Podcasts about Jay Gatsby

Much has been made of the hallucinatory qualities of OpenAI's ChatGPT product. But as the Wall Street Journal's resident authority on OpenAI, Keach Hagey notes, perhaps the most hallucinatory feature the $300 billion start-up co-founded by the deadly duo of Sam Altman and Elon Musk is its attempt to be simultaneously a for-profit and non-profit company. As Hagey notes, the double life of this double company reached a surreal climax this week when Altman announced that OpenAI was abandoning its promised for-profit conversion. So what, I asked Hagey, are the implications of this corporate volte-face for investors who have poured billions of real dollars into the non-profit in order to make a profit? Will they be Waiting For Godot to get their returns?As Hagey - whose excellent biography of Altman, The Optimist, is out in a couple of weeks - explains, this might be the story of the hubristic 2020's. She speaks of Altman's astonishingly (even for Silicon Valley) hubris in believing that he can get away with the alchemic conceit of inventing a multi trillion dollar for-profit non-profit company. Yes, you can be half-pregnant, Sam is promising us. But, as she warns, at some point this will be exposed as fantasy. The consequences might not exactly be another Enron or FTX, but it will have ramifications way beyond beyond Silicon Valley. What will happen, for example, if future investors aren't convinced by Altman's fantasy and OpenAI runs out of cash? Hagey suggests that the OpenAI story may ultimately become a political drama in which a MAGA President will be forced to bail out America's leading AI company. It's TikTok in reverse (imagine if Chinese investors try to acquire OpenAI). Rather than the conveniently devilish Elon Musk, my sense is that Sam Altman is auditioning to become the real Jay Gatsby of our roaring twenties. Last month, Keach Hagey told me that Altman's superpower is as a salesman. He can sell anything to anyone, she says. But selling a non-profit to for-profit venture capitalists might even be a bridge too far for Silicon Valley's most hallucinatory optimist. Five Key Takeaways * OpenAI has abandoned plans to convert from a nonprofit to a for-profit structure, with pressure coming from multiple sources including attorneys general of California and Delaware, and possibly influenced by Elon Musk's opposition.* This decision will likely make it more difficult for OpenAI to raise money, as investors typically want control over their investments. Despite this, Sam Altman claims SoftBank will still provide the second $30 billion chunk of funding that was previously contingent on the for-profit conversion.* The nonprofit structure creates inherent tensions within OpenAI's business model. As Hagey notes, "those contradictions are still there" after nearly destroying the company once before during Altman's brief firing.* OpenAI's leadership is trying to position this as a positive change, with plans to capitalize the nonprofit and launch new programs and initiatives. However, Hagey notes this is similar to what Altman did at Y Combinator, which eventually led to tensions there.* The decision is beneficial for competitors like XAI, Anthropic, and others with normal for-profit structures. Hagey suggests the most optimistic outcome would be OpenAI finding a way to IPO before "completely imploding," though how a nonprofit-controlled entity would do this remains unclear.Keach Hagey is a reporter at The Wall Street Journal's Media and Marketing Bureau in New York, where she focuses on the intersection of media and technology. Her stories often explore the relationships between tech platforms like Facebook and Google and the media. She was part of the team that broke the Facebook Files, a series that won a George Polk Award for Business Reporting, a Gerald Loeb Award for Beat Reporting and a Deadline Award for public service. Her investigation into the inner workings of Google's advertising-technology business won recognition from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (Sabew). Previously, she covered the television industry for the Journal, reporting on large media companies such as 21st Century Fox, Time Warner and Viacom. She led a team that won a Sabew award for coverage of the power struggle inside Viacom. She is the author of “The King of Content: Sumner Redstone's Battle for Viacom, CBS and Everlasting Control of His Media Empire,” published by HarperCollins. Before joining the Journal, Keach covered media for Politico, the National in Abu Dhabi, CBS News and the Village Voice. She has a bachelor's and a master's in English literature from Stanford University. She lives in Irvington, N.Y., with her husband, three daughters and dog.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Full TranscriptAndrew Keen: Hello, everybody. It is May the 6th, a Tuesday, 2025. And the tech media is dominated today by OpenAI's plan to convert its for-profit business to a non-profit side. That's how the Financial Times is reporting it. New York Times says that OpenAI, and I'm quoting them, backtracks on plans to drop nonprofit control and the Wall Street Journal, always very authoritative on the tech front, leads with Open AI abandons planned for profit conversion. The Wall Street Journal piece is written by Keach Hagey, who is perhaps America's leading authority on OpenAI. She was on the show a couple of months ago talking about Sam Altman's superpower which is as a salesman. Keach is also the author of an upcoming book. It's out in a couple weeks, "The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI and the Race to Invent the Future." And I'm thrilled that Keach has been remarkably busy today, as you can imagine, found a few minutes to come onto the show. So, Keach, what is Sam selling here? You say he's a salesman. He's always selling something or other. What's the sell here?Keach Hagey: Well, the sell here is that this is not a big deal, right? The sell is that, this thing they've been trying to do for about a year, which is to make their company less weird, it's not gonna work. And as he was talking to the press yesterday, he was trying to suggest that they're still gonna be able to fundraise, that these folks that they promised that if you give us money, we're gonna convert to a for-profit and it's gonna be much more normal investment for you, but they're gonna get that money, which is you know, a pretty tough thing. So that's really, that's what he's selling is that this is not disruptive to the future of OpenAI.Andrew Keen: For people who are just listening, I'm looking at Keach's face, and I'm sensing that she's doing everything she can not to burst out laughing. Is that fair, Keach?Keach Hagey: Well, it'll remain to be seen, but I do think it will make it a lot harder for them to raise money. I mean, even Sam himself said as much during the talk yesterday that, you know, investors would like to be able to have some say over what happens to their money. And if you're controlled by a nonprofit organization, that's really tough. And what they were trying to do was convert to a new world where investors would have a seat at the table, because as we all remember, when Sam got briefly fired almost two years ago. The investors just helplessly sat on the sidelines and didn't have any say in the matter. Microsoft had absolutely no role to play other than kind of cajoling and offering him a job on the sidelines. So if you're gonna try to raise money, you really need to be able to promise some kind of control and that's become a lot harder.Andrew Keen: And the ramifications more broadly on this announcement will extend to Microsoft and Microsoft stock. I think their stock is down today. We'll come to that in a few minutes. Keach, there was an interesting piece in the week, this week on AI hallucinations are getting worse. Of course, OpenAI is the dominant AI company with their ChatGPT. But is this also kind of hallucination? What exactly is going on here? I have to admit, and I always thought, you know, I certainly know more about tech than I do about other subjects, which isn't always saying very much. But I mean, either you're a nonprofit or you're a for-profit, is there some sort of hallucinogenic process going on where Sam is trying to sell us on the idea that OpenAI is simultaneously a for profit and a nonprofit company?Keach Hagey: Well, that's kind of what it is right now. That's what it had sort of been since 2019 or when it spun up this strange structure where it had a for-profit underneath a nonprofit. And what we saw in the firing is that that doesn't hold. There's gonna come a moment when those two worlds are going to collide and it nearly destroyed the company. To be challenging going forward is that that basic destabilization that like unstable structure remains even though now everything is so much bigger there's so much more money coursing through and it's so important for the economy. It's a dangerous position.Andrew Keen: It's not so dangerous, you seem still faintly amused. I have to admit, I'm more than faintly amused, it's not too bothersome for us because we don't have any money in OpenAI. But for SoftBank and the other participants in the recent $40 billion round of investment in OpenAI, this must be, to say the least, rather disconcerting.Keach Hagey: That was one of the biggest surprises from the press conference yesterday. Sam Altman was asked point blank, is SoftBank still going to give you this sort of second chunk, this $30 billion second chunk that was contingent upon being able to convert to a for-profit, and he said, quite simply, yes. Who knows what goes on in behind the scenes? I think we're gonna find out probably a lot more about that. There are many unanswered questions, but it's not great, right? It's definitely not great for investors.Andrew Keen: Well, you have to guess at the very minimum, SoftBank would be demanding better terms. They're not just going to do the same thing. I mean, it suddenly it suddenly gives them an additional ace in their hand in terms of negotiation. I mean this is not some sort of little startup. This is 30 or 40 billion dollars. I mean it's astonishing number. And presumably the non-public conversations are very interesting. I'm sure, Keach, you would like to know what's being said.Keach Hagey: Don't know yet, but I think your analysis is pretty smart on this matter.Andrew Keen: So if you had to guess, Sam is the consummate salesman. What did he tell SoftBank before April to close the round? And what is he telling them now? I mean, how has the message changed?Keach Hagey: One of the things that we see a little bit about this from the messaging that he gave to the world yesterday, which is this is going to be a simpler structure. It is going to be slightly more normal structure. They are changing the structure a little bit. So although the non-profit is going to remain in charge, the thing underneath it, the for-profit, is going change its structure a little bit and become kind of a little more normal. It's not going to have this capped profit thing where, you know, the investors are capped at 100 times what they put in. So parts of it are gonna become more normal. For employees, it's probably gonna be easier for them to get equity and things like that. So I'm sure that that's part of what he's selling, that this new structure is gonna be a little bit better, but it's not gonna be as good as what they were trying to do.Andrew Keen: Can Sam? I mean, clearly he has sold it. I mean as we joked earlier when we talked, Sam could sell ice to the Laplanders or sand to the Saudis. But these people know Sam. It's no secret that he's a remarkable salesman. That means that sometimes you have to think carefully about what he's saying. What's the impact on him? To what extent is this decision one more chip on the Altman brand?Keach Hagey: It's a setback for sure, and it's kind of a win for Elon Musk, his rival.Andrew Keen: Right.Keach Hagey: Elon has been suing him, Elon has been trying to block this very conversion. And in the end, it seems like it was actually the attorneys general of California and Delaware that really put the nail in the coffin here. So there's still a lot to find out about exactly how it all shook out. There were actually huge campaigns as well, like in the streets, billboards, posters. Polls saying, trying to put pressure on the attorney general to block this thing. So it was a broad coalition, I think, that opposed the conversion, and you can even see that a little bit in their speech. But you got to admit that Elon probably looked at this and was happy.Andrew Keen: And I'm sure Elon used his own X platform to promote his own agenda. Is this an example, Keach, in a weird kind of way of the plebiscitary politics now of Silicon Valley is that titans like Altman and Musk are fighting out complex corporate economic battles in the naked public of social media.Keach Hagey: Yes, in the naked public of social media, but what we're also seeing here is that it's sort of, it's become through the apparatus of government. So we're seeing, you know, Elon is in the Doge office and this conversion is really happening in the state AG's houses. So that's what's sort interesting to me is these like private fights have now expanded to fill both state and federal government.Andrew Keen: Last time we talked, I couldn't find the photo, but there was a wonderful photo of, I think it was Larry Ellison and Sam Altman in the Oval Office with Trump. And Ellison looked very excited. He looked extremely old as well. And Altman looked very awkward. And it's surprising to see Altman look awkward because generally he doesn't. Has Trump played a role in this or is he keeping out of it?Keach Hagey: As far as my current reporting right now, we have no reporting that Trump himself was directly involved. I can't go further than that right now.Andrew Keen: Meaning that you know something that you're not willing to ignore.Keach Hagey: Just I hope you keep your subscription to the Wall Street Journal on what role the White House played, I would say. But as far as that awkwardness, I don't know if you noticed that there was a box that day for Masa Yoshison to see.Andrew Keen: Oh yeah, and Son was in the office too, right, that was the third person.Keach Hagey: So it was a box in the podium, which I think contributed to the awkwardness of the day, because he's not a tall man.Andrew Keen: Right. To put it politely. The way that OpenAI spun it, in classic Sam Altman terms, is new funding to build towards AGI. So it's their Altman-esque use of the public to vindicate this new investment, is this just more quote unquote, and this is my word. You don't have to agree with it. Just sales pitch or might even be dishonesty here. I mean, the reality is, is new funding to build towards AGI, which is, artificial general intelligence. It's not new funding, to build toward AGI. It's new funding to build towards OpenAI, there's no public benefit of any of this, is there?Keach Hagey: Well, what they're saying is that the nonprofit will be capitalized and will sort of be hiring up and doing a bunch more things that it wasn't really doing. We'll have programs and initiatives and all of that. Which really, as someone who studied Sam's life, this sounds really a lot like what he did at Y Combinator. When he was head of Y Combinator, he also spun up a nonprofit arm, which is actually what OpenAI grew out of. So I think in Sam's mind, a nonprofit there's a place to go. Sort of hash out your ideas, it's a place to kind of have pet projects grow. That's where he did things like his UBI study. So I can sort of see that once the AGs are like, this is not gonna happen, he's like, great, we'll just make a big nonprofit and I'll get to do all these projects I've always wanted to do.Andrew Keen: Didn't he get thrown out of Y Combinator by Paul Graham for that?Keach Hagey: Yes, a little bit. You know, I would say there's a general mutiny for too much of that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's true. People didn't love it, and they thought that he took his eye off the ball. A little bit because one of those projects became OpenAI, and he became kind of obsessed with it and stopped paying attention. So look, maybe OpenAI will spawn the next thing, right? And he'll get distracted by that and move on.Andrew Keen: No coincidence, of course, that Sam went on to become a CEO of OpenAI. What does it mean for the broader AI ecosystem? I noted earlier you brought up Microsoft. I mean, I think you've already written on this and lots of other people have written about the fact that the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft has cooled dramatically. As well as between Nadella and Altman. What does this mean for Microsoft? Is it a big deal?Keach Hagey: They have been hashing this out for months. So it is a big deal in that it will change the structure of their most important partner. But even before this, Microsoft and OpenAI were sort of locked in negotiations over how large and how Microsoft's stake in this new OpenAI will be valued. And that still has to be determined, regardless of whether it's a non-profit or a for-profit in charge. And their interests are diverging. So those negotiations are not as warm as they maybe would have been a few years ago.Andrew Keen: It's a form of polyamory, isn't it? Like we have in Silicon Valley, everyone has sex with everybody else, to put it politely.Keach Hagey: Well, OpenAI does have a new partner in Oracle. And I would expect them to have many more in terms of cloud computing partners going forward. It's just too much risk for any one company to build these huge and expensive data centers, not knowing that OpenAI is going to exist in a certain number of years. So they have to diversify.Andrew Keen: Keach, you know, this is amusing and entertaining and Altman is a remarkable individual, able to sell anything to anyone. But at what point are we really on the Titanic here? And there is such a thing as an iceberg, a real thing, whatever Donald Trump or other manufacturers of ontologies might suggest. At some point, this thing is going to end in a massive disaster.Keach Hagey: Are you talking about the Existence Force?Andrew Keen: I'm not talking about the Titanic, I'm talking about OpenAI. I mean, Parmi Olson, who's the other great authority on OpenAI, who won the FT Book of the Year last year, she's been on the show a couple of times, she wrote in Bloomberg that OpenAI can't have its money both ways, and that's what Sam is trying to do. My point is that we can all point out, excuse me, the contradictions and the hypocrisy and all the rest of it. But there are laws of gravity when it comes to economics. And at a certain point, this thing is going to crash, isn't it? I mean, what's the metaphor? Is it Enron? Is it Sam Bankman-Fried? What kind of examples in history do we need to look at to try and figure out what really is going on here?Keach Hagey: That's certainly one possibility, and there are a good number of people who believe that.Andrew Keen: Believe what, Enron or Sam Bankman-Fried?Keach Hagey: Oh, well, the internal tensions cannot hold, right? I don't know if fraud is even necessary so much as just, we've seen it, we've already seen it happen once, right, the company almost completely collapsed one time and those contradictions are still there.Andrew Keen: And when you say it happened, is that when Sam got pushed out or was that another or something else?Keach Hagey: No, no, that's it, because Sam almost got pushed out and then all of the funders would go away. So Sam needs to be there for them to continue raising money in the way that they have been raising money. And that's really going to be the question. How long can that go on? He's a young man, could go on a very long time. But yeah, I think that really will determine whether it's a disaster or not.Andrew Keen: But how long can it go on? I mean, how long could Sam have it both ways? Well, there's a dream. I mean maybe he can close this last round. I mean he's going to need to raise more than $40 billion. This is such a competitive space. Tens of billions of dollars are being invested almost on a monthly basis. So this is not the end of the road, this $40-billion investment.Keach Hagey: Oh, no. And you know, there's talk of IPO at some point, maybe not even that far away. I don't even let me wrap my mind around what it would be for like a nonprofit to have a controlling share at a public company.Andrew Keen: More hallucinations economically, Keach.Keach Hagey: But I mean, IPO is the exit for investors, right? That's the model, that is the Silicon Valley model. So it's going to have to come to that one way or another.Andrew Keen: But how does it work internally? I mean, for the guys, the sales guys, the people who are actually doing the business at OpenAI, they've been pretty successful this year. The numbers are astonishing. But how is this gonna impact if it's a nonprofit? How does this impact the process of selling, of building product, of all the other internal mechanics of this high-priced startup?Keach Hagey: I don't think it will affect it enormously in the short term. It's really just a question of can they continue to raise money for the enormous amount of compute that they need. So so far, he's been able to do that, right? And if that slows up in any way, they're going to be in trouble. Because as Sam has said many times, AI has to be cheap to be actually useful. So in order to, you know, for it to be widespread, for to flow like water, all of those things, it's got to be cheap and that's going to require massive investment in data centers.Andrew Keen: But how, I mean, ultimately people are putting money in so that they get the money back. This is not a nonprofit endeavor to put 40 billion from SoftBank. SoftBank is not in the nonprofit business. So they're gonna need their money back and the only way they generally, in my understanding, getting money back is by going public, especially with these numbers. How can a nonprofit go public?Keach Hagey: It's a great question. That's what I'm just phrasing. I mean, this is, you know, you talk to folks, this is what's like off in the misty distance for them. It's an, it's a fascinating question and one that we're gonna try to answer this week.Andrew Keen: But you look amused. I'm no financial genius. Everyone must be asking the same question.Keach Hagey: Well, the way that they've said it is that the for-profit will be, will have a, the non-profit will control the for profit and be the largest shareholder in it, but the rest of the shares could be held by public markets theoretically. That's a great question though.Andrew Keen: And lawyers all over the world must be wrapping their hands. I mean, in the very best case, it's gonna be lawsuits on this, people suing them up the wazoo.Keach Hagey: It's absolutely true. You should see my inbox right now. It's just like layers, layers, layer.Andrew Keen: Yeah, my wife. My wife is the head of litigation. I don't know if I should be saying this publicly anyway, I am. She's the head of Litigation at Google. And she lost some of her senior people and they all went over to AI. I'm big, I'm betting that they regret going over there can't be much fun being a lawyer at OpenAI.Keach Hagey: I don't know, I think it'd be great fun. I think you'd have like enormous challenges and have lots of billable hours.Andrew Keen: Unless, of course, they're personally being sued.Keach Hagey: Hopefully not. I mean, look, it is a strange and unprecedented situation.Andrew Keen: To what extent is this, if not Shakespearean, could have been written by some Greek dramatist? To what extend is this symbolic of all the hype and salesmanship and dishonesty of Silicon Valley? And in a sense, maybe this is a final scene or a penultimate scene in the Silicon Valley story of doing good for the world. And yet, of course, reaping obscene profit.Keach Hagey: I think it's a little bit about trying to have your cake and eat it too, right? Trying to have the aura of altruism, but also make something and make a lot of money. And what it seems like today is that if you started as a nonprofit, it's like a black hole. You can never get out. There's no way to get out, and that idea was just like maybe one step too clever when they set it up in the beginning, right. It seemed like too good to be true because it was. And it might end up really limiting the growth of the company.Andrew Keen: Is Sam completely in charge here? I mean, a number of the founders have left. Musk, of course, when you and I talked a couple of months ago, OpenAI came out of conversations between Musk and Sam. Is he doing this on his own? Does he have lieutenants, people who he can rely on?Keach Hagey: Yeah, I mean, he does. He has a number of folks that have been there, you know, a long time.Andrew Keen: Who are they? I mean, do we know their names?Keach Hagey: Oh, sure. Yeah. I mean, like Brad Lightcap and Jason Kwon and, you know, just they're they're Greg Brockman, of course, still there. So there are a core group of executives that have that have been there pretty much from the beginning, close to it, that he does trust. But if you're asking, like, is Sam really in control of this whole thing? I believe the answer is yes. Right. He is on the board of this nonprofit, and that nonprofit will choose the board of the for-profit. So as long as that's the case, he's in charge.Andrew Keen: How divided is OpenAI? I mean, one of the things that came out of the big crisis, what was it, 18 months ago when they tried to push him out, was it was clearly a profoundly divided company between those who believed in the nonprofit mission versus the for-profit mission. Are those divisions still as acute within the company itself? It must be growing. I don't know how many thousands of people work.Keach Hagey: It has grown very fast. It is not as acute in my experience. There was a time when it was really sort of a warring of tribes. And after the blip, as they call it, a lot of those more safety focused people, people that subscribe to effective altruism, left or were kind of pushed out. So Sam took over and kind of cleaned house.Andrew Keen: But then aren't those people also very concerned that it appears as if Sam's having his cake and eating it, having it both ways, talking about the company being a non-profit but behaving as if it is a for-profit?Keach Hagey: Oh, yeah, they're very concerned. In fact, a number of them have signed on to this open letter to the attorneys general that dropped, I don't know, a week and a half ago, something like that. You can see a number of former OpenAI employees, whistleblowers and others, saying this very thing, you know, that the AG should block this because it was supposed to be a charitable mission from the beginning. And no amount of fancy footwork is gonna make it okay to toss that overboard.Andrew Keen: And I mean, in the best possible case, can Sam, the one thing I think you and I talked about last time is Sam clearly does, he's not driven by money. There's something else. There's some other demonic force here. Could he theoretically reinvent the company so that it becomes a kind of AI overlord, a nonprofit AI overlord for our 21st century AI age?Keach Hagey: Wow, well I think he sometimes thinks of it as like an AI layer and you know, is this my overlord? Might be, you know.Andrew Keen: As long as it's not made in China, I hope it's made in India or maybe in Detroit or something.Keach Hagey: It's a very old one, so it's OK. But it's really my attention overlord, right? Yeah, so I don't know about the AI overlord part. Although it's interesting, Sam from the very beginning has wanted there to be a democratic process to control what decision, what kind of AI gets built and what are the guardrails for AGI. As long as he's there.Andrew Keen: As long as he's the one determining it, right?Keach Hagey: We talked about it a lot in the very beginning of the company when things were smaller and not so crazy. And what really strikes me is he doesn't really talk about that much anymore. But what we did just see is some advocacy organizations that kind of function in that exact way. They have voters all over the world and they all voted on, hey, we want you guys to go and try to that ended up having this like democratic structure for deciding the future of AI and used it to kind of block what he was trying to do.Andrew Keen: What are the implications for OpenAI's competitors? There's obviously Anthropic. Microsoft, we talked about a little bit, although it's a partner and a competitor simultaneously. And then of course there's Google. I assume this is all good news for the competition. And of course XAI.Keach Hagey: It is good news, especially for a company like XAI. I was just speaking to an XAI investor today who was crowing. Yeah, because those companies don't have this weird structure. Only OpenAI has this strange nonprofit structure. So if you are an investor who wants to have some exposure to AI, it might just not be worth the headache to deal with the uncertainty around the nonprofit, even though OpenAI is like the clear leader. It might be a better bet to invest in Anthropic or XAI or something else that has just a normal for-profit structure.Andrew Keen: Yeah. And it's hard to actually quote unquote out-Trump, Elon Musk on economic subterfuge. But Altman seems to have done that. I mean, Musk, what he folded X into XAI. It was a little bit of controversy, but he seems to got away with it. So there is a deep hostility between these two men, which I'm assuming is being compounded by this process.Keach Hagey: Absolutely. Again, this is a win for Elon. All these legal cases and Elon trying to buy OpenAI. I remember that bid a few months ago where he actually put a number on it. All that was about trying to block the for-profit conversion because he's trying to stop OpenAI and its tracks. He also claims they've abandoned their mission, but it's always important to note that it's coming from a competitor.Andrew Keen: Could that be a way out of this seeming box? Keach, a company like XAI or Microsoft or Google, or that probably wouldn't happen on the antitrust front, would buy OpenAI as maybe a nonprofit and then transform it into a for-profit company?Keach Hagey: Maybe you and Sam should get together and hash that out. That's the kind ofAndrew Keen: Well Sam, I'm available to be hired if you're watching. I'll probably charge less than your current consigliere. What's his name? Who's the consiglieri who's working with him on this?Keach Hagey: You mean Chris Lehane?Andrew Keen: Yes, Chris Lehane, the ego.Keach Hagey: Um,Andrew Keen: How's Lehane holding up in this? Do you think he's getting any sleep?Keach Hagey: Well, he's like a policy guy. I'm sure this has been challenging for everybody. But look, you are pointing to something that I think is real, which is there will probably be consolidation at some point down the line in AI.Andrew Keen: I mean, I know you're not an expert on the maybe sort of corporate legal stuff, but is it in theory possible to buy a nonprofit? I don't even know how you buy a non-profit and then turn it into a for-profit. I mean is that one way out of this, this cul-de-sac?Keach Hagey: I really don't know the answer to that question, to be honest with you. I can't think of another example of it happening. So I'm gonna go with no, but I don't now.Andrew Keen: There are no equivalents, sorry to interrupt, go on.Keach Hagey: No, so I was actually asking a little bit, are there precedents for this? And someone mentioned Blue Cross Blue Shield had gone from being a nonprofit to a for-profit successfully in the past.Andrew Keen: And we seem a little amused by that. I mean, anyone who uses US health care as a model, I think, might regret it. Your book, The Optimist, is out in a couple of weeks. When did you stop writing it?Keach Hagey: The end of December, end of last year, was pencils fully down.Andrew Keen: And I'm sure you told the publisher that that was far too long a window. Seven months on Silicon Valley is like seven centuries.Keach Hagey: It was actually a very, very tight timeline. They turned it around like incredibly fast. Usually it'sAndrew Keen: Remarkable, yeah, exactly. Publishing is such, such, they're such quick actors, aren't they?Keach Hagey: In this case, they actually were, so I'm grateful for that.Andrew Keen: Well, they always say that six months or seven months is fast, but it is actually possible to publish a book in probably a week or two, if you really choose to. But in all seriousness, back to this question, I mean, and I want everyone to read the book. It's a wonderful book and an important book. The best book on OpenAI out. What would you have written differently? Is there an extra chapter on this? I know you warned about a lot of this stuff in the book. So it must make you feel in some ways quite vindicated.Keach Hagey: I mean, you're asking if I'd had a longer deadline, what would I have liked to include? Well, if you're ready.Andrew Keen: Well, if you're writing it now with this news under your belt.Keach Hagey: Absolutely. So, I mean, the thing, two things, I guess, definitely this news about the for-profit conversion failing just shows the limits of Sam's power. So that's pretty interesting, because as the book was closing, we're not really sure what those limits are. And the other one is Trump. So Trump had happened, but we do not yet understand what Trump 2.0 really meant at the time that the book was closing. And at that point, it looked like Sam was in the cold, you know, he wasn't clear how he was going to get inside Trump's inner circle. And then lo and behold, he was there on day one of the Trump administration sharing a podium with him announcing that Stargate AI infrastructure investment. So I'm sad that that didn't make it into the book because it really just shows the kind of remarkable character he is.Andrew Keen: He's their Zelig, but then we all know what happened to Woody Allen in the end. In all seriousness, and it's hard to keep a straight face here, Keach, and you're trying although you're not doing a very good job, what's going to happen? I know it's an easy question to ask and a hard one to answer, but ultimately this thing has to end in catastrophe, doesn't it? I use the analogy of the Titanic. There are real icebergs out there.Keach Hagey: Look, there could be a data breach. I do think that.Andrew Keen: Well, there could be data breaches if it was a non-profit or for-profit, I mean, in terms of this whole issue of trying to have it both ways.Keach Hagey: Look, they might run out of money, right? I mean, that's one very real possibility. They might run outta money and have to be bought by someone, as you said. That is a totally real possibility right now.Andrew Keen: What would happen if they couldn't raise any more money. I mean, what was the last round, the $40 billion round? What was the overall valuation? About $350 billion.Keach Hagey: Yeah, mm-hmm.Andrew Keen: So let's say that they begin to, because they've got, what are their hard costs monthly burn rate? I mean, it's billions of just.Keach Hagey: Well, the issue is that they're spending more than they are making.Andrew Keen: Right, but you're right. So they, let's say in 18 months, they run out of runway. What would people be buying?Keach Hagey: Right, maybe some IP, some servers. And one of the big questions that is yet unanswered in AI is will it ever economically make sense, right? Right now we are all buying the possibility of in the future that the costs will eventually come down and it will kind of be useful, but that's still a promise. And it's possible that that won't ever happen. I mean, all these companies are this way, right. They are spending far, far more than they're making.Andrew Keen: And that's the best case scenario.Keach Hagey: Worst case scenario is the killer robots murder us all.Andrew Keen: No, what I meant in the best case scenario is that people are actually still without all the blow up. I mean, people are actual paying for AI. I mean on the one hand, the OpenAI product is, would you say it's successful, more or less successful than it was when you finished the book in December of last year?Keach Hagey: Oh, yes, much more successful. Vastly more users, and the product is vastly better. I mean, even in my experience, I don't know if you play with it every day.Andrew Keen: I use Anthropic.Keach Hagey: I use both Claude and ChatGPT, and I mean, they're both great. And I find them vastly more useful today than I did even when I was closing the book. So it's great. I don't know if it's really a great business that they're only charging me $20, right? That's great for me, but I don't think it's long term tenable.Andrew Keen: Well, Keach Hagey, your new book, The Optimist, your new old book, The Optimist: Sam Altman, Open AI and the Race to Invent the Future is out in a couple of weeks. I hope you're writing a sequel. Maybe you should make it The Pessimist.Keach Hagey: I think you might be the pessimist, Andrew.Andrew Keen: Well, you're just, you are as pessimistic as me. You just have a nice smile. I mean, in all reality, what's the most optimistic thing that can come out of this?Keach Hagey: The most optimistic is that this becomes a product that is actually useful, but doesn't vastly exacerbate inequality.Andrew Keen: No, I take the point on that, but in terms of this current story of this non-profit versus profit, what's the best case scenario?Keach Hagey: I guess the best case scenario is they find their way to an IPO before completely imploding.Andrew Keen: With the assumption that a non-profit can do an IPO.Keach Hagey: That they find the right lawyers from wherever they are and make it happen.Andrew Keen: Well, AI continues its hallucinations, and they're not in the product themselves. I think they're in their companies. One of the best, if not the best authority, our guide to all these hallucinations in a corporate level is Keach Hagey, her new book, The Optimist: Sam Altman, Open AI and the Race to Invent the Future is out in a couple of weeks. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Sam Altman as the consummate salesman. And I think one thing we can say for sure, Keach, is this is not the end of the story. Is that fair?Keach Hagey: Very fair. Not the end of the story. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of the PAW Book Club podcast, we speak with Sash Bischoff from Princeton's Class of 2009 about her debut novel and our latest book club read, “Sweet Fury.” From the very first page, “Sweet Fury” takes the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald, famously of Princeton's Class of 1917, and begins to play. A famous actress and film director, characters named Lila and Kurt, are collaborating on a feminist adaptation of “Tender is The Night.” Then into the mix strides a psychotherapist named Jonah, a character awfully similar to Jay Gatsby. The story unfolds in some surprisingly dark directions, including one disturbing scene set at a Princeton eating club, and prospective readers should note that this podcast will contain spoilers as we probe the ideas and intentions that ran through Sash's head as she wove this story, building up her characters — and destroying some in the end.

Let's talk about aspects of Jay Gatsby that you'll never hear brought up in an English class.Hero, or delusional dreamer? Plus, one trick that will improve your odds of having life-changing opportunities.This and more in Becoming Jay Gatsby.--FOLLOW THE PODCAST FOR MORE GREAT CONTENT:Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/becomingmain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/becomingmain⁠⁠⁠

Der "Great Gatsby" wurde vor 100 Jahren veröffentlicht, aber sein Protagonist - der wohlhabende Jay Gatsby - ist bis heute ein Mysterium. Lesung von Knut Cordsen und Gespräch mit dem Übersetzer Bernhard Robben.

We opened the episode with a continuation of our Villains Month coverage, diving into the more nuanced territory of morally gray characters. In this third week, we shifted from examining outright villains to exploring the blurred lines between villains and antiheroes.While often confusing, this distinction can help deepen our understanding of literary characters and narrative structure. We discussed how selfish motives and chaotic actions typically define villains, whereas antiheroes may lack traditional heroic qualities but are still driven by noble or relatable goals.What Is On Our NightstandsBefore diving into the main theme, we shared what's currently on our nightstands. Arthur has just finished Transmentation | Transcience by Darkly Lem, a multi-universe sci-fi thriller recently released by Blackstone Publishing. He's moving on to Rhino: The Rise of a Warrior by Nicholas Sainsbury Smith, which is being described as a Conan-meets-Mad-Max-style story set in the Hell Divers universe. A book review will be published soon.Meaghan, on the other hand, is juggling a few books. She's reading an advanced copy of When She Was Gone by Sarah Foster, a psychological thriller that explores family estrangement and disappearance through multiple POVs.She's also in the early chapters of Grady Hendrix's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, which touches on the dark history of homes for “troubled” girls, wrapped in Hendrix's signature dark humor. Additionally, she's reading Scythe and Sparrow by Brynn Weaver on her subway commutes - the final installment in the Ruinous Love trilogy, known for its dark romance and black comedy. The first book, Butcher and Blackbird, is even getting a film adaptation.Defining Villains vs. AntiheroesOur main discussion centered around defining the differences between villains and antiheroes. We agreed that villains are typically characterized by outright selfishness, chaos, and harm with little to no regard for others. They oppose the protagonist and often revel in destruction or dominance.Antiheroes, in contrast, may lack traditional heroic qualities - like moral clarity, compassion, or honor - but are usually driven by a personal code or a higher, sometimes noble, purpose. Their actions might be questionable, but their motives often aim toward the greater good. For example, they may take morally ambiguous paths to achieve just ends.We used Patrick Bateman from American Psycho and Joe Goldberg from You to illustrate this line. While both offer internal justifications for their actions, we agree that their intentions and outcomes mark them more as villains than antiheroes. They may rationalize what they do, but ultimately their actions are self-serving and destructive.Another great example we discussed was Zayden from Fourth Wing. Though initially perceived as a villain by the protagonist, Violet, his motivations are revealed to be much more layered, shifting his status into antihero territory. Similar shifts occur in characters like Rhysand from ACOTAR, who is misunderstood early on but ultimately acts with benevolent intentions.The Complexity of Character Roles in Narrative StructureWe examined how literary structure, especially multiple POV storytelling, can alter our perceptions of characters. With multiple viewpoints, we often gain deeper insight into the inner motivations of a character who might otherwise appear villainous from another perspective.Meaghan made the point that antiheroes don't need to be the main character. In stories with multiple perspectives, an antihero can be a supporting or secondary character whose actions significantly impact the narrative, even if they're not the protagonist.We discussed characters like Captain Ahab from Moby Dick, Jay Gatsby, and Shakespearean figures like Macbeth and Hamlet. These figures blur the lines between heroism and villainy by embodying both admirable and damning traits. Captain Ahab is fueled by vengeance but is also driven by deeper human emotions, while Gatsby's immoral actions are motivated by love and longing.We touched on how world-building can influence a character's perceived morality. In tightly defined universes, a single action might shift a character from hero to villain or vice versa. The broader and more complex the setting, the easier it becomes to justify or criticize those actions.Modern Obsession with Antiheroes and Reader RelatabilityA recurring theme in our talk was the rising popularity of antiheroes, especially in BookTok communities and modern literature. Meaghan emphasized how modern readers are drawn to nuanced characters who reflect the gray morality of real life. Straightforward good-versus-evil narratives feel outdated to many readers who want complexity and inner conflict in their characters.Romance novels, particularly dark romance, often play with this dynamic. Characters like Zade Meadows from Haunting Adeline or those in Lights Out by Navetta Allen operate with morally questionable methods but are driven by well-intentioned motives, making them compelling and controversial at the same time.We also reflected on Joe Goldberg's character arc and how the show's clever use of internal narration makes viewers uncomfortably sympathetic toward someone who is clearly a villain. This blurring creates tension and complicates our engagement with the story, prompting us to question our moral compass.Characters like Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones were also mentioned. While initially self-serving, he evolves over the series into someone with more noble intentions, even if he doesn't fit the typical heroic mold. He shifts from a villain to a morally gray character and eventually a reluctant hero in some people's eyes.Genre Examples and Pop Culture InfluenceWe highlighted how genres like comic books and dark fantasy frequently feature antiheroes. Characters like Deadpool, Daredevil, The Punisher, and Batman exemplify this model. These characters challenge traditional morality, often operating outside the law but still striving to uphold a personal sense of justice. Meaghan noted that even characters like Geralt from The Witcher are often misclassified as antiheroes when they may just be grumpy or reluctant heroes.Arthur brought up the Murderbot Diaries as another upcoming example - an android that hacks its programming to gain autonomy while also occasionally killing humans. It's complex, emotionally resonant, and set to become an Apple TV series.We also briefly touched on Silo's Juliet, who represents a reluctant hero more than an antihero. Her role highlights how characters are shaped by the world around them and are often pulled into heroism unwillingly.We examined situations where antiheroes may shift into villain territory, such as Tamlin from ACOTAR, whose descent into darker behavior between books one and two sparked significant conversation among readers. While some hope for redemption, others see the character's trajectory as complete.Finally, we discussed how some stories allow villains or antiheroes to win. Meaghan noted that this feels more realistic because, in life, good doesn't always triumph. These narratives, while less conventional, often leave a more lasting impact on readers.Final Thoughts and What's NextWe wrapped up by affirming our shared preference for morally complex characters over one-dimensional heroes or villains. Antiheroes, with their flaws, motivations, and layered choices, make for more engaging narratives. Readers want characters that mirror real-life complexity, and antiheroes offer that depth in spades.In the closing segment, we teased our next episode, where we'll focus on different portrayals of a famously adapted villain character across books, films, and shows. We plan to compare portrayals, potentially do a ranking, and analyze how this character has changed across time and mediums.In the meantime, we encouraged listeners to check out our latest reviews and ARCs on our website, FullyBooked.ca, and subscribe to the Bookish newsletter to stay up to date with all our content.

Sal Khan is one of the great innovators in education and in this Blue Sky episode, he discusses his book, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing). He and his colleagues at Khan Academy are well on their way to creating powerful AI teaching assistant called Khanmigo.  At a time when many fear the onset of AI applications, Sal Khan presents an inspiring vision for the future of this technology in the classroom and beyond.  Chapters:03:19 The Origin Story of Khan Academy Sal shares the inspiring origin story of Khan Academy, detailing how a simple act of tutoring his cousin evolved into a global educational platform.  09:39 Educated Bravery in AI Sal emphasizes the concept of ‘educated bravery' when approaching AI technologies in education. He describes how Khan Academy is adapting its tools to mitigate risks while maximizing the benefits of AI for personalized learning. 12:46 Innovative Learning Experiences Sal illustrates how AI can create engaging learning experiences, such as conversing with literary characters like Jay Gatsby.  14:55 Engaging with Historical Figures The discussion turns to the use of AI to interact with historical figures, such as Thomas Jefferson. Sal explains the complexities of addressing sensitive historical issues through AI while maintaining educational integrity. 17:19 The Role of Teachers in an AI World Sal argues that AI will not replace teachers but rather enhance their roles in the classroom.  21:42 AI as a Tool for Empowerment The conversation highlights how AI can alleviate the burdens of administrative tasks for teachers, allowing them to focus on meaningful interactions with students.  23:18 Skepticism and Critical Thinking Sal stresses the importance of skepticism when engaging with AI and other technologies. He encourages students to critically evaluate the information provided by AI, fostering deeper discussions in the classroom. 27:39 Bridging the Economic Divide with AI In this chapter, Sal Khan discusses the potential of AI to serve as a leveling mechanism in education, especially for those who cannot afford traditional tutoring.  30:01 Navigating the Ethics of AI in Education Sal explores the ethical implications of using AI in education, particularly in the context of college admissions. He highlights the gray areas of academic support and the fine line between assistance and cheating, stressing the importance of maintaining integrity in the learning process. 33:41 Introducing Khanmigo: The AI Tutor Sal introduces Khanmigo, an AI tutor designed to enhance the learning experience by providing personalized support to students. He explains its features, such as contextual understanding of lessons and ethical tutoring practices that encourage student engagement. 37:34 Empowering Teachers with AI In this chapter, Sal discusses how Khanmigo not only benefits students but also supports teachers by alleviating administrative burdens. He emphasizes the importance of improving teacher morale and engagement in a profession facing significant challenges. 39:25 The Path to Implementation Sal explains the process of integrating Khan Academy and Khanmigo into school districts, highlighting the importance of support and training for teachers.  44:28 The Future of Learning with AI Sal envisions a future where Khanmigo enhances the educational experience through multimodal interactions and real-time support for both students and teachers.  52:29 Inspiring Innovation in Education In the closing chapter, Sal reflects on the inspiring innovations at Khan Academy and the positive impact of peer tutoring through Schoolhouse World. He encourages educators to embrace AI as a tool for enhancing the teaching experience and fostering student success. 

The Great Gatsby is often called the great American novel. Emblematic of an entire era, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of illicit desire, grand illusions, and lost dreams is rendered in a lyrical prose that revives a vanished world of glittering parties and vibrant jazz, where money and deceit walk hand in hand. Rich in humor, sharply observant of status and class, the book tells the story of Jay Gatsby's efforts to keep his faith - in money, in love, in all the promises of America - amid the chaos and conflict of life on Long Island's Gold Coast during the Roaring Twenties.  The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby (Cambridge UP, 2025) presents the established version of the text in a collector's volume replete with social, cultural, and historical context, and numerous illustrations. The authoritative introduction examines persistent myths about Fitzgerald, his greatest work, and the age he embodies, while offering fresh ways of reading this iconic work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Great Gatsby is often called the great American novel. Emblematic of an entire era, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of illicit desire, grand illusions, and lost dreams is rendered in a lyrical prose that revives a vanished world of glittering parties and vibrant jazz, where money and deceit walk hand in hand. Rich in humor, sharply observant of status and class, the book tells the story of Jay Gatsby's efforts to keep his faith - in money, in love, in all the promises of America - amid the chaos and conflict of life on Long Island's Gold Coast during the Roaring Twenties.  The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby (Cambridge UP, 2025) presents the established version of the text in a collector's volume replete with social, cultural, and historical context, and numerous illustrations. The authoritative introduction examines persistent myths about Fitzgerald, his greatest work, and the age he embodies, while offering fresh ways of reading this iconic work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

The Great Gatsby is often called the great American novel. Emblematic of an entire era, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of illicit desire, grand illusions, and lost dreams is rendered in a lyrical prose that revives a vanished world of glittering parties and vibrant jazz, where money and deceit walk hand in hand. Rich in humor, sharply observant of status and class, the book tells the story of Jay Gatsby's efforts to keep his faith - in money, in love, in all the promises of America - amid the chaos and conflict of life on Long Island's Gold Coast during the Roaring Twenties.  The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby (Cambridge UP, 2025) presents the established version of the text in a collector's volume replete with social, cultural, and historical context, and numerous illustrations. The authoritative introduction examines persistent myths about Fitzgerald, his greatest work, and the age he embodies, while offering fresh ways of reading this iconic work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

The Great Gatsby is often called the great American novel. Emblematic of an entire era, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of illicit desire, grand illusions, and lost dreams is rendered in a lyrical prose that revives a vanished world of glittering parties and vibrant jazz, where money and deceit walk hand in hand. Rich in humor, sharply observant of status and class, the book tells the story of Jay Gatsby's efforts to keep his faith - in money, in love, in all the promises of America - amid the chaos and conflict of life on Long Island's Gold Coast during the Roaring Twenties.  The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby (Cambridge UP, 2025) presents the established version of the text in a collector's volume replete with social, cultural, and historical context, and numerous illustrations. The authoritative introduction examines persistent myths about Fitzgerald, his greatest work, and the age he embodies, while offering fresh ways of reading this iconic work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

The Great Gatsby is often called the great American novel. Emblematic of an entire era, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of illicit desire, grand illusions, and lost dreams is rendered in a lyrical prose that revives a vanished world of glittering parties and vibrant jazz, where money and deceit walk hand in hand. Rich in humor, sharply observant of status and class, the book tells the story of Jay Gatsby's efforts to keep his faith - in money, in love, in all the promises of America - amid the chaos and conflict of life on Long Island's Gold Coast during the Roaring Twenties.  The Cambridge Centennial Edition of The Great Gatsby (Cambridge UP, 2025) presents the established version of the text in a collector's volume replete with social, cultural, and historical context, and numerous illustrations. The authoritative introduction examines persistent myths about Fitzgerald, his greatest work, and the age he embodies, while offering fresh ways of reading this iconic work.

Today, we will discuss the famous book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This story takes us to the 1920s, a time of jazz music, big parties, and fancy clothes in the United States. The Great Gatsby is about a rich and mysterious man named Jay Gatsby. He lives in a huge house and has big parties every weekend, but not many people know much about him. Nick Carraway, Gatsby's neighbor, who has just moved to the area, tells the story. Get the transcript on my website: https://speakenglishpodcast.com/321-the-great-gatsby-for-beginners/

Well friends, it is finally time to discover why Jacqueline has seventeen thousand copies of this book and why Meghan definitely should have read it before now. Find the green light, don't be a beautiful little fool, and come join Jacqueline and Meghan on West Egg as they talk about their first classic of classics month, The Great Gatsby. Follow LTP on Social Media

In Lech Lecha, God commands Abraham to leave his homeland and embark on a journey toward an unknown future, a theme that resonates with the pursuit of self-invention and the promise of reinvention central to The Great Gatsby. Just as Jay Gatsby is driven by his own vision of the American Dream—an aspiration built on a carefully curated persona and the belief that one can transcend past limitations—Abraham's journey is marked by a sense of yearning for a better future, propelled by faith rather than material ambition. Both Abraham and Gatsby are seekers, with dreams that shape their identities and destinies. Yet, while Gatsby's pursuit leads to tragedy, Abraham's faith allows him to become a foundational figure for generations to come, symbolizing the difference between a dream built on illusion and one rooted in divine promise. In both stories, the journey is not just physical but existential, exploring the tension between identity, ambition, and the larger forces that shape a life's purpose. This episode is brought to you by Avrum Rosensweig's Art. See www.avrumrosensweigart.com

In Lech Lecha, God commands Abraham to leave his homeland and embark on a journey toward an unknown future, a theme that resonates with the pursuit of self-invention and the promise of reinvention central to The Great Gatsby. Just as Jay Gatsby is driven by his own vision of the American Dream—an aspiration built on a carefully curated persona and the belief that one can transcend past limitations—Abraham's journey is marked by a sense of yearning for a better future, propelled by faith rather than material ambition. Both Abraham and Gatsby are seekers, with dreams that shape their identities and destinies. Yet, while Gatsby's pursuit leads to tragedy, Abraham's faith allows him to become a foundational figure for generations to come, symbolizing the difference between a dream built on illusion and one rooted in divine promise. In both stories, the journey is not just physical but existential, exploring the tension between identity, ambition, and the larger forces that shape a life's purpose. This episode is brought to you by Avrum Rosensweig's Art. See www.avrumrosensweigart.com

Live from Spotify, Owen Blackhurst, James Bird, Seb White and Tommy Stewart are joined by a returning Asad Raza to chat ‘A little place called heaven' Hatti, a hat, Manchester Piccadilly, “rain sodden bowels of the city”, a spiritual experience, the Gunfight at the OK Corral, “I'm your Huckleberry”, Josh Wood, Bill Murray's haircut in Kingpin, Glenn Hoddle v David Beckham, the sunglasses emoji, England U-17 winning the World Cup, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Kendal Mint Cake, Garrincha, The Maracanã, “dealers choice”, Alessandro Del Piero, Battle of Agincourt, Plymouth, Portsmouth, MDMA v Huel, “internal latrine”, Popeye's, Ronnie ‘Chicken Biryani' Irani, “wears his banter on his sleeve”, Stephen Merchant, Vince McMahon, Diego Armando Maradona, “How am I doing, Boss?”, “speaking out loud”, performance-enhancing drugs, playing football on ketamine, Seville, Carlos Billardo, Bukta, camera super lenta, Nick Hancock, the forgotten Maradona goal, Diego Simeone, the Enigma machine, football's Alan Turing, Davor Šuker, Boca Juniors (A), Marseille, ring binders, Maradona or Messi, Monchi, The Frying Pan of Spain—Sevilla v Real Betis, gastric bands, Sporting Enigma, Shaolin Soccer, Golden Leg, Steel Leg, Team Evil, disillusioned monks, Armageddon, Michael Bay, Harry Porter, Graham Potter, “Who cut your hair? Dynamo?”, Mizuno Wave Riders, The Hong Kong Cup, sweeper-keepers, 'The legends of The Football Factory', Marching Powder, Cocaine Bear, This American Life, John Wayne, Church Party at Stage & Radio Manchester, Asad's terrible accents, Texas Joe's, jalapeño cornbread, pretending to like baseball, Eastbound and Down, Jay Gatsby, “cut and shut cars”, and so much more.Get the latest issue of MUNDIAL Mag hereFollow MUNDIAL on Twitter - @mundialmagFollow MUNDIAL on Instagram - @mundialmag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Eastern Bloc sedan episode 353, Chris overfills the oil, Chrissy pours Gatorade in the back of the Cadillac, Tim is sobering up, and Dave doesn't like his short shifter. Really, we talk all about the Thompson race and our experiences, because the crew finally won B in the Mazda 3!! Buy a GM Futurliner! - Jay Gatsby at The Drive https://www.thedrive.com/news/you-can... Man Steals Oshkosh M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), gets Tear Gassed - Beverly Braga at The Drive https://www.thedrive.com/news/man-ste... 1997 Toyota Crown Royal Salon $12k on Racing Junk https://www.racingjunk.com/toyota/184... Go Race Pitt with Lucky Dog!! https://www.racelucky.com/2024-schedule/ Join our F1 Fantasy League https://fantasygp.com/ - sign up here, the join the E1R league with code “74259541” Our Website -⁠ https://everyoneracers.com/⁠ Download or stream here -⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NsFZDT... ⁠   / @everyoneracers   ⁠ - Our YouTube

In this Eastern Bloc sedan episode 353, Chris overfills the oil, Chrissy pours Gatorade in the back of the Cadillac, Tim is sobering up, and Dave doesn't like his short shifter. Really, we talk all about the Thompson race and our experiences, but the whole things stops in 57 minutes right as Chrissy talks about her Red Flag Experience! (if we get his fixed, this episode will disappear) Buy a GM Futurliner! - Jay Gatsby at The Drivehttps://www.thedrive.com/news/you-can-own-a-super-rare-1939-gm-futurliner-right-now-for-a-million-bucks Man Steals Oshkosh M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), gets Tear Gassed - Beverly Braga at The Drive https://www.thedrive.com/news/man-steals-oshkosh-m1070-tank-transporter-immediately-gets-stuck-on-beach 1997 Toyota Crown Royal Salon $12k on Racing Junk https://www.racingjunk.com/toyota/184441506/1997-toyota-crown.html?category_id=5037&aces_model_id=2365&np_offset=1#15 Go Race Pitt with Lucky Dog!! https://www.racelucky.com/2024-schedule/ Join our F1 Fantasy League https://fantasygp.com/ - sign up here, then join the E1R league with code “74259541”Our Website -⁠ https://everyoneracers.com/⁠ Download or stream here -⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NsFZDTcaFlu4IhjbG6fV9 ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPrTs8wdzydOqbpWZ_y-xEA ⁠ - Our YouTube

Chapter 1:Summary of Book The Great Gatsby"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel set in the summer of 1922 on Long Island and in New York City. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young bond salesman from Minnesota who rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island, an area populated by the newly rich who lack social connections and sophistication.Nick's neighbor is Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and wealthy man who throws extravagant parties every weekend, hoping to attract specific guests. As Nick becomes more acquainted with Gatsby, he learns that Gatsby was born poor and that his real name is James Gatz. Gatsby had previously been in love with Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin, when he was a young military officer. Post-war, Gatsby dedicated himself to gaining wealth and social standing to win Daisy back, believing that he could recreate the past through sheer force of will and wealth.Through his connection to Nick, Gatsby rekindles his romance with Daisy, although she is now married to Tom Buchanan, a man of established wealth and social standing, but also arrogant and unfaithful. The reunion leads to an affair between Gatsby and Daisy, which climaxes in a confrontation between Tom and Gatsby in a suite at the Plaza Hotel.The situation becomes tragic when Daisy, driving Gatsby's car, accidentally strikes and kills Tom's mistress, Myrtle Wilson, on their way back from the city. Gatsby decides to take the blame, believing his wealth can shelter him. However, Myrtle's husband, George Wilson, misled by Tom to believe that Gatsby was both his wife's lover and killer, shoots Gatsby dead in his pool before taking his own life.In the wake of the tragedy, Nick is disillusioned with the East Coast's morally corrupt and superficial society. He arranges a poorly-attended funeral for Gatsby, breaks off his relationship with Jordan Baker, a professional golfer and mutual friend, and moves back to the Midwest. The novel concludes with Nick reflecting on the unattainable nature of the American Dream, and how people are relentlessly drawn into a past that is forever out of reach, much like Gatsby with his indomitable hopes and dreams.Chapter 2:The Theme of Book The Great GatsbyCertainly! "The Great Gatsby," written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel set in the 1920s that explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess. Here is a brief overview focusing on key plot points, character development, and thematic ideas: Key Plot Points1. Nick Carraway's Arrival: The narrator, Nick Carraway, moves to West Egg, Long Island, to learn about the bond business. He rents a small house next to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties.2. Daisy Buchanan's Reintroduction: Nick is Daisy Buchanan's cousin and through visiting her, he is reintroduced to her and her husband Tom. Daisy lives in the more fashionable area of East Egg. Daisy and Tom's marriage is troubled, marked by Tom's affair with Myrtle Wilson.3. Gatsby's Parties: Nick attends one of Gatsby's lavish parties and learns that Gatsby is in love with Daisy. They had a romantic relationship before he went to war and she married Tom. Gatsby's primary motive in amassing his wealth and throwing parties was to win Daisy back.4. Gatsby and Daisy's Reunion: Through Nick, Gatsby re-establishes a relationship with Daisy. They begin an affair after Gatsby invites Daisy to his mansion and shows her his wealth.5. The Confrontation: Tensions climax at the Plaza Hotel where Gatsby demands that Daisy declare she never loved Tom, which she cannot do. Gatsby's...

In this episode, we embark on a captivating exploration of F. Scott Fitzgerald's timeless classic, The Great Gatsby. We analyze the novel's prophetic qualities, its commentary on the cyclical nature of history, and its profound insights into the human psyche. Through the lens of Jungian psychology, we examine the anima and animus archetypes embodied by Fitzgerald and his contemporary, Ernest Hemingway, and how their works reflect the eternal struggle between the intuitive and the assertive. We also discuss how The Great Gatsby serves as a powerful warning about the pitfalls of the American Dream and the dangers of becoming trapped in the past. Join us for this illuminating discussion on one of the most influential novels of the 20th century. #TheGreatGatsby #FScottFitzgerald #LiteraryAnalysis #JungianArchetypes #AnimaAnimus #AmericanDream #Modernism #Literature #History #Psychology #Podcast #iTunes #Spotify #Stitcher #GooglePodcasts #Subscribe   The Expansive Decadent Ego of the Animus and the Introspective Bust and Decline of the Anima as Parts of Empire Cultures wax and wane. Empires that seem like part of the cosmos itself fall like gunshot victims into a pool or lines on a bar chart. It is the rare work that can speak to both the sparkle of spectacle and the timeless inevitable real it distracts us from. The Great Gatsby was an immediate success and then forgotten and then rediscovered. It was forgotten because the Jazz age was a, beautiful maybe, but still nearsighted dalliance. Fitzgerald was lumped in with all of the other out of date out of style gaucheness the book was mistaken as a celebration of. It was rediscovered because critics realized the book was like one of those sweetly scented break up notes that is written so beautifully that the dumped sod misreads it as a love letter and puts it with the other love notes unawares. The Great Gatsby was a warning; and you can only hear the warning after the fall. Perhaps half love letter and half kiss off, some part of Fitzgerald knew that his world was ending. The Jazz age was the parodos, or fun act of the ancient Greek tragedy where characters expound humorously against the chorus on the character faults that will undue them against the grinding unwinding of time. Ancient Greece and Rome look the same in the periphery and quite different in focus. Greeks sought to be ideal through archetype where Romans sought reality through realism. Greece, like F. Scott Fitzgerald, dealt in the realm of the anima - the passive, intuitive, and emotional aspects of the psyche. They were comfortable with beauty through vulnerability and had a poetic culture that celebrated poetic introspection. The Greeks were fascinated with the introspective world of the psyche, and their ability to express complex emotions and ideas through symbolic and mythological language. To them archetypes were like platonic forms, or perfect ideals, removed from time. [caption id="attachment_4983" align="aligncenter" width="225"]Ancient Greek Beauty[/caption] Rome, like Fitzgerald's contemporary Ernest Hemingway, was more closely associated with the qualities of the animus - the masculine, assertive, and imperialistic, aspects of the psyche. Roman culture was characterized by its emphasis on law, order, and external appearances of military might. It gave rise to some of the most impressive feats of engineering, architecture, and political organization in the ancient world. The Romans were known for their practicality, their discipline, and their ability to translate ideas into concrete realities. To Rome the aspirational and ideological only mattered in hindsight. [caption id="attachment_4984" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Ancient Roman Beauty[/caption] To a Greek one noticed the archetype or one failed to. To a Roman on created the archetype.  Humans made things real or we didn't. Romans got credit for ideas in a way that Greeks didn't. To a Greek we were glimpsing the inevitable realms of the possible. Time was cyclical. Ideas were external. You didn't have ideas, they had you. For Romans a man came up with the ideas. This is an interesting dichotomy because both ideas are true but paradoxical ways of studying the psyche. All of the early modernists engaged with this dialectic differently. Fitzgerald leaned Greek animistic, Hemingway leaned into the Roman Animus and other contemporaries like Gertrude Stein tried to bridge the divide. There was no way around as literature progressed. Greece and Rome were also deeply interconnected and mutually influential. Greek art, literature, and philosophy had a profound impact on Roman culture, and many Romans saw themselves as the heirs and stewards of the Greek intellectual tradition. At the same time, Roman law, government, and military power provided a framework for the spread and preservation of Greek ideas throughout the Mediterranean world. We need both the anima and animus to be the whole self, effective at wrestling the present and possible together if we are to effectively act on the impending real. The intuition of the anima can let us see the future through dreams of creativity and visions for the possible but the animus is what lets us bring our agency to bear on the present moment. It is easy to hide in either one but miss the both. I read The Great Gatsby in high school and it  was one of the few assigned readings I didn't hate. I wanted to read Michael Crichton and classical mythology primary sources but the curriculum wanted me to slog through things like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Zora Neal Hurston. I enjoyed the points those authors made, criticizing puritanism, and celebrating African American folk culture respectively but I thought the stylism made reading them a slog. The Great Gatsby was simple and I have reflected on it over the course of my life. In high-school I saw Hemingway and Fitzgerald as two halves of the same coin. Fitzgerald was the nostalgic, reflective anima to Hemingway's masculine animus. Hemingway jumped headlong into the morphine promises of modernism. Fitzgerald seemed to reflect on modernity better because he was pulled begrudgingly into it while trying to look further and further back into the past and its inevitabilities of "progress". Most of my friends were manly Hemingway's comfortable in the logos of the accessible real, and I was a navel-gazing Fitzgerald who only felt comfortable cloaked in the mythos of intuitive spaces In Jungian psychology, the concepts of anima and animus are crucial for understanding the inner world of the creative. The anima represents the feminine aspects within the male psyche, while the animus represents the masculine aspects within the female psyche. A healthy integration of these archetypes is essential for wholeness in the personal life behind the creative works. As a therapist I find those and other Jungian concepts usefully to understand why certain people gravitate naturally to things over the course of their life. Fitzgerald's work and life were dominated by his anima, which manifested in his nostalgic yearning for the past, his romantic idealization of women, and his sensitivity to the nuances of emotion and beauty. While these qualities fueled his artistic genius, they also left him vulnerable to depression, addiction, and a sense of alienation from the modern world. It was this alienation from modernism while writing as a modernist that gave Gatsby a timeless predictive quality Hemingway lacks. Ultimately he was able to predict the future as a creative but unable to adapt to it as a man. Hemingway, on the other hand, embodied the over-identified animus - the archetypal masculine energy that values strength, independence, and action above all else. His writing celebrated the virtues of courage, stoicism, and physical prowess, and he cultivated a public image as a rugged adventurer and man of action. However, this one-sided embrace of the animus left Hemingway emotionally stunted, unable to connect deeply with others or to find peace within himself. Hemingway is all bombastic adventure and when the adventure is over there was little left. One of  their other contemporaries, Gertrude Stein seems to have been able to achieve a kind of dynamic balance between her masculine and feminine qualities. This is not to say that she was free from all psychological conflicts or blind spots, but rather that she was able to channel her energies into her work and her relationships in a way that was largely generative, sustainable and life-affirming. Stein's life and work could be seen as an example of the transformative power of integrating the anima and animus within the psyche. Fitzgerald's own insecurities and traumas contributed significantly to his anima-dominated psyche and artistic worldview. Fitzgerald remained haunted throughout his life. Had he lived long enough to encounter Jung's work, Fitzgerald would have likely been profoundly influenced by it. Jay Gatsby seems to be the Jungian archetype of the "puer aeternus" (eternal boy) frozen by an impossible to attain object of desire and a refusal to grow up. A charming, appealing, affecting but ultimately failed visionary chasing red herrings. Fitzgerald himself seemed to go down the same path as other male Jungian's, most notably, James Hillman and Robert Moore, failing to fully "ride the animus" and integrate their assertive energies to manifest changes in their personal lives. All were beautiful artists but not always beautiful men, especially in their end. There seems to be a common thread in these anima over identified men - a childhood trauma that stifles self-expression, which paradoxically fosters a some what  magical, intuitive, visionary ability to see the future. In adulthood, this ability makes one a profound artist, garnering success and a wide audience. However, the external validation and success do not heal the original, still screaming, wound. This disconnect between outer success and the failure of that success to balm the original inner pain that sparked the need for it is something that many artists and depth psychologists of this personality type struggle to reconcile from. In high-school they told me The Great Gatsby was the greatest novel ever written and expected me to believe them. They also told me that getting straight A's meant you were smart, that the hardest working got the highest paid, and that all they really wanted me to do was think for myself. All were clearly lies a sophistic system thought I was better off if I believed. Obviously I had to find out later, pushing 40, that the book was on to something great. Or, maybe you have to see the rise and fall of celebrity and missiles and trends and less obvious lies in your life before you start to get the book as its own second act. Saying The Great Gatsby is a good book is like talking about how the Beatles were a great band or the Grand Canyon is big. It's kind of done to death, and it's even silly to say out loud to someone. Everyone had to read it in high school. To say it is your favorite book instantly makes others wonder if you have read another book that you didn't have to read freshman year. Oh, Hamlet is your other "favorite" book? Thinks the person who knows you have skimmed two books in your life and the test. How do you get the prescience of an extremely simple story at 16? How was anyone supposed to in 1925? The Great Gatsby is, perhaps by accident, not really about what it is about. The Great Gatsby is a worm's eye view of the universe that reminds us that our humanity itself IS a worm's eye view of the universe and that our worms eye view on it and each other is what keeps us sane. Sane and the gears of the spectacle of culture and grinding along out of psychic neccesity. We are a myopic species stuck in our own stories and others' stories, but not on our own terms. We are caught between improv and archetype but never free of either. Both subject to the human inevitable indelible programmed narrative and object of our own make-believe individual freedom from it. The Great Gatsby is a book that you read in high school because you could hand it to almost anyone. It has done numbers historically and currently as a work in translation. It holds up some kind of truth to students in places like Iran who have no experience with prohibition, with alcohol, with American culture as insiders. Yet they still feel something relevant connecting them to the real. It works because the characters are kind of stupid. It works because the moral of the story is, on its face, (and just like high school) kind of wrong. The Great Gatsby did see the future; it just didn't know what it saw. I write about intuition quite a bit on our blog, and the thing that I think makes art interesting is when the work of art sees past the knowledge of the artist making the work. The Great Gatsby gets a lot of credit for being prophetic in that it saw the Great Depression as the end of the Jazz age, but it did so because Fitzgerald was seeing his own end. Fitzgerald was severely alcoholic during prohibition, delaying his own deadlines for the novel that almost didn't get there with excuses to his publishers. What would he become after the Volstead Act was repealed? What would the country become after the economic bender that the upper class threw for itself in front of masses that were starving? The power of the novel is when it knows that empires rise and fall. It's when it knows that the valley of ashes is watching your yellow car speed by with dull sad eyes. It's power is in knowing the feeling that when you get what you want, you don't really deserve it, or maybe it doesn't deserve you. Maybe it implies that time is something that we use, tick by tock, as a proxy for meaning because we fundamentally "fumble with clocks" like Gatsby and can't understand time. We need our history and our idolatry of the past to make meaning, but when the lens for our meaning-making remains fixed, the world becomes a pedestal to dark gods demanding the worship of the past at the expense of the future. As a man or a nation, we are bound to hit someone if  we look in the rearview mirror to long. The green light on the dock is a symbol that we mistake for the real thing and "take the long walk of the short dock". With this dishonest relationship to time, we all become a Gatsby or a Tom. I am not sure which is worse. We either lack all ambition and live to keep up appearances, or we have so much ambition that we become the lie. The "beautiful shirts" are just a glittering, stupid, trendy identity that we nationally put on every couple of years to forget that we're about to sink into another depression. Skinny ties are out and gunmetal is in! makes us never have to look at  the other side of ourselves or our empire. The past gives us meaning and identity even as it slowly destroys us and robs us of those things. We are forced to use it as a reference point even though we know this relationship between us and it is doomed. We cannot stop the need for the next recession in this society any more than we cannot stop the need for the next drawer of trendy clothes. The American Dream is a kind of nightmare, but it is still a dream because it keeps us sleeping through the nightmare we are in. Realization of lost purpose, regret and nostalgia, superficiality, emotional turmoil, or tone deaf foreshadowing are not things you need to look at when movies and wars are inventing such beautiful coverings for our imperial core and rent seeking economy. Why then do we cry? Wake up the organist, we are getting bored. In The Great Gatsby, like in a Dickens novel, the plot is the archetype, and that necessitates a lot of conveniences. That might seem like a point of criticism, but it is also very human. Perhaps these truths become tropes are not faults of the plot or its contrivances but reasons for humanity, namely humans in America, to introspect. As individuals or as a society, we turn our insecurity into some amazing and impossible outcome, and then we, like Gatsby, do that to compensate for what we refuse to accept, what we refuse to change about who we are or where we come from. Jay Gatsby is myopic, but he is too naive to be a narcissist. He is just sort of a dream of himself he forgot he was dreaming. Nothing in Fitzgerald's prose leans into The Great Gatsby being directly interpreted as a dream, but it is one possible interpretation that the novel is a sort of collective dream. There is a Tom Buchanan in all of us also. Someone who would burn the world down just because we can't have the lie that we want others to believe about us anymore. He is a refusal to accept the reasonable limitations that might have prevented the Great depression.  If we can't have the whole world, we will blow the whole world up! That is another tension (still unresolved) that The Great Gatsby saw coming for humanity. The two forces of the lie and the dream are the things that make the boom and bust cycle of recession and surplus that have sustained America, sustain the lie in the individual and the society. but shhhhhhh..... it's a dream not a lie!? Just like highschool the powers that be think that you are better off if you believe it. Greece and Rome are relevant details to this reflection on a novel because neither one would have really mattered to history without the other half. Greece invented the culture and religious structure and Rome became the megaphone to amplify expansion of that culture. We study them as highschool students but we don't want to see those distinctions even now. The predictive element in Fitzgerald made him live in a timeless present. His assumptions were at worst  Platonic archetypes where all characters expressed  endless inevitable cycles. At worst his characters were,Aristotelian ideal of knowledge; where ideas had characters, so  characters could not have ideas. Hemingway lived in a Roman, timeless present. Awareness of cycles of  historical and social forces were not important. Maybe  you identify with his archetypes and maybe not. He could not see through them. America when it needs to do advertising for a new product, movie or war will always side with Hemingway. I guess The Old Man and The Sea always feels important, to the individual, but it lacks relevance to the pathos and later deimos that society needs to really introspect well. God is still a broken-down billboard, and only the stupid or the insane in America can recognize God for what he is. If God is happy with what he sees, we clearly are to distracted to notice Him. If god is unhappy, then he does not approve of my America, so he must not be really be God. This is the double bind that the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, long out of business, put us in. Love me, and you must not be infallible; dislike me, and you must be wrong. Fitzgerald ended his novel, but not his life, on the right note. Listen up creatives. And so we beat on, boats against the current. Ceaselessly borne back into the past. How do you end yours? How do you live it. You read it at 16 but how old are you now? The narrator, Nick Carraway, is a perfect observer because he is hopelessly naive, knowing nothing about human life or experience. He learns all of it in the course of a few days from the terrible follies of the gods of his world - the complete pantheon of all the most powerful forces of the '20s, the real, the now. The traditional historic "blue cover" of The Great Gatsby juxtaposes the face of a '20s flapper with the skyline of a city lit for celebration. The flapper's face is studded with the traditional burlesque Cleopatra makeup that already juxtaposes a beauty mark with a teardrop. In the cover, the rising celebration of a firework becomes a teardrop falling. Is up and down forever really the same direction?, the book asks you before you open it. The Wall Street Journal tells you that same thing today in more words. Fitzgerald never found a way to see past himself, even when he wrote those truths in his fiction.  He ended his career in Hollywood, helping better screenwriters by coasting on his reputation from the book that became a meteoric firework. In the end, he became a cautionary tale, a reminder that even the most gifted among us are not immune to the ravages of trauma and addiction masquerading as intuition and artistry and the weight of unfulfilled dreams. What does Nick do with his when the book ends in the Autumn of 22? Did he make it out of the Autumn Summer cycle of New York? Do we? Summary of Key Points for SEO purposes: The Great Gatsby speaks to both the sparkle of spectacle and the timeless inevitable reality it distracts us from. It was initially successful, then forgotten, and later rediscovered as a prescient warning. The essay compares ancient Greek and Roman cultures to the anima and animus in Jungian psychology. It posits that F. Scott Fitzgerald embodied the anima while Ernest Hemingway embodied the animus. A healthy psyche requires integrating both. Fitzgerald's own traumas and insecurities contributed to his anima-dominated psyche. His life and work, especially the character of Jay Gatsby, seem to align with the Jungian archetype of the "puer aeternus" (eternal boy). The essay argues The Great Gatsby is prophetic in foreseeing the end of the Jazz Age and the coming Great Depression, even if Fitzgerald didn't fully comprehend the implications of his own novel. The novel's enduring appeal lies in its simple yet profound truths about the human condition - our need for meaning from the past, the dangers of living in a dream or lie, the inevitable boom and bust cycles of individuals and societies. The essay suggests The Great Gatsby can be interpreted as a collective dream, with Jay Gatsby representing naive ambition and Tom Buchanan representing entitled destruction. Ultimately, Fitzgerald became a cautionary tale, showing that even the most gifted are not immune to unfulfilled dreams and inner demons. The novel asks if we can break free of the cycles of our pasts. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg on the billboard are interpreted as a symbol of a broken-down God, whom only the stupid or insane in America can recognize for what he truly is. The essay suggests that if God is happy with what he sees, people are too distracted to notice Him, and if God is unhappy, then He must not approve of America, and therefore cannot really be God. This creates a double bind for the characters and readers, forcing them to either accept a fallible God or reject a disapproving one. The American Dream is portrayed as a nightmare that keeps people asleep, preventing them from confronting the harsh realities of their lives and society. The essay argues that the need for the next economic recession is as inevitable as the need for the next trendy fashion. The essay points out that the plot of The Great Gatsby relies on archetypes and conveniences, which might seem like a flaw but actually reflects the human tendency to seek meaning in familiar patterns and narratives. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg on the billboard are interpreted as a symbol of a seemingly absent or indifferent God, who either approves of the characters' actions or is powerless to intervene. This creates a double bind for the characters and readers alike. The essay emphasizes the importance of the novel's narrator, Nick Carraway, as a naive observer who learns about the complexities and tragedies of life through his encounters with the other characters. His journey mirrors the reader's own process of disillusionment and realization.  

Currently captivating audiences as Jay Gatsby in the Broadway production of “The Great Gatsby”, Jeremy shares insights into his career, both on stage and screen as we join him for a special press event discussing the upcoming pro-shot release of “Bonnie and Clyde”. After initially performing B&C on Broadway in 2011. He shares the differences between the Broadway and West End productions, especially the challenges of maintaining continuity in his costumes during the filming process, admitting that the lack of tech rehearsals with costumes led to some fun on-the-fly decisions. He also shares his favorite moment in the production, specifically "Bonnie," a solo he performs on the ukulele that makes him feel like a musician. Jeremy Jordan is an incredibly versatile and dynamic Tony Award-nominated performer, and is currently captivating audiences as Jay Gatsby in the Broadway production of “The Great Gatsby''. He has established himself as a prominent figure in both theater and television, with credits such as “Waitress”, “Newsies”, “American Son”, “The Last Five Years”, “The Flash”, and “Supergirl” among others. Fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming pro-shot release of “Bonnie and Clyde” on June 24, 2024, where he will once again bring his extraordinary talent to the screen in the beloved musical. Connect with Jeremy: Website: www.jeremy-jordan.com Instagram: @jeremymjordan Pre-order Bonnie and Clyde tickets: bonnieclydelive.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support the podcast on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast YouTube: YouTube.com/TheTheatrePodcast Threads, Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com My personal Instagram: @alanseales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Nelson asks why should we languish in the past when we can move forward?"

Unravel the opulent mysteries of The Great Gatsby in this week's episode of We Didn't Read It! Dive into the world of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan with us as we offer our comedic take on this classic novel. The green light beckons you to join the party and share in the laughter that could rival even the most extravagant soirée at West Egg!

A wealthy man in his early 30s. An army man. A German immigrant. A bootlegger. A lover. Who was Jay Gatsby? And if he was based on a real person, what do we know about them?To delve into one of the most famous fictional characters of the 20th century (from one of Don's favourite authors, F Scott Fitzgerald) Don speaks to Joe Nocera. Joe is the host of a new eight-part investigation that delves into the shrouded mystery behind the person who claims to have inspired The Great Gatsby.American Dreamer: Who Was Jay Gatsby? An Audible Original podcast, is out now.Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for $1 per month for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/ You can take part in our listener survey here.

It's been 50 years since the release of the 1974 film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, THE GREAT GATSBY. Highlighting the 50th anniversary of the 1974 version of THE GREAT GATSBY is another opportunity to talk with author and professor of English Emily Bernard about this 1920s novel adapted for film and the themes that continue to resonate with our own times. Our conversation with Emily about the film adaptation of Nella Larsen's 1929 novel PASSING in episode 2 of the podcast, remains one of our most popular listens. Directed by Jack Clayton, and featuring Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan, and Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway, the film is a window into the roaring 1920s or the "Jazz Age," as Fitzgerald is credited for coining the phrase. The story is also a mirror on American social constructs for wealth, class, and illusion, as well as the destructive power to recapture the past. ----- Notes: "Negro" is used in its proper historical context in this conversation. *Spoiler alert* for persons who've never seen any film or television adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's book "The Great Gatsby," or read the book. ----- Download the Transcript for Episode 50 PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. 0:08 - Opening 1:22 - Intro to THE GREAT GATSBY novel and film  6:11 - Intro to Emily Bernard, Professor, Scholar, Writer 16:12 - Wealth, power, identity, and narcissism in Fitzgerald's Novel 23:05 - Place and Identity in "The Great Gatsby" 24:48 - New York as symbol in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Jazz Age" 31:12 - Race, identity, and adaptation 36:00 - American Class distinctions and the "American Dream" 41:14 - Daisy Buchanan, "the great white beauty" 47:55 - Break 48:00 - George Wilson, "true victim" in "The Great Gatsby" 57:07 - Race and performance in literature 58:01 - Class and "passing" in "The Great Gatsby" 1:02:25 - Authenticity and celebrity: Do we know what it means to be "natural?" 1:08:02 - Blackness, identity and cultural appropriation in 1920s America 1:11:59 - Race, power and privilege in literature and film 1:16:09 - Lothrop Stoddard, WEB DuBois, and legacy of racial  eugenics 1:20:21 - Gatsby's end (spoiler alert) 1:28:04 - "The Great Gatsby" film adaptations 1:30: 22 - Closing 1:31:51 - Disclaimer STAY ENGAGED with HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform LISTEN to past past podcasts and bonus episodes SIGN UP for our mailing list SUPPORT this podcast on Spotify or SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstore Thank you for listening! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historicaldramasisters/support

No, it's not Welsh but it certainly is fun to say. This week, we're dealing with fancy ladies and chaps, in particular a certain Bella Griffiths angling for a summer at Greenwood Lake! Plus, a facile comparison of Clyde Griffiths, Sammy Glick, and Jay Gatsby. Join the Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/michaelianblackSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

www.taletellerclub.comRevisiting the Timeless Elegance of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott FitzgeraldIn the annals of American literature, few works stand as iconic and enduring as F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, "The Great Gatsby." First published in 1925, this novel has transcended time and continues to captivate readers with its timeless themes, vivid characters, and exquisite prose.Set in the prosperous Jazz Age of the 1920s, "The Great Gatsby" transports readers into the glamorous world of Long Island's elite, where wealth, excess, and ambition collide. At the heart of the story is Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and enigmatic millionaire who throws lavish parties in hopes of winning back the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. Through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, we are drawn into Gatsby's glittering but ultimately tragic pursuit of the American Dream.One of the most striking aspects of Fitzgerald's novel is its portrayal of the American Dream and its disillusionment. Gatsby, with his humble beginnings and relentless drive for success, embodies the belief that anyone can rise from obscurity to greatness in America. However, as the story unfolds, we come to realize that Gatsby's wealth and status cannot buy him the happiness and fulfillment he seeks. His obsession with the past and his inability to accept the passage of time ultimately lead to his downfall, serving as a poignant commentary on the emptiness of materialism and the fleeting nature of success.Central to the narrative is the theme of love and longing, particularly Gatsby's unrequited love for Daisy. Their relationship, marked by passion, deception, and tragedy, serves as a powerful symbol of the complexities of human desire and the consequences of holding onto illusions. Fitzgerald's exploration of love and social class resonates just as strongly today as it did nearly a century ago, reminding us of the universal truths that lie at the heart of human experience.Equally compelling are Fitzgerald's characters, each intricately drawn with depth and complexity. From the enigmatic Gatsby to the shallow and disillusioned Daisy, to the morally bankrupt Tom Buchanan, the novel is populated with unforgettable personalities who reflect the contradictions and complexities of the Jazz Age society. Through their interactions and conflicts, Fitzgerald paints a vivid portrait of a world on the brink of change, where old traditions clash with modern aspirations, and the pursuit of happiness often leads to despair.Beyond its thematic depth and rich characterizations, "The Great Gatsby" is celebrated for its exquisite prose and lyrical style. Fitzgerald's writing is imbued with a sense of poetry and rhythm, capturing the beauty and the tragedy of the human condition with remarkable precision. His descriptive passages evoke the opulence and decadence of the era, transporting readers to a time and place that is both enchanting and haunting.In conclusion, "The Great Gatsby" endures as a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers of all ages. Through its exploration of themes such as the American Dream, love, and the passage of time, Fitzgerald's novel offers profound insights into the human experience that remain as relevant today as they were in the Roaring Twenties. As we revisit this literary masterpiece, we are reminded of the enduring power of great literature to illuminate the depths of the human soul and to transcend the boundaries of time and space.

EARLY RELEASE!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! The great SETH MacFARLANE and Bill discuss the hilarious Norah Jones moment in Seth's movie, Bill's article on Seth in Vanity Fair, David Mamet's gift for Bill, Bill's childhood snobbiness about animation, Seth's favorite Superman joke, Seth being compared to Jay Gatsby, when Seth saw Bill's appearance on the TV show Alice, the time Bill got booed at a Dodger game, how animated characters get away with more, why the guys slowed down Tweeting, the good and the bad of A.I., the time Seth and Bill sang to Jay Leno, and so much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EARLY RELEASE!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! The great SETH MacFARLANE and Bill discuss the hilarious Norah Jones moment in Seth's movie, Bill's article on Seth in Vanity Fair, David Mamet's gift for Bill, Bill's childhood snobbiness about animation, Seth's favorite Superman joke, Seth being compared to Jay Gatsby, when Seth saw Bill's appearance on the TV show Alice, the time Bill got booed at a Dodger game, how animated characters get away with more, why the guys slowed down Tweeting, the good and the bad of A.I., the time Seth and Bill sang to Jay Leno, and so much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

Welcome back!! This week the ladies are joined by the lovely Ebony Chappel as they reviewed"Jay Gatsby A Black Man in Whiteface" by author Janet Savage, Esq. In this thought-provoking episode, the ladies reimagine F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, "The Great Gatsby," through the lens of a white passing black man. They also explore the enduring relevance of its themes in our modern world. Join the ladies as they unravel the intricacies of Jay Gatsby's journey, examining how the pursuit of the American Dream and the desire for reinvention continue to resonate universally. Drawing inspiration from Janet Savage's intriguing thesis, which posits Gatsby as white-passing, they delve into the idea of leaving behind one's roots in pursuit of an elusive dream. Tune in to join the discourse on whether leaving one's past behind in search of the unattainable is an inherently futile endeavor, and if those same forces are still at play today. *Please be advised this episode is intended for adult audiences and contains adult language and content.Dedication: To our wonderful patrons!!! Cheers!! Shout out to KeKe Palmer for reviewing this on her podcast and putting the book on our radar.Moni: To build a legacy to leave behind as our greatest work of art.Kat: To all the white passing folks who exerted their privilege to liberate others.Ebony: To all the troublesome women making it hard for those trying to keep the BS going. They are the backbone of our society.About our guest: Ebony Chappel https://linktr.ee/ebonythewriterAbout the book: "WHAT IF JAY GATSBY IS A BLACK MAN PASSING AS A WHITE ONE? "Jay GATSBY, Black Man in Whiteface" expounds upon the thesis that Jay Gatsby, the much beloved hero of "The Great Gatsby", is a man of mixed black and white parentage who pretends and appears to be a white man. Through a close examination of the text, a review of F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and letters, the book explains how America's troubled conscience about race laces through the novel."-Good Reads https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/35361132About the Author: Janet Savage was born in Chicago and is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband where she practices entertainment law and owns a college counseling company. She has written articles for Dollars and Sense Magazine and Harvard Law School Magazine and has published flash fiction. This is her first book of literary criticism.Notes: Newfields President/CEO resigns (Indianapolis, IN) https://fox59.com/news/newfields-president-and-ceo-announces-resignation**Stranger than Fiction: **None this week

In this smart, sensitive, and faithful adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterwork, the ill-fated relationships between a mysterious big spender; a young, married socialite; and their bevy of privileged friends are given center stage. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Robin Whitten discuss this audio theater adaptation of the classic, with the action driven by the characters talking to one another. And what talk it is. Rufus Sewell finds the tender bravado of Jay Gatsby, who is seeking to win back Daisy Buchanan, played with aching sublimity by Sarah Drew. Nate Corddry, playing Jazz Age narrator and sidekick Nick Carraway, deftly delivers some of Fitzgerald's most celebrated passages of heightened prose. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by L.A. Theatre Works. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from HarperCollins Focus, and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, publishers of some of your favorite audiobooks and authors, including Reba McEntire, Zachary Levi, Kathie Lee Gifford, Max Lucado, Willie Nelson, and so many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews  and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Great Gatsby is running at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ through November 12th. Find out more at www.papermill.org. The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

Join for FULL exercises! https://www.youtube.com/c/IELTSRyan/join Get the free newsletter! https://www.ieltsielts.com/ Describe a book that had a significant impact on you. Please say: -What the book was about -When and where you read it -Why it had a significant impact on you -And say whether you would you recommend this book to others A book that I found impactful is "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I first encountered this book during my university years while studying literature. It's not very long, so I was able to read it in one afternoon in my university's library. The book had a significant impact on me due to its themes and the portrayal of the characters' aspirations and shortcomings, which I found very relatable. It delves into the lives of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire who is known for his extravagant parties, and Nick Carraway, the narrator who becomes entangled in Gatsby's world. I really enjoyed how the book uses a story to examine topics such as the elusive nature of happiness and the limits of wealth and opulence. For example, despite his wealth, Jay Gatsby is unable to change the past and rekindle his relationship with a woman named Daisy. This leaves him in a permanent state of sorrow and sets up other events in the story that provide a fascintating exploration of the complexities of human nature. I would definitely recommend "The Great Gatsby" to others. The novel's timeless themes of wealth, aspiration, and the human desire for something more make it a captivating and thought-provoking read. It continues to resonate with readers of all generations, and I feel it invites them to reflect on their own ambitions and the meaning of success in the modern world.

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Yes, you read that title right! Was Jay Gatsby a Black Man? We've all read “The Great Gatsby” and the book never says anything about Jay being a Black Man, but when we investigated further, it almost seems impossible for him to not be Black. This week we are going down the rabbit hole with author Janet Savage who shows us all the clues, hints, and signs in the book that lead us to believe Gatsby was a Black Man. Why would F. Scott Fitzgerald hide such an important detail of his book, and was Keke's grandfather actually Jay Gatsby? Tune in to find out!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In tonight's Sleep Hypnosis, Jessica will be reading an excerpt of Great Gatsby, the story of Nick Carraway, a young man who moves to Long Island, and lives next to a mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby, who is obsessed with reconnecting with his old flame, Daisy. So relax, and let her voice guide you to relaxation. As always, tonight's episode will start with a relaxing introduction from Jessica, before we sink into tonight's Sleep Hypnosis. Want more Sleep Magic? Join Sleep Magic Premium ✨ Enjoy 2 bonus episodes a month plus all episodes ad-free, access to Jessica's complete back catalog of over 60 episodes, and show your support to Jessica.  To Subscribe 

A Dreamy Soiree in West Egg The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Escape into the captivating world of F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary masterpiece, 'The Great Gatsby,' in this soothing episode of Sleepy Time Tales. As the moon casts its gentle glow over the opulent mansions of West Egg, join us on a tranquil journey through the pages of this timeless tale. In this episode, we delve into the vibrant and enchanting party at Daisy and Tom Buchanan's mansion, where the champagne flows freely and laughter dances in the air. Picture yourself strolling through the elegant gardens, the sound of jazz music serenading your senses as you encounter a cast of intriguing characters under the starry night. As the story unfolds, we guide you through the fascinating world of the 1920s, painting vivid scenes of extravagance and glamour that surround Jay Gatsby's pursuit of his elusive American Dream. Immerse yourself in the dazzling spectacle of the evening, letting the descriptions of lavish decor and fashionable attire create a comforting atmosphere that lulls you into relaxation. And when the festivities begin to wind down, we transition seamlessly into a dinner party where the tension simmers beneath the surface, revealing the complexities of relationships and secrets hidden behind closed doors. Allow the gentle cadence of the narrator's voice to carry you through the intricate web of emotions, as we accompany you on a journey from one chapter to the next. Whether you're seeking to drift into a peaceful slumber or simply looking to unwind, let Sleepy Time Tales transport you to a realm where the past meets tranquility. Indulge in the dulcet tones of the narration as you're gently lulled into dreams, finding serenity amidst the enchanting world of 'The Great Gatsby.' So, dim the lights, adjust your pillows, and let Sleepy Time Tales be your passport to a restful night's sleep, accompanied by the elegant prose of Fitzgerald's classic novel. Sweet dreams await as we invite you to join us in the realm of slumber through this captivating episode. Story (03:15) Need help with a Podcast? As you know I left my job at the end of July to spend more time with my family. To earn a living, I have started a company to edit and produce podcasts. From basic podcast edits to full handling of all post-production tasks including show notes and publication. I've even found that doing all of the work setting up a podcast for clients is quite popular. It's not hard, just time consuming for busy people with other work to prioritise.  So if you or someone you know needs a podcast edited or any podcast admin done, drop me a line at dave@brightvoxaudio.com or check out my site at https://brightvoxaudio.com/ Episode edits start at $15, lock in introductory pricing now! SleepPhones, our exciting new partnership In our experience the best way to experience the bedtime stories of Sleepy Time Tales is with some type of headphone or earbud, but they can be cumbersome and uncomfortable. So we've partnered SleepPhones, manufacturers of headphones designed specifically to sleep in! They use a thin speaker fitted to a comfortable headband and have options from the cost effective wired headphones to the convenient Bluetooth model and will work with Sleepy Time Tales to improve your night's sleep. Use the below link to shop, and support Sleepy Time Tales https://sleepytimetales.net/sleepphones Sleepy Time Tales Merch and Stuff I've been putting up a lot of new designs on Teepublic Not all of the designs are Sleepy Time Tales branded, actually most aren't, so you can support the podcast without needing to emblazon the logo on yourself.

Hi, What Happened To Sandy Beal fans! Dive into the unreal story of George Remus—teetotaling bootlegger, erudite madman, inspiration for Jay Gatsby—and the pioneering prosecutor who took him down with the new podcast show Remus: The Mad Bootleg King. About Remus: The Mad Bootleg King: George Remus was a teetotaling bootlegger, erudite madman, and real-life inspiration for Jay Gatsby. His wife, Imogene, was his crown jewel. Together they ruled their empire from Cincinnati, bribing officials and living the life of luxury. But Remus' world came crashing down when a pioneering prosecutor named Mabel Walker Willebrand went after him, his wife betrayed him, and he was sent to prison. It sent Remus spiraling into madness — with deadly results. Listen to Remus: The Mad Bootleg King now on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Remus was an infamous bootlegger in Jazz Age America, so wealthy and ostentatious that he is thought to be the real-life inspiration for Jay Gatsby. This week, we talk to Abbott Kahler about his bootlegging business, toxic marriage, legendary parties, and the bad-ass woman who wouldn't rest until he was behind bars. Abbott's book is The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz Age America

The Roaring 20s have taken over the Park Central Hotel New York on 7th Ave in New York City in the form of “The Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show.”Audiences are invited to one of Jay Gatsby's infamous parties and will enter a world of red-hot rhythms, bootleg liquor, and pure jazz age self-indulgence as the story of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel is enacted around them.Louis Hartshorn is one of the lead producers of "The Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show."

Tonight, we'll read an excerpt from “The Great Gatsby,” a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, the novel depicts narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. This episode first aired in June of 2021. The novel was inspired by youthful romance and riotous parties the author had recently experienced. “The Great Gatsby” was a commercial failure that many critics thought was sub-par to Fitzgerald's previous work. Now, it is widely considered to be a literary masterwork and a contender for the title of the Great American Novel. — read by V — Support us: Listen ad-free on Patreon Get Snoozecast merch like cozy sweatshirts and accessories

BONUS: A Lil' Literally - We have a surprise! Today, we're introducing a new bonus show within LIT Society. Welcome to A Lil' LITerally , ten minutes discussions of the bookish topics on our radar. In the first season of our podcast, April 10th, 2020, we covered The Great Gatsby. This week, everyone's favorite play cousin, Keke Palmer, brought up a well-known theory regarding the story: Jay Gatsby was a black man, and Fitzgerald hid the evidence in plain sight within the dialogue and descriptions. However, is this theory credible? Let's discuss.

Exploring the Core Ideas: The Great GatsbyChapter 1 A In-Depth Summary and Review of The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby is a novel that explores the excesses and decadence of the Jazz Age, as seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a young man who becomes drawn into the world of the wealthy elite on Long Island. At the center of the story is Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and reclusive millionaire who throws extravagant parties in an attempt to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. As Nick becomes more involved in Gatsby's world, he begins to uncover the truth about Gatsby's past and the unsavory characters that surround him. Filled with themes of love, wealth, and the American Dream, The Great Gatsby is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its vivid prose, memorable characters, and haunting imagery. F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterful storytelling captures the spirit of the era while also exploring deeper questions about the human condition and the nature of desire.Chapter 2 The Life and Career of Francis Scott Fitzgerald: The Master Strategist Behind The Great GatsbyThe life of Francis Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, was a tumultuous journey marked by both triumph and tragedy. Born in 1896, Fitzgerald grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attended Princeton University. After college, he moved to New York City and began writing stories that captured the spirit of the Jazz Age. His breakthrough came with the publication of This Side of Paradise in 1920, which made him a literary sensation overnight. Throughout his career, Fitzgerald struggled with alcoholism, failed relationships, and financial difficulties. After a period of decline, he died in Hollywood, California, in 1940, at the age of 44. Despite his personal struggles, Fitzgerald's legacy as one of America's greatest writers lives on. His novels and stories continue to be read and admired for their vivid prose, incisive commentary on American culture, and enduring themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in life.Chapter 3 Dissecting The Great Gatsby: An Insightful Chapter-by-Chapter SummaryChapter 1: The novel opens with Nick Carraway moving to West Egg, Long Island, and attending a dinner party hosted by his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom. Nick also meets Jordan Baker, a professional golfer, and learns about Tom's extramarital affair. Chapter 2: Tom takes Nick to visit his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, in the valley of ashes. They attend a party at Myrtle's apartment, where tensions rise and violence erupts. Chapter 3: Nick attends one of Gatsby's extravagant parties, which epitomize the excesses and decadence of the era. Chapter 4: Gatsby invites Nick to lunch and shares details about his mysterious past, including his rise to wealth and his desire to win back Daisy. Chapter 5: Gatsby finally reunites with Daisy, and their reunion is both romantic and fraught with tension. Gatsby shows Daisy his mansion and his extensive collection of shirts, leading to a memorable scene. These chapters offer just a glimpse into the rich tapestry of characters, themes, and motifs explored in The Great Gatsby, making it an essential read for anyone interested in American literature.Chapter 4 A Comprehensive Guide to The Great Gatsby Audio Book Notes for Mastery1. Pay attention to the narrator's voice and intonation. The quality of the narration can greatly impact your enjoyment of the story.2. Listen for the descriptions of...

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby tells the novel's narrator about his World War I military service and a particularly heroic engagement in the Argonne Forest. He ends his story by explaining: “I was promoted to be a major, and every Allied government gave me a decoration – even Montenegro, little Montenegro down on the Adriatic Sea.” The decoration he displays is the Order of Prince Danilo I. Fitzgerald's description of the award might not be the most accurate, but it is a real order and members of the AEF did receive it.  To discuss the order and it's AEF recipients, the World War I Podcast talked with Dr. Frank Blazich, Military History Curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.  Dr. Blazich is an expert on the AEF recipients of the Order of Prince Danilo I and is also a contemporary recipient of the award.  Follow us: Twitter: @MacArthur1880 Amanda Williams on Twitter: @AEWilliamsClark Facebook/Instagram: @MacArthurMemorial www.macarthurmemorial.org

The Hunger Games Part 1 Chapters 4 and 5 We've made it to the Capitol! But first we've got to talk about something very important: The 7th Saga, a SNES RPG with barely any merch. We've also got our first Hunger Games listicle. Our chapters this week are full of dizzying ups and downs: brutally honest characterization and heartfelt drama alongside ridiculous action movie antics and some puzzling portrayals of a society so depraved it... wears a lot of makeup? Hmm. We chat through our feelings on whether or not the story is portraying cruel opinions a character has or simply espousing them itself, wonder aloud what synthetic fire is, and beg to know what the other costumes in the ceremony were.

Nghi Vo's novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful have gotten widespread critical acclaim, which was a pleasant surprise to her because she only started expanding beyond short story writing in the last several years. Both novels are set in the same magical early 20th century America where a Hollywood studio or Jay Gatsby's mansion could be places of treachery and wonder. I talk with Nghi about the inspiration for her main characters, who are both queer Asian American women navigating white spaces with style and attitude. And she explains why in her world, magic is just another form of power. Also featuring readings by the actress Shannon Tyo. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you're interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Great Gatsby has sold 25 million copies worldwide and sells 500,000 copies annually. The book has been made into three movies and produced for the theatre. It is considered the Greatest American Novel ever written. Yet, the story of how The Great Gatsby was written has not been told except as embedded chapters of much larger biographies. This story is one of heartbreak, infidelity, struggle, alcoholism, financial hardship, and one man's perseverance to be faithful to the raw diamond of his talent in circumstances that would have crushed others.The story of the writing of The Great Gatsby is a story in itself. Fitzgerald had descended into an alcoholic run of parties on Great Neck, New York, where he and Zelda had taken a home. His main source of income was writing for the “slicks,” or magazines of the day, the main source being the Saturday Evening Post, where Fitzgerald's name on a story got him as much as $4,000. Then on May 1, 1924, he, Zelda, and baby daughter Scottie quietly slipped away from New York on a “dry” steamer to France, the writer in search of sobriety, sanity, and his muse, resulting in the publication of The Great Gatsby a year later.To tell this fascinating story is today's guest, William Hazelgrove, author of “Writing Gatsby: The Real Story of the Writing of the Greatest American Novel.”

Lance Herndon was a millionaire. He was also a successful black man in Atlanta in the 1990's, a golden era for the black elite in what has long been hailed as the American black mecca and the city too busy to hate. Dubbed “the black Jay Gatsby” by one author, Herndon rubbed shoulders with politicians and celebrities. And he used his money and power for philanthropy and gave back so much to his community. His brutal murder in the summer of 1996 was shocking and the investigation revealed a messy private life, unfairly staining the reputation of a hardworking, generous and self made man. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and written by Haley GrayAdditional Writing by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley HornerOriginal Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma RadioEdited & Mixed by Next Day Podcast & Erica KelleySources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/lance-herndonSponsors: SplendidSpoon.com/SFTC BetterHelp.com/southern