Podcasts about brat pack america

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Best podcasts about brat pack america

Latest podcast episodes about brat pack america

Historians At The Movies
Episode 124: Don't You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club and Brat Pack America with Kevin Smokler

Historians At The Movies

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 89:53


This week Kevin Smokler drops in to talk about The Breakfast Club, the Brat Pack, John Hughes, and the legacy of 80s teen movies. About our guest:Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker and event host focused on our relationship as human beings with pop culture. His most recent book BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN FILMMAKERS  contains 24 career-retrospective conversations with directors behind box office phenomenon like Captain Marvel, Oscar winners like Free Solo and the filmmakers who launched actors such as America Ferrera, Paul Rudd, Ryan Gosling and Jennifer Lawrence. His previous books, BRAT PACK AMERICA is a love letter to teen movies of the 1980s. His 2013 essay collection PRACTICAL CLASSICS is a 50 book attempt to reread one's high school reading list as an adult.

Page One Podcast
Ep. 39: Kevin Smokler - Brat Pack America

Page One Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 50:54


Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.About the guest author:Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker and purveyor of pop culture.  He's the author of the four books Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (2016), the essay collection Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books you Haven't Touched Since High School (2013) and worked as the editor of “Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times,” A San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book of 2005. His essays and criticism have appeared in the LA Times, Salon, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, Vulture, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Decider and on NPR. He is also the co-director and co-producer of the documentary film Vinyl Nation about the contemporary renaissance of vinyl records in America. Kevin has lectured and taught at Comic Con, MIT, South by Southwest, The LA Times Festival of Books and The Commonwealth Club of California. He serves as a Creator-in-Residence for The Battery in San Francisco and sits on the board of Zyzzvya Magazine. Kevin holds a Bachelor's degree in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, he lives in San Francisco with his wife. His most recent book, BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS with WOMEN FILMMAKERS comes out next year from Oxford University Press. You can find and follow Kevin on Twitter @weegee and his website kevinsmokler.comAbout the host:Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. As an author and writing coach, she knows that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So she thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook you. Holly lives in Marin County with her family and two Labrador retrievers, and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, swimming and pretending to surf. To learn more about her books and writing coaching services, please follow her on IG + X @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.Tune in and reach out:If you're an aspiring writer or a book lover, this episode of Page One offers a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice. I offer these conversations as a testament to the magic that happens when master storytellers share their secrets and experiences. We hope you are inspired to tune into the full episode for more insights. Keep writing, keep reading, and remember—the world needs your stories. If I can help you tell your own story, or help improve your first page, please reach out @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes. If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime. The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community! Be well and keep reading.~Holly~ Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends! I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile. For the love of books and writers,Holly Lynn Payne@hollylynnpaynewww.hollylynnpayne.com

San Francisco Writers Conference Podcast
Revisiting the 80s with Kevin Smokler

San Francisco Writers Conference Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 12:01


Subjects covered Kevin Smokler is an author and filmmaker. Kevin's documentary Vinyl Nation, is the study of the comeback of vinyl records in America over the last 12 years, the diversification of vinyl fans, and what it means for America in this divided time. Kevin explained that records have come back because we use music and its physical manifestation to seek human connection with others. When asked about the current state of some of the themes discussed his book, Brat Pack America, a Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies, Kevin explained that he was fascinated by how much pop culture from the 80s is a talking point for contemporary issues that are discussed more now than they were then, i.e., Molly Ringwald’s piece in The New Yorker about watching John Hughes in the era of #metoo. Kevin expressed his belief that it's important to submit things we grew up with (and might have loved) to a process of continual reexamination. Kevin is also the author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School. Kevin shared some of the process of how the book came about and discussed what it means to designate a book as a classic. He also noted that the best books do two things: pull time forward and carry with them all of the children and grandchildren that they've birthed in the meantime.

Shelf Talking
Episode 17.5 - Literati Goes to the Movies Re-Release (02/19/2019)

Shelf Talking

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2019 58:20


With the Oscars just around the corner, we present an episode about adapting books into movies, movies into books, and everything in between! Recorded live at Literati: –Kevin Smokler, author of Brat Pack America, discusses growing up at the movies in Ann Arbor. –Whit Stillman discusses the adaption of his own movie, Love & Friendship, with host Sam Krowchenko. –Annie Spence reads some of her love letters to books, collected in Dear Fahrenheit 451. –Michael Byers talks to Maile Meloy, author of Do Not Become Alarmed, about her experiences with adaptation. Also, Sam and inventory manager Jeanne Joesten discuss her favorite book-into-movie adaptions! Shelf Talking Produced by: Mike and Hilary Gustafson with John Ganiard, Matthew Flores, and Sam Krowchenko Theme Music: “Orange and Red” by Pity Sex (2016, Run for Cover Records)

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20th Century Pop!
BEST OF 2018

20th Century Pop!

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2018 81:03


Its the end of the calendar year which means … self-indulgent year-end retrospectives. And, even though we are a show forever entwined in years already past .. we were still able to assemble a montage of past episodes from 2018. So enjoy this cop-out "best of" of a bonus episode.00:00:00 PRE-SHOW CLARIFICATION - its a cilp show00:00:55 CAIRO-TASTROPHE - episode 067: Raiders Of The Lost Ark 00:06:29 BASKIN IN DISCOMFORT - episode 56: Big 00:13:11 MISE EN SCREEN - episode 78: Summer Blockbusters Of the 1980s 00:17:06 NOT SO FINALE - episode 62: Roseanne, The X-Files and Will & Grace 00:22:02 DANCE WHO? CRASHERS - episode 75: The Twenty-four More Episodes And We Hit One Hundred Celebratory episode 00:27:39 HA FIDELITY - episode 53: Denis Leary: No Cure For Cancer 00:28:36 THE OTHER CPR - episode 63: Star Trek 2 The Wrath Of Khan with Jason Smith 00:32:37 JERKIES - episode 052: Trekkies 00:34:47 THWIP—episode 72: Steve Ditko 00:38:24 CULT MEMBRANE- episode 082: Teen Witch 00:44:12 JAWA 2: ON THE MOVE - episode 70: Star Wars Toys By Kenner with Chris Nicini 00:46:33 CASULTY VIEWERS- episode 076: Buffy The Vampire Slayer with Bonita Gutierrez 00:50:47 DESPISING WITH EFFORT- episode 065: Radiohead The Bends 00:54:46 PODCASTING THE DICE - episode 085: What If Pop Culture Doesn’t Matter? 00:58:36 DISCORDANT DECOR - episode 077: Oasis 01:04:28 A GOOD PROBLEM WITH NOSTALGIA - episode 068: Brat Pack America with Kevin Smokler 01:08:16 NO PLAN B- episode 080: The Far Side 01:10:10 EXCELSIOR-RAMA - Remembering Stan Lee 01:17:06 CLOSINGS - contacts, plugs and no catch phrase 01:18:57 SPECIAL FEATURES - A Dab of Coleman This episode of 20TH CENTURY POP! was recorded by CAST, an online audio platform that lets you create and record a multi-guest podcast straight from your web-browser. It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service that makes it sound like Bob and Tim are worth listening to. Check out both sights for trial and subscription information.MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:“Super Poupi ” (opening theme) and "Poupi Great Adventures: The Arcade Game" (closing theme) performed by Komiku from the 2018 album POUPI'S INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES available at Freemusicarchives.org. Cleared for public domain use through Creative Commons under a CCO 1.0 Universal License. Subscribe to 20TH CENTURY POP! on APPLE PODCASTS, STITCHER and ANDROID or stream it at www.20popcast.com.Like, share and reminisce with 20TH CENTURY POP! on FACEBOOK.Follow whats not 20th Century Fox with 20TH CENTURY POP! @20popcast on TWITTER.And crop a sqaure snapshot with 20TH CENTURY POP!@20popcast on INSTAGRAM.Contact the show with any questions, suggestions or possible topics at 20popcast@gmail.com, #20popcast on Twitter and the POP TALK section of www.20popcast.com.Follow ROBERT CANNING @rhcanning on TWITTER. Read his web-comic on Twitter @ExaggeratedMy and his music blog at superultramegamix.wordpress.com.Follow TIM BLEVINS @subcultist on TWITTER and as @subcultist on INSTAGRAM. 20TH CENTURY POP! will return with some blue and red pills.

20th Century Pop!
BRAT PACK AMERICA WITH KEVIN SMOKLER

20th Century Pop!

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2018 57:34


BOOK AND PODCAST: "We're describing the ruckus, sir." (1984-1991) How have we not talked about John Hughes? His movies defined what it meant to come of age in the 1980s. But do they continue to ring relevant in this modern age? Or are our memories of these films just misappropriated nostalgia? Such is the question Tim's nervous to ask of today's special guest, author and cultural critic, Kevin Smokler (and ...actually ... it's two questions).00:00:00 PASSABLE INTRO - Tim’s morning voice starts off the show00:02:41 NOT BOB BUT STILL TIM WITH … Kevin Smokler, author of “Brat Pack America: A Love Letter To ‘80s Teen Movies”00:07:34 FILM BUFFER - medium before meaning00:14:01 BRANDING THE ‘90s - and Tim pretends to know “lingua franca”00:24:55 NEW WAVE ROMANTIC - desperately wanting to be in Desperately Seeking Susan00:32:24 POP CULTURE APOCRYPHA - loosing the language of film00:38:02 UNSTUCK IN TIME - and the danger of nostalgia00:44:41 THE BREAKFAST BOOK-CLUB - why write about this00:52:45 THE BREAKFAST BOOK-PLUG - go read “Brat Pack America”00:54:57 CLOSINGS - contacts, plugs and no catchphraseContinue with the conversation Kevin Smokler started by visiting his personal website HERE.Head back to High School via the library with this interview of him discussing ANOTHER book of his HERE.And for a far more intricate and scholarly look at the films of the 1980s, follow the words that make up the sentences in Kevin Smokler's BRAT PACK AMERICA: A LOVE LETTER TO 80S TEEN MOVIES available at your favorite independent bookseller (such as the HARVARD BOOKSTORE) as well as on AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE and ITUNES.You can also follow Kevin Smokler on TWITTER @WeegeeThis episode of 20TH CENTURY POPCAST was recorded by ZENCASTR, a high fidelity podcast recording platform that records multiple guests from multiple zip-codes all as if they were in the same room. It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service that makes it sound like Bob and Tim are worth listening to. Log in to each for studio quality recordings NOW! (exclamation point provided by ZENCASTR). MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: “Super Poupi ” (opening theme) and "Poupi Great Adventures: The Arcade Game" (closing theme) performed by Komiku from the 2018 album POUPI'S INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES available at Freemusicarchives.org.Cleared for public domain use through Creative Commons under a CCO 1.0 Universal License. "I Go Crazy" performed by Flesh For Lulu as featured on the original motion picture soundtrack to SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL as well as their 1987 LP release LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH.The use of this song is for entertainment purposes and without the expressed permission of the recording artist.Subscribe to 20TH CENTURY POPCAST! on APPLE PODCASTS, STITCHER and ANDROID or stream it at www.20popcast.com.Like, share and reminisce with 20TH CENTURY POPCAST! on FACEBOOK.Contact the show with any questions, suggestions or possible topics at 20popcast@gmail.com, #20popcast on Twitter and the POP TALK section of www.20popcast.com.Follow ROBERT CANNING @rhcanning on TWITTER. Read his web-comic at EXAGGERATEDLIFE.wordpress.com and his music blog at superultramegamix.wordpress.com. Follow TIM BLEVINS @subcultist on TWITTER and as SUBCULTISTon INSTAGRAM. 20TH CENTURY POPCAST will return next week to not really talk about Kevin Pollack or Rick Overton.

Moran-Alytics Podcast
EP 03: Kevin Smokler, Author of “Brat Pack America”

Moran-Alytics Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2018 87:20


On this week’s episode of the Moran-Alytics Podcast, Patrick Moran interviews Kevin Smokler, author of “Brat Pack America: A Love Letter To 80’s Teen Movies” (8:29).  They discuss Smokler’s journey to becoming a full-time writer before ultimately penning this outstanding book.  They also talk about some of the 80’s teen movies featured in the book, […]

Shelf Talking
Episode 5 - Literati Goes to the Movies (3/2/2018)

Shelf Talking

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2018 58:20


With the Oscars just around the corner, we present an episode about adapting books into movies, movies into books, and everything in between! Recorded live at Literati: Kevin Smokler, author of Brat Pack America, discusses growing up at the movies in Ann Arbor; Whit Stillman discusses the adaption of his own movie, Love & Friendship, with bookseller Sam Krowchenko; Annie Spence reads some of her love letters to books, collected in Dear Fahrenheit 451; and Michael Byers talks to Maile Meloy, author of Do Not Become Alarmed, about her experiences with adaptation. Also, Sam and inventory manager Jeanne Joesten discuss her favorite book-into-movie adaptions! Shelf Talking Produced by: Mike & Hilary Gustafson, and John Ganiard Theme Music: “Orange and Red” by Pity Sex (2016, Run for Cover Records)

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The Test of Time
Episode 67: House Party (1990)

The Test of Time

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2017 41:37


Teens 'n parties. Music 'n dancing. Kid 'n Play. They all come together in the 1990 movie, House Party. We are once again joined by Brat Pack America author Kevin Smokler as we talk about old school Kool Aid, the only man who can crack up Ice Cube, and what House Party has in common with Bridesmaids, Dirty Work, and Frankie and Annette beach movies. Plus we share our thoughts on Ready Player One and the 80's nostalgia craze (something we happen to know a little bit about) before we see if House Party stands the Test of Time.

The Test of Time
Episode 63: Dirty Dancing (1987)

The Test of Time

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2017 47:45


An innocent daddy's girl grows into a young woman who can really shake 'em down in 1987's Dirty Dancing. This week, Brat Pack America author Kevin Smokler joins us to chat about platonic friends who like to grind on each other, the award that Patrick Swayze definitely should *not* have won, and what "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" really means.  You'll have the time of your life (sorry... we couldn't resist) as we find out if Dirty Dancing stands the Test of Time.

Rare Bird Radio
Rob Rufus in conversation with Kevin Smokler

Rare Bird Radio

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2017 49:33


Rob Rufus, author of Die Young With Me and drummer for The Bad Signs, speaks with Kevin Smokler, writer of Brat Pack America, about discovering new music, haunted concert venues, and why Hollywood needs a bigger imagination.

Literary Disco
Episode 105: Brat Pack America

Literary Disco

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2017 53:19


After some technical difficulties (uh, Tod) we now have another Lost Episode. Goodbye, 104, we barely knew ya. So we’re jumping right to 105, in which, for the first time besides our live shows, the Literary Disco gang recorded in the same room! We discuss Kevin Smokler’s insightful survey of 1980s teen films, Brat Pack America. This great book explores the history, meaning and legacy of a series of films that had a huge impact on more than one generation of Americans. Even Julia, who was way too young to see any of them in the theater, has a lot to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

80's Reboot Overdrive
Brat Pack America with Kevin Smokler

80's Reboot Overdrive

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2017 76:29


Dave and Scott talk with author Kevin Smokler about his book Brat Pack America - A Love Letter to '80s Teen Movies.

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Damn Good Movie Memories
Episode 19 - 80s! 80s! 80s! with Kevin Smokler

Damn Good Movie Memories

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2017 88:05


Our special guest this week is Kevin Smokler, author of Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies.  Kevin talks about why he decided to write a book about 80s teen movies and provides tons of fun facts and memories for films like Back to the Future, The Goonies, Real Genius, The Karate Kid, and many more!  80s movie fans will love this episode and be sure to purchase “Brat Pack America” now!

Love Letters Live
Kevin Smokler’s Love Letter to the Teen Movies of the 80’s How Teens Were Seen and What They Had to Say

Love Letters Live

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2017 29:57


Maybe it was Kevin Smokler’s culture-enamored parents and academic environment that planted the seeds of love for his own societal milieu of the 80s, the movies that took perceptions of teenagers into a new realm. Brat Pack America as a love letter to those 80’s teen movies tells the story of over 55 films in an entire decade of American...

New Books in American Studies
Kevin Smokler, “Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies” (Rare Bird Books, 2016)

New Books in American Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2017 59:30


Kevin Smokler’s new book, Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (Rare Bird Books, 2016)is what everyone in their 40s who loved watching movies as they were growing up wants it to be. In Brat Pack America, Smokler takes readers on a journey through the fictional and sometimes not so fictional towns created throughout the teen movies of the 80s. Smokler gives readers a tour through America and the important locations that have endured over time in the hearts and minds of movie fans. Smokler looks at John Hughes America and Shermer, Illinois as well as memorable places such as Hill Valley, California and Astoria, Oregon. Brat Pack America is full of facts about 80s teen movies and the locations fans have come to know and love. But, Smokler also pushes beyond fandom, examining why these places have become so important to the fans of these films of this decade. Well researched and engagingly written, Brat Pack America is a book that brings back memories of those films we know and love. Rebekah Buchanan is an Assistant Professor of English at Western Illinois University. Her work examines the role of narrative–both analog and digitalin peoples lives. She is interested in how personal narratives produced in alternative spaces create sites that challenge traditionally accepted public narratives. She researches zines, zine writers and the influence of music subcultures and fandom on writers and narratives. You can find more about her on her website, follow her on Twitter @rj_buchanan or email her at rj-buchanan@wiu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books Network
Kevin Smokler, “Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies” (Rare Bird Books, 2016)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2017 59:30


Kevin Smokler’s new book, Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (Rare Bird Books, 2016)is what everyone in their 40s who loved watching movies as they were growing up wants it to be. In Brat Pack America, Smokler takes readers on a journey through the fictional and sometimes not so fictional towns created throughout the teen movies of the 80s. Smokler gives readers a tour through America and the important locations that have endured over time in the hearts and minds of movie fans. Smokler looks at John Hughes America and Shermer, Illinois as well as memorable places such as Hill Valley, California and Astoria, Oregon. Brat Pack America is full of facts about 80s teen movies and the locations fans have come to know and love. But, Smokler also pushes beyond fandom, examining why these places have become so important to the fans of these films of this decade. Well researched and engagingly written, Brat Pack America is a book that brings back memories of those films we know and love. Rebekah Buchanan is an Assistant Professor of English at Western Illinois University. Her work examines the role of narrative–both analog and digitalin peoples lives. She is interested in how personal narratives produced in alternative spaces create sites that challenge traditionally accepted public narratives. She researches zines, zine writers and the influence of music subcultures and fandom on writers and narratives. You can find more about her on her website, follow her on Twitter @rj_buchanan or email her at rj-buchanan@wiu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in Popular Culture
Kevin Smokler, “Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies” (Rare Bird Books, 2016)

New Books in Popular Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2017 59:30


Kevin Smokler’s new book, Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (Rare Bird Books, 2016)is what everyone in their 40s who loved watching movies as they were growing up wants it to be. In Brat Pack America, Smokler takes readers on a journey through the fictional and sometimes not so fictional towns created throughout the teen movies of the 80s. Smokler gives readers a tour through America and the important locations that have endured over time in the hearts and minds of movie fans. Smokler looks at John Hughes America and Shermer, Illinois as well as memorable places such as Hill Valley, California and Astoria, Oregon. Brat Pack America is full of facts about 80s teen movies and the locations fans have come to know and love. But, Smokler also pushes beyond fandom, examining why these places have become so important to the fans of these films of this decade. Well researched and engagingly written, Brat Pack America is a book that brings back memories of those films we know and love. Rebekah Buchanan is an Assistant Professor of English at Western Illinois University. Her work examines the role of narrative–both analog and digitalin peoples lives. She is interested in how personal narratives produced in alternative spaces create sites that challenge traditionally accepted public narratives. She researches zines, zine writers and the influence of music subcultures and fandom on writers and narratives. You can find more about her on her website, follow her on Twitter @rj_buchanan or email her at rj-buchanan@wiu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in Film
Kevin Smokler, “Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies” (Rare Bird Books, 2016)

New Books in Film

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2017 59:56


Kevin Smokler’s new book, Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (Rare Bird Books, 2016)is what everyone in their 40s who loved watching movies as they were growing up wants it to be. In Brat Pack America, Smokler takes readers on a journey through the fictional and... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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KUCI: Get the Funk Out
Author Kevin Smokler talks with host Janeane Bernstein on KUCI 88.9fm about his latest work

KUCI: Get the Funk Out

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2016


From the fictional towns of Hill Valley, CA, and Shermer, IL, to the beautiful landscapes of the “Goondocks” in Astoria and the “ time of your life” dirty dancing resort still alive and well in Lake Lure, NC, ‘80s teen movies left their mark not just on movie screen and in the hearts of fans, but on the landscape of America itself. Like few other eras in movie history, the ‘80s teen movies has endured and gotten better with time . In Brat Pack America, Kevin Smokler gives virtual tours of the legendary movies from that time and why the places they happened are a tribute to their permanence, why we love them still. Including interviews with actors, writers, and directors of the era, and a Trapper Keeper- full of interesting facts about your favorite 80s movies, Brat Pack America is a must for any fan of the Breakfast Club and Back to the Future, of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink and Dead Poets Society. Smokler went to Goonies Day in Astoria, OR, took a Lost Boys tour of Santa Cruz, CA and in the present visited retro arcades, mov- ie theaters and record stores. His exploration of highways and main streets of “Brat Pack America” remind of why we love the teen movies of the 1980s so much and, three decades later, still do. Kevin Smokler (@weegee) is the author of the essay collection "Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books you Haven't Touched Since High School" (Prometheus Books, Feb. 2013) which The Atlantic Wire called "truly enjoyable" and the editor of "Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times," A San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book of 2005. His work has appeared in the LA Times, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, Vulture, The San Francisco Chronicle, Publishers Weekly and on National Public Radio. In 2013, he was BookRiot's first ever Writer in Residence. - See more at: http://www.kevinsmokler. com/ Praise for Practical Classics “In this engaging survey of 50 books commonly assigned to teen readers, [Smokler] advocates revisiting them from an adult perspective. Even books we loved in our formative years… may have sailed right over our heads, suggests the author, who argues that only time and experience can prepare us to appreciate them fully.” —San Jose Mercury News “[F]ull of wit and candor... Putting literature to practical use is not a new invention, but what’s refreshing about the practice in this light is how Smokler pits this sort of practical gifting-as-guidance against the reduction of literature to ‘a letter grade and a dusty old obligation.’” —Fiction Writers Review “[S]o much fun…[It] offers a truly enjoyable trip down one’s personal memory lane of books. It’s also a love letter to the act of reading, to continual learning, and to making an effort to slow down and savor the good books in life.” —The Atlantic Wire “If you have been thinking about revisiting the books of your youth or those you have promised yourself to read, but haven’t, this entertaining book provides practical, real-world reasons by you should read them.” -Alan Caruba, Bookviews “[A] fine guide for any adult reader who would return to the classics with a different perspective in mind.” -The Bookwatch “In the short and beguilingly engaging essays that make up Practical Classics, Smokler shows how these works can be relevant and even useful to grownups. Most impressively, he manages to pull this off without sounding stuffy or self-important.” -The Rumpus “Possibly the first self-help book to use literature as its prescription, Practical Classics serves as a primer for personal development, demonstrating how one may apply various literary tinctures to the more trouble- some areas of the Human Condition.... [Smokler] holds forth with confidence and a good slathering of wit about coping with our common, human plight.” -Austin Chronicle

The Kid-Free Weekend
Episode 40 - Kevin Smokler and Brat Pack America

The Kid-Free Weekend

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2016 55:54


This week we are joined by author and ultra-movie-nerd Kevin Smokler! Mr. Smokler just released his new book, Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies, and he generously agreed to sit down with us to talk about John Hughes films, other beloved 80s movies, modern 80s nostalgia, and the dark, awful truth behind Gremlins. Brat Pack America is available at bookstores nationwide and Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. Be sure to look Kevin up on Twitter, kevinsmokler.com, or sign up for his newsletter - he's got a lot of great stuff worth reading! Like what you hear? We would LOVE it if you tell some friends, or write a review on iTunes or Stitcher! Questions or comments? Find us online via our parent podcast: http://www.thekidfreeweekend.com https://www.facebook.com/thekidfreeweekend https://twitter.com/kidfreeweekend thekidfreeweekend@gmail.com