-be. Alchemy, photography, lovelornity, and more, await our kind listeners within this episode of Mapping the Zone.Next episode: Pages 81-96 (ending on “Veikko was pouring vodka. 'Happy Fourth of July, Webb.'”)If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: Godland (2022; dir. Hlynur Pálmason)Books/Authors: The Public Burning by Robert CooverAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
While the Chums made landfall last episode, that descent wasn't even the half of it. In this week's ep, we go deeper into the world staging the Columbian Exposition, and begin acquainting ourselves with the relentless cascade of characters who populate Against the Day. You didn't think we'd be settling down for just another tale of carefree whimsy, did you?Next episode: Pages 57-80 (ending on “...as if silver were alive, with a soul and a voice, and he'd been working for it as much as it for him.”)If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: The Prestige (dir. Christopher Nolan, 2006),Books/Authors: Progress In Flying Machines: Aeroplanes, October 1893 - https://invention.psychology.msstate.edu/i/Chanute/library/Prog_Aero_Oct1893.htmlAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
Zounds! It's time to take flight with those loveable scamps, The Chums of Chance and head for the extravagent World's Fair!Join us on our journey into Pynchon's longest novel, Against the Day, and let us know if you have any questions or comments about the book!***There is a slight audio issue that occurs during our introduction which resulted in the audio dropping out for a few seconds.***If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
Come one, come all, gather to hear of the tale of the Loop Garoo Kid and his travails through the Western wasteland as depicted within the covers of Ishmael Reed's second novel, Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down! Listen as our correspondent, Will, rants and raves about the depths to be found just at the surface of this gem of a book, let alone whatever great hoard of philosophies and fun might be seen beyond the surface by any so-moved to read it themselves..! Send your eagerly-awaited copies of The Free-Lance Pallbearers to PO Box #FF00FF Fortymile, Yukon, Canada, care of Mappod Zonus.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
This week on Mapping the Zone, Luke leads us through a discussion of M. John Harrison's Kefahuchi Tract trilogy. The trilogy is comprised of the novels Light, Nova Swing, and Empty Space: A Haunting.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
In the newest installment of Kate's bonus episodes, she has turned away from her ordinary method of covering new voices in fiction written by women to talking about one of the authors she almost never stops mentioning on the main program. Yet she has chosen not to cover his primary work, but the less popular, technically unfinished novel that very few people read. Why does she do this? Listen to find out.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
In this week's bonus episode, Cody discusses the metafictional, post-noir detective novel The Red Handler—simultaneously a love letter to and hilarious deconstruction of the hardboiled stories of the 30's and 40's. It's a highly entertaining and brilliantly written novel that anyone who loves hardboiled/noir novels is sure to enjoy.Grab a copy here: https://www.openletterbooks.org/products/red-handlerIf you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
We've finished another Pynchon book and convene once more to talk about Bleeding Edge; this time in its entirety. We're joined by Andrew, better known as Byron's Glowing Filament on Twitter and the creator of the Gravity's Rainbow Analysis substack (link below).We're taking a (well-earned) break and will be back some time in November to start Against the Day.In the meantime, we're going to be releasing some bonus episodes until our return, so stay tuned for those.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneAndrew's Gravity's Rainbow Analysis Substack: https://gravitysrainbow.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profileAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
We apologize in advance for some audio issues which presented themselves after we had finished recording. We've done our best to clean them up and make everything sound as good as possible.Information on the guest for our Bleeding Edge wrap-up episode, as well as our next book and schedule changes for the show going forward are at the end of the discussion.If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezonehttps://vimeo.com/73716114 (Bleeding Edge trailer)As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneThe article mentioned by Luke: “Hallowe'en? Over Already?” https://x.com/Ethelmer77/status/963687634483793920?lang=enIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Books/Authors: The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, The Trial by Franz KafkaAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Music: Mitch Hedberg - Mitch All Together, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart - Bob Newhart, Riot Grrrl musicBooks/Authors: The Shock Doctrine (2007) and No Logo (1999) by Naomi Klein, https://www.jsasoc.com/docs/Sep1101.pdf (Global Consciousness Project analysis), When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín LabatutAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
We are off this week, so Kate has recorded a reading of Fear and Loathing in America by Hunter S. Thompson, taken from his "Hey Rube" column for ESPN Page 2.We will be back on 26 July 2024 to continue our read-through of Bleeding Edge.As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
We're off this week, so Kate has provided a reading of John Perry Barlow's 1996 article, A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.We will be back on 26 July 2024 to continue our read-through of Bleeding Edge.As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: The Thin Man; In the Toilet (fan made song)Books/Authors: Thomas Pynchon's Silicon Alley by Mike Godwin, The Thin Man by Dashiell HammettAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: Archive 81(Netflix)Music: Big L, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-ZBooks/Authors: Hunter S. ThompsonAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: Primer (2004; dir. Shane Carruth); Motherless Brooklyn (dir. Edward Norton, Jr.)Music: Tiny Desk Unit - Live At the 9:30 Club 1980; Bad Brains - Bad BrainsBooks: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson; Motherless Brooklyn by Johnathan Lethem; The Power Broker by Robert Caro; Amerikastudien: “Bright Days for the Black Market”: Color-Coded Crises in Contemporary U.S. Fiction and the Works of Thomas PynchonAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films/TV: Spaced (1999-2001)Music: Selected Ambient Works Volume II by Aphex Twin; Goblin (various film scores)Books: The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff; Falling Man by Don DeLiloAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films/TV: Lost Highway (1997; dir. David Lynch)Music: Elvis Hitler - Green Haze: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4FFgxJsjqkgBooks: The Looming Tower by Lawrence WrightAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
We didn't really have any noteworthy recommendations of other media to tie into these chapters (or the book in general) this week, but we hope you had a wonderful Pynchon In Public day on Wednesday.Just a reminder that we are off next week, so the next episode will be out on 24 May 2024.As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films/TV: Aretha Franklin “Nessun Dorma” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33sINjn9o0Books: Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas PikettyPynchon In Public Day is 08 May 2024. Feel free to send a picture to the Pynchon In Public Twitter page @pynchoninpublicAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films/TV: Office Space (1999; dir. Mike Judge)Books: The Declaration of Cyberspace by John Perry Barlow; Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig; Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace; The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright (watch the Hulu Miniseries Adaptation, as well)Pynchon In Public Day is 08 May 2024. Feel free to send a picture to the Pynchon In Public Twitter page @pynchoninpublicAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Books: Meet Me In the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman; 9/11 as Mass Ritual by S.K. Bains https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Monsterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Experimenthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Island_Animal_Disease_Center#ControversyAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films/TV: We Live In Public (2009; dir. Ondi Timoner)Music: Satan Is Real by The Louvin BrothersBooks: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World by Haruki Murakami“Postmodern Syllabus” (mentioned in My Dinner With Will and Kate): https://tildes.net/~books/rf7/if_you_had_to_teach_a_class_on_literature_what_books_would_you_put_on_your_syllabusAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
Kate and Cody took advantage of the break to spend some time talking about one of their favorite artists, David Bowie. A wildly talented artist, Bowie's influence is wider reaching than many might have known. Whether you're a longtime fan of Bowie and his discography or you've never heard any of his music (you have, you just don't know it was him), we hope you enjoy our long overdue discussion on one of the most important musicians of all time.Links to things mentioned:Dissonance tour performance (Nine Inch Nails and David Bowie): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4sP1CTuIjsDavid Bowie and Placebo - “Without You, I'm Nothing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c14qMbmP9egVenture Bros: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1X3vl8QMYkDavid Bowie & Robert Smith (The Cure): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krhzq6C1EBwFlight of the Conchords - "Bowie": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8f_XCH3zmMSocial media links:Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
In the latest Mapping the Zone bonus episode, Luke explores the world of Octavia E. Butler, with a particular emphasis on her Patternist series.We'll be back on 12 April 2024 to begin our exploration of Bleeding Edge!
Did you enjoy learning about books written by women in the modern literary landscape when Kate went on a long monologue about them several months ago? Have you potentially been pining for another installment ever since you heard the final dulcet tones of her voice tell you about Julia Armfield's masterpiece? No? Well, either way, she's done it again. Except now it's about OTTESSA MOSHFEGH, everyone's favorite social-media-propagated female author (the writer of this description does not acknowledge Colleen Hoover as a viable candidate for this title). Kate (who happens to be the writer of this description) hopes that her newest monologue on women in publishing, this time made with the aid of intensive allergy medication (she thought she had a cold, turns out her body's ability to withstand pollen is just terrible), is just as entertaining as all the others.
In the latest Mapping The Zone bonus episode off the press, we welcome listeners to an introduction to the nonfiction book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, published by Annie Dillard in 1975. As a non-plot-oriented work of narrative essay, feel free to kick off your work shoes and tune in without the looming spectre of spoilers. Tasting notes: profound exploration of nature, contemplation of the roots of morality, river mudRecommended pairings: social exhaustion, a long walk with a dog, unfiltered cigarettes
David Lynch gets about as much focus on this show as Pynchon himself (especially in the Vineland episodes), so it seemed right to do a bonus episode where Cody can finally get all of his Lynch obsession out and in the wild. While the first part of the episode is a sort of overview of Lynch's filmography, the main focus is his most recent film, 2005's INLAND EMPIRE. It's a beautifully strange film by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, so let Cody ramble for half an hour about it and maybe he won't have to keep bringing it up.If you want to watch David Lynch cook (and instruct on how to cook) quinoa, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSP-ewdJYJc
What you're about to listen to is a completely improvised, free flowing discussion between two hosts of Mapping the Zone. This conversation was captured as a result of a STOP RECORD button not being pressed, and two literary obsessives finding themselves locked in one of the best conversations they've ever had. Side effects may include: laughter, groaning, expansion of knowledge, or scoffing at the sheer duration of time two people talked about a single subject. That being said, the hosts of the regularly scheduled programming felt that he conversation had merit and was deemed to be of interest to its listeners. Who desperately hope they were right. If they happen to have been wrong, you only have a month before the return of their regularly produced internet radio talk show.
We've come to the end of Vineland and spend this final episode of the season discussing our overall thoughts and feelings on the book. Joining us is Seth from W.A.S.T.E. Mailing List (links below) to share his experience on his most recent readthrough of Pynchon's overlooked, underappreciated 1990 novel.Seth's social media: https://linktr.ee/wastemailinglistAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films/TV: SLC Punk (1998; dir. James Merendino), Lost Highway (1997; dir. David Lynch), Clerks (1994; dir. Kevin Smith); We Live In Public (2009; dir. Ondi Timoner); Arrested Development (2003-2006)Music: Third stream jazzBooks: No other books came up this week, but do check out Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson and/or The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster. Follow us on Twitter to see what we're reading from time to timeAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films: The Maltese Falcon (1941; dir. John Huston), Double Indemnity (1944; dir. Billy Wilder), Brick (2005; dir. Rian Johnson)Music: Portishead - Dummy (1994)Books: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, Double Indemnity by James M. CainAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:Films: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968; dir. Stanley Kubrick), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992; dir. David Lynch)Music: The Smile - Wall of EyesBooks: Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldEmail: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3DAs always, thanks so much for listening!
If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media we talked about:YouTube: Maggie Mae Fish - The Surprising History of Hollywood Strikes: Blacklists, Labor, and the Mob - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07bwL0fiM1AFilms: Judas and the Black Messiah (2021; dir. Shaka King), Blue Velvet (1986; dir. David Lynch)Music: Frank Zappa (listen to all of it, but start with Apostrophe or Overnite Sensation)Books: A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune. An Oral History (Max Evry), If on a winter's night a traveler (Italo Calvino), Cryptonomicon (Neal Stephenson), Solenoid (Mircea Cărtărescu, translated by Sean Cotter), Fem (Magda Cârneci, translated by Sean Cotter)As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
Frank Zappa at the PMRC Senate hearings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgAF8Vu8G0wMaggie Mae Fish — Veterans After War | An Analysis of RAMBO + THE STRAIGHT STORY: https://youtu.be/HRnEjsdjtks?si=vx-3GvKgDqzNdx-0Movie/TV recommendations: The work of David Lynch — Eraserhead (1977), Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 1992, 2017), Lost Highway (1997)Music recommendations: Jaco Pastorius “Portrait of Tracy” (1976) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPsiuGcUniQReading recommendations: David Foster Wallace “David Lynch Keeps His Head”—found in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (1997)As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
We're back from our brief break and ready to jump into the back half of Vineland. We get some more insight into Frenesi's past and her involvement with 24fps as well as her relationship with Brock. Speaking of, we get our first real scenes with Brock, showing just how awful he truly is.As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
Strap into the Puncutron, cue up your preferred accompaniment, and enjoy our discussion on the back half of Chapter 9—Thanatoids, towing conferences, and a whole lot of dense symbolism to get lost in! Make sure you stick around for some actually appetizing food discussion at Your Momma Eats and we'll see you when we get back from our break!As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
Chapter 9 is quite expansive, both in its content and page count, so we split it into two parts. In the first half, we cover the events ending at DL and Takeshi's "encounter". So join us a we... get to the bottom of the giant footprint (among other topics of discussion) and come back next week for the thrilling conclusion of Chapter 9, in which DL, Takeshi, Prairie, Zoyd, Frenesi, and Weed Atman fight giant mecha-kaiju in a battle to save the planet!Please pre-order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
There's so much food talk in this book that we could've turned this show into a food podcast dedicated to awful concoctions. Despite that, we found quite a bit of other conversational morsels to chew on regarding these chapters.Buckle up for next week, 'cause Chapter 9 is a long one!Please pre-order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
The scheduling goblins kept us from being able to record our discussion on Chapters 7-8 of Vineland this week, so Kate was kind enough to record a reading of Pynchon's 1993 article, The Deadly Sins/Sloth; Nearer, My Couch, To Thee.We'll be back next week to talk Vineland again!
We're down one co-host again this week, but that won't stop us from talking about the fascinating history of the ukulele. Not to give too much away up front, but we'll just say that the importance of choosing the right tonewood for a uke makes all the difference. We also take a side-quest into debating the pros and cons of analog and digital synthesizers.We also spent a bit of time talking Chapters 5 & 6 of Vineland and all the weird, wacky beauty that is contained within those pages.As always, thanks so much for listening!Please pre-order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
In this special Thanksgiving episode of Mapping the Zone, we take a look at the 1973 made-for-TV special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. We examine the intertextual relationship between the fabled television special and Pynchon's magnum opus, Gravity's Rainbow—how does Charlie Brown's journey mirror that of Slothrop? Is Lucy's arc similar to that of Katje, or are there not enough giant octopi? Why is Linus at The White Visitation and why is Snoopy acting on behalf of Jamf? We'll tackle these important questions in this week's episode.Does anyone really read these show notes? Enjoy our conversation on Chapters 3-4 of Vineland. We'll get around to the Pynchon/Peanuts connection at some point.As always, thanks so much for listening!Please pre-order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/Listener Nick's essay: https://lesser.work/s/002-dazzling-symmetries.htmlEmail: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
We're back and crashing into Vineland like it was a plate-glass (or maybe safety glass) window! In this episode, we spend some time talking about the work as a whole and its place in Pynchon's oeuvre—often maligned as “weak” (false) or “Pynchon-lite” (gross), the book has garnered something of a reputation among fans. Coming along almost two decades after Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland certainly—albeit unfairly—had quite high expectations placed upon it. So, how do we feel about it? Why would I tell you that in the show notes? Listen and find out!This episode opens with a general discussion on the book in general and our history with it. Our discussion of Chapters 1-2 begins at 45:38.Articles mentioned in this episode:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00111619.1990.9933800https://newramblerreview.com/book-reviews/fiction-literature/pynchon-s-pop-fictionPlease pre-order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/As always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
