American author
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3 episodes with Joseph Heller
4 episodes with Joseph Heller
3 episodes with Joseph Heller
2 episodes with Joseph Heller
4 episodes with Joseph Heller
3 episodes with Joseph Heller
2 episodes with Joseph Heller
2 episodes with Joseph Heller
2 episodes with Joseph Heller
Book: “The Author's AI Toolkit” Website(s): www.hankquenseauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hank.quense Twitter: https://x.com/hanque99 Hank Quense has self-published his books for over 12 years. His fiction works include the Gundarland series, the Princess Moxie series and the soon-to-be-published Zaftan series. His non-fiction books cover fiction writing (Creating Stories), self-publishing (How to Self-publish and Market a Book, Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps), marketing (Book Marketing Fundamentals) and author business (Business Basics for Authors) and Creating Your First Novel. Hank writes satirical fantasy and sci-fi. Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller's Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences. Hank lives in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan. Hank Quense has self-published his books for over 12 years. His fiction works include the Gundarland series, the Princess Moxie series and the soon-to-be-published Zaftan series. His non-fiction books cover fiction writing (Creating Stories), self-publishing (How to Self-publish and Market a Book, Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps), marketing (Book Marketing Fundamentals) and author business (Business Basics for Authors) and Creating Your First Novel. Hank writes satirical fantasy and sci-fi. Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller's Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences. Hank lives in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). He has two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live nearby. For vacations, Hank and his family usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.”
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In this month's instalment of our Mike Nichols marathon, we are putting our thinking caps on as we discuss his first official box office disappointment, which is the adaptation of Joseph Heller's irreverent post-war novel Catch-22. You will hear us talk about how this movie came together with its lavish production, editing woes and having to deal with Orson Welles on set, how it was a truly Herculean attempt at filming the unfilmable and how despite all the script changes and diversions from the novel the author still liked the output. We also talk about how Altman's MASH beat Nichols to the punch and how Kubrick's Dr Strangelove and 2001 gave him permission to think big, how the movie might be a dream and how it is equally funny as it is frightening. Tune in and enjoy!Subscribe to our patreon at patreon.com/uncutgemspod (3$/month) and support us by gaining access to this show in full in addition to ALL of our exclusive podcasts, such as bonus tie-ins, themed retrospectives and director marathons!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsHead over to our website to find out more! (uncutgemspodcast.com)Follow us on Twitter (@UncutGemsPod) and IG (@UncutGemsPod)Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)Subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)
In this week's behavior, we discuss how seeking prestige can be dangerous for writers, specifically in the form of MFA degrees and literary agents. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Sword of the Squire, Book #1 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store: SQUIRE50 The coupon code is valid through March 14, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we've got you covered! 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 240 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February the 20th, 2025, and today we are discussing how to escape the trap of prestige that can sometimes catch writers, specifically in the form of MFA degrees and literary agents. Before we get into greater detail with that, we will start with Coupon of the Week and then an update on my current writing projects and then also a Question of the Week before we get to the main topic. But first, let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Sword of the Squire, Book One of the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. And that coupon code is SQUIRE50. The coupon code is valid through March 14th, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook as we head into spring, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on current writing projects. I am 94,000 words into Ghost in the Assembly. I had two 10,000 word days this week, which really moved the needle forward. We'll talk about those a little bit more later. I'm on Chapter 18 of 21, I believe, and if all goes well, I should hopefully finish the rough draft before the end of the month because I would like to get editing on that as soon as possible. For my next book, that will be Shield of Battle and I am 8,000 words into that and I'm hoping that'll come out in April. Ghost in the Assembly will be in March, if all goes well. In audiobook news, recording for Cloak of Dragonfire (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is finished and also recording on Orc-Hoard, the fourth book of the Half-Elven Thief series (as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward). Both of those should be coming out sometime in March, if all goes well. So that's where I'm at with my current writing projects. 00:01:45 Question of the Week And now let's move on to Question of the Week. Question of the Week is intended to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics. This week's question, if you have off work or school because of a snow day or extreme cold or other intense weather, what do you do with the day? No wrong answers. We had a number of responses to this. Surabhi says: Ha, jokes on you! It never snows where I live. We do sometimes bunk school on rainy days, though. What I mostly do then is catching up on homework or listening to the rain. Justin says: We're having a snow day here; schools and many businesses are closed. So Lord of the Rings Extended Edition movie marathon! Popcorn popped, hot cocoa and cold soda prepped. I have to admit, that seems like a very good idea. Mary says: Read, write, watch the snow fall, try to exercise inside. Michael says: That hasn't happened to me since about 1985, but I seem to recall it was on my birthday and boy was I happy to miss school on my birthday! I think I read fantasy books, drank tea, and played video games. Juana says: curl up with a book and hot chocolate or tea. John says: Haven't had a snow day since I was a child, but I did either play in the snow or read a book (at that age, Andre Norton, Lester del Rey, or Ben Bova). I'm relocating later this year back to colder climes, but since I now only work remotely and have for the past six years, sadly my days change very little. Jenny says: Usually shovel snow, make a pot of warm food, more snow removal, watch movies or shows. Bob says: I'm retired now, so probably not much different than any other day, but when I was working, I'd probably be out shoveling snow so I can get to work whenever the roads were clear. Of course, that necessitated more shoveling when the snowplow dumped its load across the end of my driveway and that's why I moved south, where I rarely see snow. Yes, if you live in a colder climes and you have a driveway, you know that you'll shovel the driveway and then immediately when you're done, these snowplow will come and block up the end of the driveway. Finally, Dan says: For myself, I enjoy a free day. However, soon the home duties encroach on this free time. For myself, the answer is clearly that I write 10,000 words on the first snow day and then again on the second day because I just had two days in a row where it was too cold to leave the house. So what I did was stay home and wrote 20,000 words of Ghost in the Assembly. 00:03:54 Main Topic: Escaping the Trap of Prestige, Part I Now onto our main topic of the week, Escaping the Trap of Prestige, Part I-as it pertains to MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degrees and agents. I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm not looking to knock anyone who has a MFA or who has a literary agent, especially if it's working out for you and you're happy with it. What I'm trying to do here is warn younger writers who are just starting out about the potential consequences of these things, which can be very severe if you choose wrongly. So that is my goal with this episode, to help writers escape the potentially bad consequences of the prestige trap because newer writers in particular want validation. I mean, we all want validation, but writers especially want validation and new writers are very vulnerable to wanting validation to the point where it's been well known for years that there's a large scam industry of various things that take advantage of newer writers looking for validation such as vanity publishers, scammy agents, and a wide variety of other online publishing scams. This isn't to say that MFAs and literary agents are scams, though some literary agents have committed serious crimes (as we'll discuss later), but again, to warn against the danger of wanting prestige too badly and the bad decisions that can lead you to make. And some of this comes from the idea of success in life, especially in the United States and large parts of the Western world, is hitting certain milestones in a specific order. Like you graduate from college, you get a good job, you get married, you buy a house, you have your first kid, and if you don't do these things in the right order, there's something wrong with you and you have made mistakes in life, which isn't necessarily true, but is something that people can fall fall prey to and use to make destructive decisions. In the writing world, some of those measures of success have until fairly recently been getting a Master of Fine Arts degree, finding an agent, getting traditionally published, and hitting the New York Times list. As of this recording, I have sold well over 2 million books without following that normal route to writing success. In fact, I think it's closer to 2.25 million now, and I mention that not to toot my own horn, but to say that there are routes outside of the potentially dangerous prestige paths I'm talking about. And despite that, many aspiring writers feel they must follow that specific route to writer success, otherwise they aren't real writers. They've got to get the MFA, the agent, traditionally published, and then the New York Times list. The quest for prestige can keep writers from succeeding in two ways that are more significant, getting their work in front of readers who want to read it and deriving income from writing. So today in the first part of this two part episode series, we're going to talk about two of those writing markers of prestige, MFAs and literary agents. Why are they no longer as important? What should you devote your energy and focus to instead? So number one, the Master of Fine Arts trap. The Master of Fine Arts in writing has often been seen as a marker of writing ability, especially in the world of literary fiction. And I think the big problem, one of the big problems with MFA, first of all is cost. Getting a Master of Fine Arts degree is expensive, especially if you are not fortunate enough to receive scholarships or assistantships and so have to rely on student loans. The average cost of an MFA program is in the mid five figures when all is said and done, not even counting living expenses and textbooks and so forth. If you have to take out student loans to pay for that, that is a considerable loan burden, especially if you already have loans from your undergraduate degree. Even the people who get their MFA paid for (usually in exchange for teaching introductory writing classes to first year university students), the opportunity cost of taking two to three years to get this degree means you're sacrificing other things in your personal and professional life in order to get this MFA. It's a huge outlay of time and energy, especially if you're moving across the country for a residential program. And what are you getting in exchange for this massive outlay of time, money, and effort? You probably aren't going to learn the practical non-writing skills that you need in the modern writing world like marketing, data collection and analysis, and publication strategies (all of which I do on a fairly regular basis in addition to writing). All of these skills are important for writers now, even if they are traditionally published. The problem with many MFA programs is that they rarely, if ever teach these skills. It seems that what MFAs train their students to do is to become adjunct faculty professors with semester to semester contracts, which can pay around $2,000 to $4,000 USD per writing or literature course at most small to mid-size colleges and universities in the United States. Being an adjunct professor does not confer any benefits like health insurance or retirement funds. I was talking about this episode with my podcast transcriptionist and she mentioned once she was at a faculty meeting where an adjunct professor in English with an MFA did the math and realized based on her hourly wage (based on all the actual hours she put into a semester), if she worked at the local gas station chain, she would be making $7 per hour more at the local gas chain and she would be only working 40 hours a week. That can be a very dismaying realization, especially after all the work you have put into getting an MFA and teaching. Many defenders of the MFA degree will say that the real value of the degree is learning how to take criticism and learning to edit. But if you're writing in a genre outside of literary fiction, poetry, and memoirs, you are not likely to find a lot of useful advice. To return to my transcriptionist's tales from her time inside academia, she once told me of meeting a faculty member who confessed that he never read a fantasy book and had no idea how to critique or help these students, and he was a writing professor. He meant well, but he's not even remotely an outlier in terms of MFA instructors and their familiarity with mysteries, romance, and science fiction works and fantasy, which is what most genre fiction is nowadays. Also, the quality of advice and help you receive varies wildly based on the quality of your cohort and instructors and their willingness to help others. It's a steep investment with very, very uncertain returns. So in short, an MFA takes a huge outlay of time and money with very few tangible benefits, especially with genre writers. In all frankness I would say an MFA is the kind of degree you should not go into debt to get and you should only get if you can have it paid for through scholarships or assistantships or so forth. So what should you do, in my opinion, other than an MFA degree? I think you should write as much as possible. You get better by practicing. You should read extensively. You will learn about writing by reading extensively, ideally in more than one genre. If you read enough and write enough, eventually you get to the moment where you read something and think, hey, I could do a better job than this. This is a major boost in confidence for any writer. It might be a good idea to join a local or online writing group if you'd like critique from other writers. A warning that writing groups can vary wildly in quality and some of them have a bad case of crab bucket syndrome, so you may have to try more than one group to find one that works for you. Another thing to do would be to listen to advice from successful writers. I saw a brief video from an author who recently pointed out that many people online giving writing advice aren't current or successful writers. One of the downsides of the Internet is that anyone can brand themselves an expert, whip together a course, and sell it online for a ridiculous fee. And people like this, their successes in creating methods or courses that turn writing into something more complicated to make aspiring writers reliant upon that process. Aspiring writers may end up spinning their wheels following all of these steps instead of getting to the actual work of churning out drafts. They may be spending money they can't afford in order to learn ineffective or even damaging strategies. Many successful writers offer sensible advice for free, such as Brandon Sanderson posting his writing lectures for free on his YouTube channel. If you're looking for writing advice, you could do a lot worse than watching those lectures. And if you're going to take advice from anyone you read on the internet, it's probably better to take advice from successful writers who have demonstrated that they know what they are doing. And finally, this may be more general advice, but it's a good idea to be open to learning and observing new experiences. It's probably a good idea to go to museums and cultural events, read about the latest developments in science and history, go on a hike in a new place, and observe the world around you. New writers often ask where writers get their ideas come from, and they very often come from just serendipitous things you can observe in the world around you. And that is also a good way to get out of your own head. If you're worried too much about writing, it's probably time to go for a long walk. So why are agents potentially dangerous to writers? For a long time (for a couple decades, in fact), from I'd say from maybe the ‘80s and the ‘90s to the rise of the Kindle in the 2010s, the only realistic way to get published for most writers in terms of fiction was to get a literary agent. Publishers did not take unsolicited submissions (most of them did not), and you had to go through an agent to send your manuscript to a publisher. The agents were very selective for a variety of reasons. Because of that, a lot of newer writers still idealize the process of getting agents. You'll see this on Twitter and other social media platforms where new writers will talk constantly about getting agents and what they have to do. And the ones who do get a request from an agent to send in the full manuscript after sending a few query chapters are just besides themselves with joy. And those who do get agents can sometimes sound like they're showing off their new boyfriend or girlfriend, like my agent says they like my book, or my agent says this or that. And as you can probably imagine from my description, this is an arrangement that has a lot of potential danger for the writer. The traditional first step in this time period I was mentioning after finishing a book has been to get as prestigious of an agent as possible to contact publishers and negotiate deals on their behalf. The agent takes 10 to 20% of what a publisher pays a writer, but in theory can get a writer a better deal and are acting in their best business interests. And as I mentioned before, most significantly, most publishers are not willing to read submissions that are not submitted by an agent. If getting traditionally published is the goal, an agent is the crucial first step. I mean, that's the ideal that we've been talking about. In reality, traditional publishing is as cautious and risk averse as it has ever been. Agents have followed suit. It takes industry connections and/or a significant social media presence to even get an agent to look at your book. Writing query letters and trying to get an agent also takes away from writing and is a completely separate skillset, as is the networking and social media work that is part of this process. Some people have spent months or even years working on query letters and getting an agent when they could have finished another book or more in the same time. Alright, so that is the practical and logistical reasons it's a bad idea for a writer to seek out an agent, and I frankly think you'd be better off. And now we get to the potentially criminal ones. The thing about literary agents is there's no licensing or requirement or anything of that nature. You can set up a website and call yourself a literary agent. If you consider something like a lawyer, by contrast, I'm sure those of you who are lawyers in the United States will have many complaints and stories about your state bar, which is in charge of licensing lawyers. But the point is that the state bar exists, and if a lawyer is behaving in an unethical or unscrupulous matter, that can be brought as complaint to the state bar. Nothing like that exists for literary agents at all. And because of that, scammy agents are everywhere. Some try to get writers to pay a fee upfront or other made up fees, or they get cuts from scammy book publishers or book packaging services. Or in general, they just try to squeeze every penny possible from aspiring writers. And this is often sadly very easy to do because as we've mentioned, many newer writers still think getting an agent is a major mark of prestige and humans crave prestige. And even if you get a prestigious and seemingly legitimate agent, that can potentially lead to life ruining problems because many of the legitimate agents are very sticky fingered. Several years ago, the firm of Donadio and Olson, which represented Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk, Godfather author Mario Puzo, and Catch 22 author Joseph Heller found out that one of their accountants had been stealing millions from their authors for many years. Although the accountant was sentenced to two years of prison, it's unlikely those authors will receive the money back fully. As Palahniuk put it in a blog post, “the legal process will be long and offers an iffy reward.” Mr. Palahniuk also lost out on money from touring to promote his books because of this crisis and said he was unable to support himself financially as a result of these stolen royalties. By not filtering your royalties and earning statements through a literary agency that can falsify reports about these documents (as the accountant in question did), you have a full sense of what you are earning and what amounts you should be receiving. Amazon is open to many criticisms because of its decisions, but they pay monthly and they send a very detailed spreadsheet monthly to any Kindle authors of what books sold and what they expect to earn. It's sometimes almost too much data to process. The traditional publishing world would never even consider showing that to writers and agents often keep that from their writers. Palahniuk trusted his agency and accepted the explanations that rampant piracy and financial difficulties in the publishing world were keeping over a million dollars in royalties from him. He even later found out that this accountant was keeping non-financial correspondence from him. Returning to the topic of Brandon Sanderson, I recently saw an interview between him and a podcaster Tim Ferris. He made the interesting point that the power centers in publishing have shifted from traditional publishing agents to the platform holders and the writers, the platform holders being people like Amazon, Apple, and Google who have the platforms that sell the books and the writers who bring the books to those platforms. The power is shifted away from agents and publishers to the platforms and writers. And because of that, in my frank opinion, literary agents are obsolete for those wishing to publish independently. And my frank opinion is also that you should be independently publishing and not trying to get an agent or go with a traditional publisher. There's no reason to give someone 15% when you can upload the files to a service like KDP yourself. An agent will not be able to get you a better royalty from KDP. Amazon does not negotiate royalty rates at the agent level, and you have to be a writer on the scale of J.K. Rowling or maybe Dean Koontz to get any kind of special deal from Amazon. So what should you do instead of seeking out an agent? Publish independently or self-publish. Be wary of excuses and explanations that prey upon emotional responses or a sense of loyalty to individuals, such as the case of Chuck Palahniuk, where they preyed on his fears of piracy and the instability of the publishing industry, as well as sympathy for someone who claimed to be taking care of a family member with a terminal disease. That was one of the excuses they used for why the records weren't right. Ask for facts and verify everything regularly. Publishers and agents are not your friends and not your family, and do not accept that approach in your business relationship with them. Learn how to read and interpret any financial statements you receive. Don't trust a third party to do this for you, or if you must do that, make sure they're being audited regularly by a third party, not from just someone else at their firm. So the conclusion is that in my opinion, the prestige of getting an MFA and an agent are currently not worth the trade-off and there are considerable risks that you take if your main goals are to build a following and sell books. Prestige is not going to put food on the table. And in fact, if you have five figures of student loan debt from an MFA, it may be keeping you from putting food on the table. So if you want to be a writer, I think both seeking out an MFA and seeking out an agent would be a waste of your time and possibly counterproductive. Next week in Part Two, we'll discuss two more prestige traps in writing: getting traditionally published and hitting the New York Times Bestseller List. That is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the backup episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.
Today, apropos of nothing, Professor Kozlowski tackles one of his favorite books: Joseph Heller's popular, stylish, satirical masterpiece - Catch-22. We'll look at its legacy, its themes, and the message it offers to our own absurd systemic hellscape here in 2025. (And maybe one day we'll tackle some other favorite re-reads as well!)If you want more lectures like this, contribute to the Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorKozlowskiOr go visit my website! - https://professorkozlowski.wordpress.com/ - to see what else I'm up to!
Catherine McKinnon’s tense but tender tale, “To Sing of War”, immerses the reader in the lives of three characters strung across the globe during the dying days of World War II …as the days tick towards the detonation of the first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima. + Poet Ken Bolton makes a good case for why British writer Beryl Bainbridge should not be forgotten. + ABC Broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd shares what’s in his tsundoku. Guests Catherine McKinnon, author of “To Sing of War” and the Miles Franklin Award shortlisted “Storyland” Ken Bolton, Australian poet whose most recent collection is titled “Salute” Our Random Reader is ABC broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd Other books that get a mention Catherine McKinnon mentions “The Regeneration Trilogy” by Pat Barker, “Cloud Cukooland” by Anthony Doerr. Ken Bolton mentions Beryl Bainbridge’s books, “An Awfully Big Adventure”, “Injury Time”, “Master Georgie”, “The Birthday Boys”, “Watson’s Apology”, “According to Queeney” and “A Quiet Life”. Mike Ladd mentions “The story of Wy-lah, the cockatoo” by Leslie Rees, “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, “Selected Poems’ by Elizabeth Bishop, “The Years” by Annie Ernaux, “The Pole and Other Stories” by John Coetzee and “Salt Creek” by Lucy Treloar. INSTAGRAM @cathmckinnonauthor @harpercollinsaustraliaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Catherine McKinnon’s tense but tender tale, “To Sing of War”, immerses the reader in the lives of three characters strung across the globe during the dying days of World War II …as the days tick towards the detonation of the first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima. + Poet Ken Bolton makes a good case for why British writer Beryl Bainbridge should not be forgotten. + ABC Broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd shares what’s in his tsundoku. Guests Catherine McKinnon, author of “To Sing of War” and the Miles Franklin Award shortlisted “Storyland” Ken Bolton, Australian poet whose most recent collection is titled “Salute” Our Random Reader is ABC broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd Other books that get a mention Catherine McKinnon mentions “The Regeneration Trilogy” by Pat Barker, “Cloud Cukooland” by Anthony Doerr. Ken Bolton mentions Beryl Bainbridge’s books, “An Awfully Big Adventure”, “Injury Time”, “Master Georgie”, “The Birthday Boys”, “Watson’s Apology”, “According to Queeney” and “A Quiet Life”. Mike Ladd mentions “The story of Wy-lah, the cockatoo” by Leslie Rees, “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, “Selected Poems’ by Elizabeth Bishop, “The Years” by Annie Ernaux, “The Pole and Other Stories” by John Coetzee and “Salt Creek” by Lucy Treloar. INSTAGRAM @cathmckinnonauthor @harpercollinsaustraliaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome aboard our Safe Space Ship! Your Co- Captains, Ariana Perry and Amanda Catron, will be hosting this completely spoiled, totally unofficial, deep dive into Our Flag Means Death every other Tuesday! This week we're talking about Fan fic with 2 special guests! Episode Mentions: Never Left Pateron blue as cut sapphires and shining like gold We Belong Awake Fast Car Not Pickles Loose Lips: Fanfiction Parodies of Great (and Terrible) Literature from the Smutty Stage of Shipwreck Organisational chart for Joseph Heller's Catch 22 Don't forget to follow us on social media (@NeverLeftPod on Twitter, NeverLeftPodcast on Ig, Never Left on FB), and check out our new Pateron.. The links are in our linktree, as we prepare to dive in! Feel free to contact us at neverleftofmd@gmail.com with any thoughts or questions Please remember to #DontStreamOnMax and #FireDavidZaslav If you want you can also let Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple + know that you would still love to see Our Flag Means Death on their platforms. #SaveOFMD #AdoptOurCrew Our artwork was created by Amy Gleason, you can see more of her art @AmysBirdHouse on instagram and in the comic series Mighty Mascots. Our theme music is Gnossienne 5 by Erik Satie, preformed by La Pianista Image Description: A lighthouse stands above the inn, wrapped in a purple Kraken tentacle. The text reads "Never Left: Our Flag Means Death"
There's a story about American writers Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller attending a party given by a hedge fund billionaire on the exclusive Shelter Island. Kurt asked Joe, "How does it make you feel to know our host only yesterday may have made more money than your novel 'Catch-22' has earned in its entire history?" Joe responded, "Yes, but I have something he can never have." "What's that?" asked Kurt. "Enough," replied Joe. Comparison is the thief of joy....
On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: being the bookish person at work and discussing books in grocery stores Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: authors we would take a day off to mourn over The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 1:24 - Ad For Ourselves 1:28 - Currently Reading Patreon 1:59 - The Novel Neighbor 4:08 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:38 - The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown 4:44 - Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara 6:50 - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 8:14 - Our Current Reads 8:29 - Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (Meredith) 8:33 - CR Season 6: Episode 48 10:19 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 14:19 - Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly (Kaytee) 14:25 - A Room of One's Own bookshop 17:12 - Interesting Facts about Space by Emily Austin 17:16 - An Unlikely Story 17:41 - Stiletto by Daniel O'Malley (Meredith) 17:52 - The Rook by Daniel O'Malley 24:57 - Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura (Kaytee) 28:15 - Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent (Meredith) 29:47 - Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent 33:08 - River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer (Kaytee) 36:58 - Authors We Would Mourn Over 46:03 - The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown 50:00 - Meet Us At The Fountain 50:09 - I wish I could sometimes read like my husband does. (Meredith) 51:33 - Catch 22 by Joseph Heller 53:36 - I wish to press This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (Kaytee) 53:37 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 53:57 - Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. October's IPL comes to us from our anchor store, The Novel Neighbor! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
In the spotlight is the late novelist Joseph Heller of Catch-22 fame, and one of his biographers, Tracy Daughtery, who is himself the author of six novels, a novella connection, six short story collections, a book of personal essays, and a collection of essays on literature and writing. In addition, he has published biographies of Donald Barthelme, Larry McMurtry, Joan Didion, Billy Lee Brammer, etc.We discuss: >> Catch-22's original title>> Heller's celebrity lifestyle>> His other novels>> Book editor Robert Gottlieb>> The Heller Cult>> Wartime novels>> Tracy Daugherty's latest books>> Etc. Learn more about Tracy Daugherty and his books here: https://tracydaugherty.com Learn more about Joseph Heller here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller Novelist Spotlight is produced and hosted by Mike Consol. Check out his novels here: https://snip.ly/yz18no Write to Mike Consol at novelistspotlight@gmail.com
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. 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
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society
Tens of thousands of Italian civilians perished in the Allied bombing raids of World War II. More of them died after the Armistice of September 1943 than before, when the air attacks were intended to induce Italy's surrender. Allied Air Attacks and Civilian Harm in Italy, 1940–1945 (Routledge, 2023) addresses this seeming paradox, by examining the views of Allied political and military leaders, Allied air crews, and Italians on the ground. It tells the stories of a little-known diplomat (Myron Charles Taylor), military strategist (Solly Zuckerman), resistance fighter (Aldo Quaranta), and peace activist (Vera Brittain) – architects and opponents of the bombing strategies. It describes the fate of ordinary civilians, drawing on a wealth of local and digital archival sources, memoir accounts, novels, and films, including Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and John Huston's The Battle of San Pietro. The book will be of interest to readers concerned about the ethical, legal, and human dimensions of bombing and its effects on civilians, to students of military strategy and Italian history, and to World War II buffs. They will benefit from a people-focused history that draws on a range of eclectic and rarely used sources in English and Italian. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Clare and Hannah return with another book club, this time covering Joseph Heller's Catch 22, a satirical commentary on corporate malfeasance, nonsense, incompetence and bureaucracy. A classic war novel that coined a phrase still prominent in the modern zeitgeist, Catch 22 left Clare feeling like a dummy and convinced Hannah that she does indeed have a twisted brain. In other words, a bit of light reading for your summer.Support the Show.
In this episode, Jim and Jan explore the importance of saying "no" in the workplace. They highlight how setting clear boundaries and aligning decisions with both personal and organizational values can help leaders manage their time and workload more effectively. Empowering lower-level employees to say "no" can also reduce friction and enhance organizational efficiency. Additionally, they discuss how balancing commitments and making mindful choices contributes to improved focus, productivity, and long-term success. Key Takeaways [01:28] Jim talked about his company name, Rafti Advisors, which connects to his Greek heritage. Rafti is a town in Greece where his father was born and had to leave due to war. Jan added that he grew up in a small village in Ireland and he and Jim made mistakes when they were young. They agreed these experiences helped them grow. They emphasized the importance of giving grace to people making mistakes today, especially since cameras are everywhere now. Mistakes have consequences, but they help people learn and improve. [03:38] Jim and Jan discuss the impact of hearing "no" and how it influences personal and professional experiences. Jim highlights the emotional weight of "no" and how it can vary based on context, such as a child asking for permission versus avoiding obligations. Jan adds that hearing "no" plays differently in personal decisions and organizational settings. In companies, there can be friction between front-line and support staff due to different priorities, with support staff often focused on risk avoidance. This can lead to frequent use of "no." Both agree that "no" can have a strong influence on decision-making in many areas of life and work. [06:15] Jim and Jan discuss the importance of saying "no" in organizations to manage resources and maintain focus. Jim emphasizes that leaders need to decide when to say "no" to prevent lower-level employees from becoming a "no department." Jan shares insights from executive coaching, highlighting the need to influence decisions and find ways to navigate challenges. Both agree that knowing when and what to say "yes" helps clarify when to say "no." They reference baseball player Ted Williams' advice on focusing on pitches you can hit, illustrating the importance of clear decision-making. [10:33] Jim and Jan talk about setting boundaries and managing time at work. Jim mentions a Wall Street Journal article about saying no by setting limits and using outside commitments as excuses. He shares a story about someone working too much and missing time with family. Jan adds that excessive meetings and admin tasks make it difficult to manage time. They agree that poor meeting management and unclear agendas waste time. They also note that changes in the job market have shifted power to employees, leading to new workplace dynamics. [18:06] Jim visits an old workplace and sees most of it demolished. Reflecting on the past, he emphasizes the importance of relationships and leaders helping people find purpose and grow. This focus on relationships is key for good leadership. Jan agrees, noting that leaders must advocate for their team and say "no" when necessary. Being a good leader isn't just about being nice; it's also about setting boundaries and supporting the team's needs for growth and development. [22:01] Jim and Jan discuss how it's important to tell people "not yet" instead of just saying "no" if the timing isn't right. They suggest providing context and explaining when an idea might be possible in the future. Jan shares how he manages networking requests by declining politely due to his busy schedule. He explains his need to focus on current commitments and projects and wonders how others perceive this approach. [24:15] Jim and Jan discuss how receiving a polite decline, such as someone being too busy, shows the person is organized and knows their priorities. They agree this approach is respectable, even if some might see it as distant. Jan says being able to say "no" is about knowing what you value and prioritizing tasks. Saying "yes" to the right things and "no" to others helps manage time. Jim adds that prioritizing tasks doesn't mean other things are unimportant; it just means focusing on what is most urgent. [24:15] Jim and Jan emphasize the importance of making decisions at the right time, comparing it to picking ripe fruit. They stress the need to align with others and consider the best timing. They reference Dan Pink's book on timing and mention people have more control over their time and responses than they might think. They thank their sponsor, Darley, for its support. They stress the importance of knowing your values and where to focus your time for effective priority management. Careers consist of many short chapters that require adaptability. [28:30] Jim and Jan discuss the importance of saying "no" to stay focused and productive. Jim explains that saying "no" doesn't mean missing out but helps prioritize tasks and control time. He shares a story about two authors at a billionaire's party, highlighting the value of knowing what is "enough" in life. Jan agrees and stresses the importance of knowing what you truly value to make decisions about when to say "yes" or "no." They acknowledge the challenge of wanting to say "yes" but note that understanding your priorities can help navigate these situations. They reference authors Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller, discussing the importance of seeing the world differently. Overall, they agree that the topic of saying "no" is ongoing and relevant to everyone. [32:40] And remember, our life is the sum total of all the decisions we make every day, and those decisions are determined by our priorities. -Myles Munroe Quotable Quotes "All those mistakes and dumb things we did when we were younger got us to where we are today." "We need to provide grace and patience to those who are currently being 'knuckleheads' as we were once there ourselves." "It's harder for people to do stupid things now because there's a camera everywhere. Grace and understanding are more important than ever." "No can be a powerful and emotional word, understood by everyone." "Making decisions with a pros-and-cons matrix can be limiting. Instead, consider your core values and priorities." "Leaders face decisions with moral, ethical, and legal implications. These aren't black-and-white choices but shades of gray." "Support staff often play a crucial role in mitigating risk and may seem like they're always saying 'no' because they're focused on avoiding mistakes." "Setting boundaries is essential for managing your time and energy effectively." "You don't have to say yes to everything; learn to prioritize what truly matters." "Meetings should have a clear purpose and agenda; otherwise, they're just a waste of time." "Empowering people means giving them the freedom to make decisions without excessive buy-in." "A great leader helps people find purpose and meaning in their work." "The best way to grow an organization is by growing and developing people." "A good boss advocates for their team and provides them with the resources they need." "Saying no is a powerful tool for maintaining focus and protecting your time." "Sometimes we need to say 'not yet' instead of 'no' for good ideas for better timing." "Time is the most precious thing; where you spend it matters." "Knowing your values helps you say yes to the right things and no to the wrong things." "Saying no can lead to being more productive and achieving more." "When you know what you value, you can prioritize your time effectively." "The power of no comes from understanding your goals and being able to say no when necessary." "Knowing what you value can lead to a healthier work-life balance and increased productivity." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | Sponsored by | Rafti Advisors. LLC | Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC |
'There are so many books in bookstores, how could it possibly be that, by complete randomness, someone would pick yours up?' Author Siang Lu joins us to discuss his second novel, Ghost Cities, and the multilayered inspirations behind his multilayered fiction, including Catch-22 and Paradise Lost. We also discuss talent stacking, the challenge of building an author brand and Siang's novel approach to doing so. Siang Lu is the author of Ghost Cities and The Whitewash, and the co-creator of The Beige Index. In 2023 he was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Asian-Australians at the Asian Australian Leadership Awards. He has written for film and television, and is based in Brisbane, and Kuala Lumpur. Books and authors discussed in this episode Catch-22 by Joseph Heller; Viet Thanh Nguyen; Paradise Lost by John Milton; Katherine Collette (from ep 55); He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan; Amygdalatropolis by BR Yeager; So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan; Better Than Happiness by Gregory P Smith Get your copy of Ghost Cities from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern to launch her new novel on Monday 1 July, 6pm Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson
This episode is a two-for-one, and that's because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I've curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #409 "Brené Brown — Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More" and episode #596 "Edward O. Thorp, A Man for All Markets — Beating Blackjack and Roulette, Beating the Stock Market, Spotting Bernie Madoff Early, and Knowing When Enough Is Enough."Please enjoy!Sponsors:AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://drinkag1.com/tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.)LinkedIn Ads marketing platform with 1B+ users: https://linkedin.com/TFS (free $100 LinkedIn ad credit for your first campaign)LMNT electrolyte supplement: https://drinklmnt.com/Tim (free LMNT sample pack with any drink mix purchase)Timestamps:[06:06] Notes about this supercombo format.[07:09] Enter Brené Brown.[07:30] Changing in a lasting, meaningful way.[08:03] Is self-accepted complacency possible?[10:53] My woo confession about a crux skill.[13:06] Narcissism: the shame-based fear of being ordinary.[14:06] Efficacy isn't always efficient.[15:48] Pathology as armor that can't be discarded.[16:28] What are you unwilling to feel?[17:04] Discarding armor that no longer serves us.[21:26] Curiosity as midlife's superpower.[22:53] There's trauma for all of us.[23:33] An 80/20 marriage hack.[25:18] Decisions in a family-focused family.[27:04] Parenting from compliance to commitment.[29:31] Enter Edward O. Thorp.[29:54] Edward's background, and what drew him to apply mathematics to gambling.[37:04] Edward's first blackjack trip to Vegas, reference materials used, and his meeting with Claude Shannon at MIT.[40:13] Edward and Claude devised a method to beat roulette using the first wearable computer, according to MIT.[42:16] Despite being 89, Edward looks great for his age; he discusses his approach to staying in shape over the years.[50:22] Edward explains how he got into finance and investing, and the people he met along the way.[59:25] Edward shares what convinced him that Warren Buffett would one day be the richest man in the world after their first meeting.[1:03:58] Edward discusses the frameworks he would teach in an investing seminar for modern students, including those without a strong math aptitude.[1:08:52] Edward shares lessons learned from investing that are transferable to other areas of life.[1:11:02] Edward, a long-term thinker at 89, offers advice for those who struggle to think beyond the short-term.[1:15:40] Edward explains how he discovered something suspicious about the Madoff brothers' business practices 17 years before others caught on.[1:24:17] Exploring mental models of externalities, the tragedy of the commons, and fundamental attribution errors.[1:33:32] Edward recommends reading and listening material for those who want to enact positive change in the world, politically or evolutionarily.[1:38:51] Edward shares which investors, besides Warren Buffett, impress him and why.[1:42:52] Edward discusses how he balanced growing a business with personal life and what led him to wind things down.[1:47:56] Edward defines independence and shares how he spent his time after winding down the investment side of his life.[1:49:30] Edward shares what he's particularly curious about learning at the moment.[1:51:40] Reflecting on a conversation between Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut, and other parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
"I have enough."Welcome back! Thanks to our ongoing subscribers and listeners. If you're here for the first time and like what you're hearing, consider checking out our previous episodes and leaving positive feedback. Your positive feedback helps us grow the podcast.Tonight we discuss the concept of "I have enough." We garnered the discussion from a true story about a conversation between the author of Catch 22, Joseph Heller, and the author of Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut. Take a read of their conversation as they walked about a billionaire's home during a party one evening:https://narendragoidani.medium.com/but-i-have-something-he-will-never-have-enough-8036d03d089bWhat does "enough" look like and feel like to you? Do you have enough? Are YOU enough? Have you ever thought about it on a deeper level? Join the guys tonight for an enjoyable deep dive into this very concept. Thanks again for listening and sharing this along.DISCLAIMER:The statements made and opinions expressed during this podcast are our own personal statements and opinions and should not be construed as the statements or opinions of any entity or institution that we may have been employed by or affiliated with at any time in our professional lives. Additionally, we take patient confidentiality incredibly seriously. For that reason, any references to stories about patients have purposefully been modified so as to not identify any particular patient or location. Finally, while we are both doctors, nothing that we say in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. If you are in need of medical advice, please contact your personal physician. Also, while we are doctors, we are not your doctors. Please discuss anything we discuss medically with your doctor. Additionally any ideas or opinions expressed in the links above or by the guests on our show do not necessarily reflect our own personal or professional opinions, or the opinions of any organizations that we currently or formerly worked for or represented. Thanks again for listening!
Earlier this month, the Book Review's staff critics — Dwight Garner, Alexandra Jacobs and Jennifer Szalai — released a list of 22 novels they have found reliably funny since Joseph Heller's landmark comic novel “Catch-22” came out in 1961. On this week's episode, they tell Gilbert Cruz why “Catch-22” was their starting point, and explain a bit about their process: how they think about humor, how they made their choices, what books they left off and what books led to fights along the way. (“American Psycho” turns out to be as contentious now as it was when it was first published.)“There are only a very few number of books in my lifetime that have made me laugh out loud,” Jacobs says. “And some of them no longer make me laugh out loud, because the thing about humor is it's like this giant shifting cloud, this shape-shifting thing that changes over the course of our lives and also the life of the culture.”We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com.
Brooklyn lawyer turned actor and author Steve Schlam discusses is new novel “The Harvesting of Haystacks Kane” that was released by 8th House Publishing. Steve studied under Joseph Heller, the renowned author of “Catch-22” at City University of New York where he earned his Master's in Creative Writing and English. SHOW NOTES: Steve's Website: www.steveschlam.com 8th House Publishing Shop Buy on Amazon Buy on Barnes&Noble About the Book
Welcome to Satire February!Today's Cocktails & Classics episode is a somewhat unserious (& slightly intoxicated) summary of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde.Music © by Capazunda.Instagram: @brutallyhonestbooksTikTok: @brutallyhonestbooks
John and Merrilee get stiffed by two different companies in the same day. Joseph Heller would be proud. This is the Catch 22 of handheld media. What they got for free wasn't free. What they didn't order arrived anyway. After marshaling through 11 service employees Merrilee learned she was non compliant and her insurance only covered the front of the phone anyway. No, I'm not kidding. It's John and Merrilee everyday on Spotify. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-lacasse/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-lacasse/support
Guest: Steve Schlam Episode Name: Breaking Chains and Nurturing Creativity: A Writer's Journey with Steve Schlam Episode Number: 240 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ About the guest Steve Schlam first gained entry to the City of Words through the doors of the public library in Brooklyn, New York, where he was born and spent a good part of his childhood; and has maintained his residency ever since while living in cities and towns across the United States and in Mexico. An actor as well as an author, he has performed on stages in all the places he has called home, and earned a Master's Degree in Creative Writing and English under the tutelage of Joseph Heller, renowned author of "Catch-22." He lives currently in Southern California in a pretty little Craftsman bungalow with orange and lemon trees growing in the backyard, in the company of his wife, Liora. His first published novel, "The Harvesting of Haystacks Kane", is scheduled for release in March, 2024. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In this insightful episode featuring author Steve Schlam, he shares his journey through writer's block, describing it as both an enemy and a healer. The conversation with Massiel explores the emotional nuances, touching on guilt, anguish, and the gradual process of overcoming creative obstacles. Steve reflects on the existential themes in his novel, "The Harvesting of Haystacks Cain," emphasizing the writer's desire to leave a lasting mark. The discussion delves into the challenges of releasing creative work into a crowded literary landscape and the importance of feedback. Listeners can look forward to the pre-launch period starting in mid-January, leading up to the official book launch in March. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Additional Resources Website - www.blackheartedstudios.com Patreon Link - https://bit.ly/h2bpatreon Freebie link - https://bit.ly/h2bebook Massiel Email - massiel@blackheartedstudios.com Massiel's Coach.Me site - https://www.coach.me/massielwrites Instagram - www.instagram.com/massielwrites LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/massiel-valenzuela-castaneda/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/howtowriteabookpodcast ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list? Check out Paula, the Ultimate VA! https://pearlzconsulting11.wixsite.com/pearlz-va-services Discover the ultimate solution for regaining control with Paula, your dedicated virtual assistant. She'll help you manage your calendar, handle email, conduct research, social media management, and even mix and stitch together your podcast episodes. Don't let your to-do list overwhelm you any longer. Get started today! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Follow Steve Steve Schlam's website - https://www.steveschlam.com/ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Like, share, or leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel (Blackhearted Studios)
It's our favorite annual episode on the show, when we get to look back at the best of our year in reading with someone else who has read cool stuff. This time it's with Ben Diamond, a very keen listener and patron from London, who for three years running has sent us an annual best of his year recording, always full of interesting books, shows, music, and films. We had an awesome conversation with Ben that we hope you'll enjoy. Stay tuned for the Patreon bonus episode in two weeks that covers all other things we liked this year in pop-culture. As always, this episode comes with a playlist of our favorite songs of 2023: Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/best-of-2023/pl.u-yZyVDNACYq2akv Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Uq1526MP5mLBVI4zM0e5j?si=59d0bc52f08e41aa Quick reference Top Fives Ben: 1. The Instructions by Adam Levin 2. Something Happened by Joseph Heller 3. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 4. Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton 5. Anything that Moves by Jamie Stewart Dave: 1. THE MANIAC by Benjamín Labatut 2. The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen 3. The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty 4. Magnetic Fields by Ron Loewinsohn 5. The Passenger & Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy Matt: 1. Dayswork by Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel 2. Chaotic Good by Lee Klein 3. Diana: My Graphic Obsession by Sivan Piatigorsky-Roth 4. The Deluge by Stephen Markley 5. America Fantastica by Tim O'Brien Contact Ben Diamond: ben.diamond@gmail.com Contact Dave & Matt: Email - concavityshow@gmail.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/ConcavityShow Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/ Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/concavityshow Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/
I've had it beaten into me from an early age how important it is to write clearly and simply. My father, himself a writer, drilled it into me. In my teenage years and into my 20s, we used to work together like mad on things I had written, trimming them down, rephrasing, editing, and he would always talk about the importance of clarity, as he taught me the craft of writing. “Make it easy for the reader,” he would say.As I've said many times, the discipline of comedy also forces clarity. If the audience doesn't understand, they don't laugh and you die.But in academia and across the financial world, and probably elsewhere, no such discipline applies. In fact, it often pays not to be clear. In the case of finance, if you can obfuscate a little, you are less likely to be caught out or have things thrown back at you. Former Chair of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, who could speak in total gobbledygook if he needed, called what he did “purposeful obfuscation”. How right was George Orwell, another clear speech advocate, when he said “the great enemy of clear language is insincerity”.In the case of academia, unreadable sentences and long words can make you look cleverer than you actually are.There are so many books that have become wildly popular, which I've tried to read, and found unreadable. Thomas Pickety's Capital In The 21st Century, for example. In the past I've tried and failed with James Joyce, Umberto Eco (except for The Name of the Rose), Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kurt Vonnegut, Herman Melville, Salman Rushdie, Joseph Heller, Stephen Hawking, Ayn Rand, Mary Shelley, Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust and more. Let's be honest I've tried and failed to complete Homer, Dante and the Bible (King James version), as well. Maybe I lack persistence, but a large part of me thinks, “if you haven't made the effort, why should I?”Picketty's book sold millions of copies, but the stats from Amazon showed that hardly anyone actually finished it. It became one of those books that was cool to talk about having read, without anyone actually heaving read it. I settled for the Wikipedia entry - and I'm not even sure I finished that.Subscribe to this amazing publication and all your ailments will be cured.I'm currently working on a new book about gold and so I find myself reading a lot more than usual, as I research. Here is something, I've observed. Often you will stumble across a website where the writer has put some history or science or economics in beautifully clear and simple language. To do that takes effort. Such websites can become the most fantastic reference points. But sometimes because something is so simply written, I somehow think that by citing it - as I should - it doesn't reflect very well on me. But cite some unreadable academic trove and that makes me look clever - even if I haven't actually read it.As people who have read my books will know, I am pretty scrupulous about my citations. But if I find myself drawn to the temptation, for sure others will be too. People will cite the stuff they haven't actually read, and not cite the stuff they have read. The unclear, pompous, badly written stuff with long words and endless sentences ends up getting the recognition, while the better, simpler stuff, where the writer has worked harder to make it easier for the reader, gets overlooked and even plagiarised. It's the opposite of a virtuous circle. It's another symptom of the midwit-dominated society in which we live, I suppose. The flannel gets the acclaim, the clear and simple stuff at either end of the bell curve not so much.We all think that we are not getting the credit we deserve. But I do sometimes wonder if perhaps I had worked less hard to make my stuff readable, I would have got more recognition - especially from the establishment (whatever that is). I've had so much stuff plagiarised over the years: books and articles, jokes and stand-up routines, even a film I helped write. It leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. But I don't think I'll ever bring myself to deliberately write unreadable stuff. I'm too programmed to try and keep things clear. Ah, the crosses we have to bear.On reading this, my girlfriend said I need to read the book The Four Agreements. Those agreements are: "Be impeccable with your word", "Do not take anything personally", "Do not make assumptions" and "Always do your best". She may have a point. It had better be clearly written …Tell your mates about this amazing article.Live shows coming upIf you have not seen my lecture with funny bits about gold, we have two more dates in London lined up for Feb 14 and 15.And I am taking my musical comedy show, An Evening of Curious Songs, on a mini tour in the spring with dates in London, Somerset, Hampshire, Surrey and Essex. This is a really fun show.Here are the dates and places.* London, Crazy Coqs, W1. Wednesday March 20th. On sale now.* Bordon, Hampshire. Saturday March 23. On sale now.* Guildford, Surrey. Friday April 5. On sale now. * Bath, Somerset. Saturday April 6. On sale now.* Southend, Essex . Sunday April 14. On sale now.Buying gold?Interested in protecting your wealth in these extraordinary times? Then be sure to own some gold bullion. I use The Pure Gold Company, whether you are taking delivery or storing online. Premiums are low, quality of service is high, you can deal with a human being. I have an affiliation deal with them. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe
Using Voice Dialogue and Body Centered Awareness, our guest, Iudita Harlan, has been helping people get into the flow of their lives for over thirty years. We talk about her experiences and then do a live demonstration. Iudita describes Voice Dialogue as a psycho spiritual consciousness process in which various Selves have a chance to talk to each other using the language of dream. Iudita grew up in communist Romania and her parents were holocaust survivors which led her to seek a process which allows us to embrace our shadows. She quotes her mentor. "For every shadow we embrace in ourselves, one less shadow is projected out into the world." After the break, we do two live demonstrations. Iudita works first with Katherine about a dream in which she can't tell is she has to pee or not then with Ray of Santa Cruz about a dream in which a car seems to have a mind of its own. Her next three part workshop called "Right Size Your Inner Critic" starts January 14. Find details at her webpage. BIO: Iudita Harlan is a long time integration specialist in private practice using the Voice Dialogue Psychology of Selves consciousness process created by Drs Hal and Sidra Stone and the Hellerwork Structural Integration process of Joseph Heller. She combines these with Body Centered Awareness and offers extensive workshops as well as private sessions. Find our guest at: Iudita.com Show was broadcast live on December 23, 2023 on KSQD, community radio of Santa Cruz. Intro music is Water over Stones and outro music is Everything both by Mood Science. Ambient music is created new every week by Rick Kleffel. The audio can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick Kleffel for also engineering the show and to Tony Russomano for answering the phones. Contact Katherine Bell with feedback or suggestions for future shows at katherine@ksqd.org. Follow her on FB and IG @ExperientialDreamwork to find out about upcoming shows. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams with her go to ExperientialDreamwork.com. The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Saturday mornings Pacific Time. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at onair@ksqd.org. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms and are released the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/. Now also available on PRX at Exchange.prx.org/series/45206-the-dream-journal Thanks for being a Dream Journal listener! Available on all major podcast platforms. Rate it, review it, subscribe and tell your friends.
This is Kyle and my novel "Bottled in Bagram" will be released January 2, 2024. Pre-orders are up now for the digital version with paperback to follow:Pre-Order HereRead Chapter One on my Substack!David Ryan is an intelligence analyst working on board a small reconnaissance aircraft in the final years of the Afghan War. On a routine approach into Bagram, his aircraft is attacked and the camera operator, Sam Stokes, is wounded. While the crew works to conceal their whiskey smuggling operation, the commander vows revenge, and the full might of US aviation and intelligence is unleashed to find the shooter.Bottled in Bagram follows the aviators of Task Force Daytona as they fight their own individual conflicts amid the failing Afghan War. Officers want promotions, the enlisted want to perpetuate their alcoholism, and others are trying to sell their used panties on the internet. Intelligence analysts who predict Afghanistan's imminent collapse are ignored to not rock the rudderless boat of military bureaucracy. David and his comrades must deal with boredom, devastating violence, mental illness, and filling sandbags in this dark satire of the Global War on Terror. Fans of Joseph Heller's Catch 22 and W.C. Heinz's MASH may enjoy this take on a modern war.
It's the mother flippin' Thanksgiving special for the 7th year in a row!! This year we're welcoming one of the biggest guests ever – Mr. Lewis Black! Mike, Doc and Lewis talk about Mr. Black's 40 year career in stand-up comedy, Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller's influence on his comedy, 27 years on the Daily Show, his podcast the “Rantcast” and much much more! Make sure to listen to a Thanksgiving miracle! Monologue (Butt Stuff…): 0:00:22 Birthday Suit 1: 13:51 Ripped from the Headlines: 17:23 Shoutouts: 41:51 Thanksgiving Fact or Fiction: 46:06 Lewis Black Interview: 56:21 Mike C Top 3: 1:32:37 Birthday Suit 2: 1:47:47 Birthday Suit 3: 1:48:58
Chip Wilson, the creator of Lululemon and SOLVE FSHD, stands as a pioneer, business innovator, philanthropist, and a person affected by a rare disease. His passion for fitness led him to build a successful career in designing athletic wear, but a diagnosis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), a degenerative muscle condition, altered his active lifestyle.On This Episode We Discuss:0:46 Working on the Alaska Oil Pipeline as a 17-year-old4:30 Saving money young and becoming an entrepreneur7:05 Following trends and founding Lululemon8:36 Chip's initial dream and vision for Lululemon11:45 Combining Italian design ethics with quality western fabrics for an amazing Lulu product 14:20 The feeling of leaving the Lululemon Board of Directors 17:00 The takeaways from Joseph Heller's Catch 22 and Something Happened 24:15 Reading the top 100 biographies and admiring those with integrity 33:44 Using the culture of an organization and leadership as a strategic advantage 38:18 Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) 40:05 Chip on losing muscle when exercise and movement is so necessary for his way of life 44:27 Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with FSHD 46:58 Chip's advice to those suffering from rare diseases and their caregivers 49:24 What progress that has been made to find a treatment for FSHD 52:35 Why Chip and SOLVE FSHD donated to help fund the funded the laboratory at n-Lorem
(NOTAS COMPLETAS Y ENLACES DEL CAPÍTULO AQUÍ: https://www.jaimerodriguezdesantiago.com/kaizen/176-la-importancia-de-lo-suficiente-ratones-sumas-y-protector-solar/)Te he hablado alguna vez de Kurt Vonnegut en el podcast. Fue el autor de la maravillosa novela Slaughterhouse 5 (Matadero cinco) y un tipo genial que dejó innumerables anécdotas a lo largo de su vida. De entre todas ellas, una de mis favoritas no la protagonizó Vonnegut, sino su amigo Joseph Heller, otro escritor, autor de la que creo que es otra maravillosa novela, Catch 22 (Trampa 22), pero que todavía no he leído.En cierta ocasión, les invitaron a ambos a una fiesta en la casa de un multimillonario. Vonnegut empezó a provocar a Heller y le dijo:- El multimillonario dueño de esta casa ganó más dinero la semana pasada de lo que ganarás tú con tu libro en toda tu vidaHeller no se cortó y respondió:- Pero yo tengo algo que él nunca podrá tener- ¿Ah, si? ¿Y qué es eso?- Suficiente.Una de mis ideas más recurrentes, que ya he mencionado varias veces en este podcast, es precisamente esa: la importancia de la suficiente. De hecho, la tratamos desde el punto de vista del éxito en el capítulo 145 y ha salido en alguno más. Pero hasta ahora no ha tenido capítulo propio y eso, aunque suene paradójico, no me parece suficiente. Así que hoy vamos a tratarlo en más profundidad.Aunque, sinceramente, no sé qué va a salir, porque más que un tema concreto, tengo un montón de ideas sueltas que he ido encontrando con los años y que vamos a ver si soy capaz de hilvanar.¡Vamos a por ello!
Join Dean & Alex (& Alfred) as series 3 of Books Boys comes to an end. We chat about the books we've read in September, mostly mixed reviews; plus alfred makes the tea, and the author Stipe Lizina calls in to tell us about his new book (stipelozina.com).Books discussed include:- Catch 22 (Joseph Heller, 1961)- Echoes Of The Past (Stipe Lozina, 2023)- Brynhild (H.G. Wells, 1937)- Eugénie (Hester W. Champan, 1961)- Rumour Of Evil (Gary Braver, 2023)- El Silencio De La Ciudad Blanca / The Silence of The White City (Eva García Sáenz de Urturi, 2016)For merch and links to our other stuff head to booksboys.com. for all our shows like Playboys, Darkplace Dreamers, Film Fellows, Forensic Friends, Poetry Pals and more, head to patreon.com/booksboys Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The David Alliance TDAgiantslayer@Gmail.com MingleMateMarry.com podcast youtube and website for the perfect marriage material and swag. They got a great hoodie called its a great day to be married… after today maybe some of you will want to wear purchase it… because many of you are not loving the days you are married… John D. Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard Oil Company, the first billionaire of the United States of America and once the richest man on Earth was asked by a reporter, “How much money is enough?” He calmly replied, “Just a little bit more” Kurt Vonnegut Jr. who wrote Cats cradle (I loved reading Vonnegut and and other books the concept of ice 9 was mind blowing)… any way - he was at a party and his friend Joseph Heller was there who also wrote Catch 22.. both widely successful as far as authors go… Vonnegut leaned over to Heller and said Our host, who was a hedge fund manager has made more money in one day then you or I have ever made all together… in which Heller replied… yes, but I have something he will never have… enough. And isn't that the truth… I have a question for you… the last 4 really expensive cars you saw… what did the people inside look like?… I bet you can't remember more than one… why do I ask? Because so much of our lives is thinking if I had this or that or both… it would make me happy and people would be impressed… but the truth is, no one will notice you- they will be too busy thinking I wish I had that it would make me happy… but again the irony is… no one can tell if a new italian sports car or a new house is making you happy. I would again imagine you never looked at a person with a new watch, new car, new house or a loaded bank account and said to yourself “wow you can really tell THAT made him happy. NOPE you are thinking… wow that would make me happy… but all of us know things don't make us happy. But Greed says otherwise…. there's a story that goes There once was a man who was hit by a Beautiful new Mercedes car, but he was not hurt. Even though he was all right he faked being hurt to get some money so that he could by a new Mercedes out of the deal. So he proceeded to lie on the ground fantasizing about “his” new car. As he laid there waiting for someone to come to him another car came along and hit him and he was paralyzed for life. And this is what Greed and Covetousness does to us. Our desire ends up paralyzing us. Matthew 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul. Forfeit = GK Punish, suffer loss or damage NOW THIS IS NOT TALKING ABOUT AFTER A MAN DIES HE FORFIETS HIS SOUL… this is talking about what he does right now ON EARTH. if you spend your life running after things, accolades, money, trophies, applause, fame, fortune, attention, sex or whatever… you are punishing and damaging your soul because that is not what it is made for. you sacrifice all that your soul was meant to be, all that your soul was meant experience and all that your soul was meant develop into… but instead you starve it with greed. Have you ever seen a kid with the crazy genetics.. 6'4, big boned, fast twitch muscle fibers, sharp mind a true specimen… but he wastes it by letting his appetite get the best of him. he eats incredibly delicious tasty crap…. so his body is left to develop on sugar and starch… he ends up obese, but worse than that he could have been one of the all time best NFL players of our generation… He starved his soul to feed his desires… Maybe you are doing the same… Leo Tolstoy tells the story of the a peasant farmer who was never satisfied… he was given a novel opportunity in that for just 10000 rubles he could buy all the land he could cover in a day. But he had to be back at his starting point before sun set. So he heads out… starting at a brisk pace… mid day his greed gets the best of him he starts try go faster… get more, get ahead… what will his neighbors think of all the land he gets… by late afternoon he is worried he will not make it back in time… that he will not get everything he wants…so he now is running back, forcing himself to push through the exhaustion.. he will get all the land that is coming to him… with just minutes left before the sun sets he makes it back….He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy's story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need?
In this episode we talk about our top 5 favorite books of all time, and make our case for why each one of them deserves to be on the list. It's clear right away that Andy's literature bro tendencies are taking over with name drops like David Foster Wallace and Infinite Jest, while Tony sings the same old song and dance about Joseph Heller and Catch-22 What are your favorite books of all time? Drop them in the comments!
This episode concludes Stanley's transition from soldier to civilian. It's December 1945. The Silver King has arrived in Chicago to live with the Bernsteins as he begins his job as a production engineer at the Acme Paperbox Manufacturing Co. Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer & creator of The Silver King's War podcast series, reviews the confluence of the lives of Robert Gottlieb, Robert Caro, Joseph Heller, Sammy Singer and Stanley Silverfield. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review The Silver King's War on Apple Podcasts Share our hero, The Silver King, with family & friends Share The Silver King's War on social media Thank you for listening to our podcast
On episode 66 we divide the number by 3 and get deep into the fascinating story of Joseph Heller's Catch 22! We'll be taking a month-long vacation following this episode and will be back in September! Keep reading! Created by: Cristo M. Sanchez Written by: Cristo M. Sanchez and Jason Nemor Harden Hosted by: Jason Nemor Harden Music by: Creature 9, Wood, Cristo M. Sanchez and Jason Nemor Harden Follow us on instagram and facebook for the latest updates and more!
Donald slides into the third episode of Seinfeld's second season, “The Jacket.”He talks about his love for art within the “Age of Anxiety.” He also rants about toxic masculinity, taking care of suede, and why he'll never give up hope on Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio coupling. Here are the books and authors discussed in this episode: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (1862) Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (1961) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1962) The Age of Anxiety by W.H.Auden (1947) Symphony No. 2 : The Age of Anxiety by Leonard Bernstein “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper (1942) Stephen King Celeste Ng Kali White VanBaale
The Hooligans of Kandahar: Not All War Stories are Heroic by Joseph Kassabian (2016) vs Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)
In this comprehensive approach to Jewish humor focused on the relationship between humor and American Jewish practice, Jennifer Caplan calls us to adopt a more expansive view of what it means to “do Jewish,” revealing that American Jews have turned, and continue to turn, to humor as a cultural touchstone. Caplan frames Funny, You Don't Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials (Wayne State UP, 2023) around four generations of Jewish Americans from the Silent Generation to Millennials, highlighting a shift from the utilization of Jewish-specific markers to American-specific markers. Jewish humor operates as a system of meaning-making for many Jewish Americans. By mapping humor onto both the generational identity of those making it and the use of Judaism within it, new insights about the development of American Judaism emerge. Caplan's explication is innovative and insightful, engaging with scholarly discourse across Jewish studies and Jewish American history; it includes the work of Joseph Heller, Larry David, Woody Allen, Seinfeld, the Coen brothers films, and Broad City. This example of well-informed scholarship begins with an explanation of what makes Jewish humor Jewish and why Jewish humor is such a visible phenomenon. Offering ample evidence and examples along the way, Caplan guides readers through a series of phenomenological and ideological changes across generations, concluding with commentary regarding the potential influences on Jewish humor of later Millennials, Gen Z, and beyond. 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
In this comprehensive approach to Jewish humor focused on the relationship between humor and American Jewish practice, Jennifer Caplan calls us to adopt a more expansive view of what it means to “do Jewish,” revealing that American Jews have turned, and continue to turn, to humor as a cultural touchstone. Caplan frames Funny, You Don't Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials (Wayne State UP, 2023) around four generations of Jewish Americans from the Silent Generation to Millennials, highlighting a shift from the utilization of Jewish-specific markers to American-specific markers. Jewish humor operates as a system of meaning-making for many Jewish Americans. By mapping humor onto both the generational identity of those making it and the use of Judaism within it, new insights about the development of American Judaism emerge. Caplan's explication is innovative and insightful, engaging with scholarly discourse across Jewish studies and Jewish American history; it includes the work of Joseph Heller, Larry David, Woody Allen, Seinfeld, the Coen brothers films, and Broad City. This example of well-informed scholarship begins with an explanation of what makes Jewish humor Jewish and why Jewish humor is such a visible phenomenon. Offering ample evidence and examples along the way, Caplan guides readers through a series of phenomenological and ideological changes across generations, concluding with commentary regarding the potential influences on Jewish humor of later Millennials, Gen Z, and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
In this comprehensive approach to Jewish humor focused on the relationship between humor and American Jewish practice, Jennifer Caplan calls us to adopt a more expansive view of what it means to “do Jewish,” revealing that American Jews have turned, and continue to turn, to humor as a cultural touchstone. Caplan frames Funny, You Don't Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials (Wayne State UP, 2023) around four generations of Jewish Americans from the Silent Generation to Millennials, highlighting a shift from the utilization of Jewish-specific markers to American-specific markers. Jewish humor operates as a system of meaning-making for many Jewish Americans. By mapping humor onto both the generational identity of those making it and the use of Judaism within it, new insights about the development of American Judaism emerge. Caplan's explication is innovative and insightful, engaging with scholarly discourse across Jewish studies and Jewish American history; it includes the work of Joseph Heller, Larry David, Woody Allen, Seinfeld, the Coen brothers films, and Broad City. This example of well-informed scholarship begins with an explanation of what makes Jewish humor Jewish and why Jewish humor is such a visible phenomenon. Offering ample evidence and examples along the way, Caplan guides readers through a series of phenomenological and ideological changes across generations, concluding with commentary regarding the potential influences on Jewish humor of later Millennials, Gen Z, and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies
Gottlieb, who died last week at age 92, edited Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John le Carré and, for more than 50 years, Robert Caro. He went on to become editor of The New Yorker. We'll listen to our recent interview with Gottlieb, and we'll hear some of our interview recorded in 2000 with Gottlieb and musical theater expert Robert Kimball. They co-authored a book on some of the best lyricists of the last century.Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Brandon Taylor's, The Late Americans, and Andre Dubus III's novel, Such Kindness.
The task of nation-building did not end with our founders, and does not stop at our politicians. It's up to us to build the India we want to see. Nitin Pai joins Amit Varma in episode 318 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life, his learnings and his liberal nationalism. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Nitin Pai on his own website, Mint & Mastodon . 2. The Nitopadesha -- Moral Tales for Good Citizens. 3. The archives of The Acorn, Nitin Pai's blog. And its current avatar. 4. Nitin Pai's ideas, notes and current research and teaching. 5. The Takshashila Institution. 6. Seven Tenets of Indian Nationalism -- Nitin Pai. 7. In support of a liberal nationalism -- Nitin Pai. 8. A republic - if we can keep it -- Nitin Pai. 9. Saving the Nation From Nationalists -- Nitin Pai. 10. The real problem is that we have too little republic -- Nitin Pai. 11. The operating system of liberal democracy needs a major upgrade -- Nitin Pai. 12. Social harmony is a matter of national interest -- Nitin Pai. 13. Liberal democracies must protect their citizens' minds from being hacked -- Nitin Pai. 14. Understanding Foreign Policy — Episode 63 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nitin Pai). 15. Russia, Ukraine, Foreign Policy -- Episode 268 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pranay Kotasthane and Nitin Pai). 16. The City and the City — China Miéville. 17. The State of Our Economy -- Episode 252 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra and Mohit Satyanand). 18. The Tragedy of Our Farm Bills — Episode 211 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah). 19. Who We Are and How We Got Here — David Reich. 20. Early Indians — Tony Joseph. 21. Early Indians — Episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tony Joseph). 22. The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People — Michael Shermer. 23. History of European Morals — WEH Lecky. 24. The Expanding Circle: Ethics, Evolution, and Moral Progress — Peter Singer. 25. How the BJP Wins — Prashant Jha. 26. The BJP's Magic Formula — Episode 45 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Prashant Jha). 27. Caste, Capitalism and Chandra Bhan Prasad — Episode 296 of The Seen and the Unseen. 28. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen w Pranay Kotasthane: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 29. Rohini Nilekani Pays It Forward -- Episode 317 of The Seen and the Unseen. 30. Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar : A citizen-first approach — Rohini Nilekani. 31. The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind — Gustave le Bon. 32. Crowds and Power — Elias Canetti. 33. EO Wilson on Amazon, Wikipedia and Britannica. 34. Narendra Modi takes a Great Leap Backwards — Amit Varma (on Modi, Mao and locusts). 35. FAQ: Why Anna Hazare is wrong and Lok Pal a bad idea -- Nitin Pai. 36. Sadanand Dhume on Twitter -- and this podcast! 37. Social media is an existential threat to civilisation -- Nitin Pai. 38. Reframing the social media policy debate -- Nitin Pai. 39. The coming regulation of social media is an opportunity for India -- Nitin Pai. 40. The Double ‘Thank-You' Moment — John Stossel. 41. Thinking Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman. 42. Human — Michael S Gazzaniga. 43. The Interpreter — Amit Varma. 44. The Elephant in the Brain -- Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson. 45. Freedom to Think -- Susie Alegre. 46. Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas — Natasha Dow Schüll. 47. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms — Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah). 48. The Forgotten Greatness of PV Narasimha Rao — Episode 283 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati). 49. The Life and Times of Montek Singh Ahluwalia — Episode 285 of The Seen and the Unseen. 50. The original Takshashila. 51. Understanding Gandhi. Part 1: Mohandas — Episode 104 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 52. Understanding Gandhi. Part 2: Mahatma — Episode 105 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 53. Hind Swaraj — MK Gandhi. 54. Nikita -- Elton John. 55. The Importance of Cities — Episode 108 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Reuben Abraham & Pritika Hingorani). 56. The Gentle Wisdom of Pratap Bhanu Mehta -- Episode 300 of The Seen and the Unseen. 57. The Arthashastra -- Kautilya 58. On Exactitude in Science — Jorge Luis Borges. 59. Emergent Ventures. 60. Friedrich Hayek on Wikipedia, Britannica, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Econlib. 61. Milton Friedman on Amazon, Wikipedia, Britannica and Econlib. 62. Arshia Sattar and the Complex Search for Dharma -- Episode 315 of The Seen and the Unseen. 63. Every Act of Government Is an Act of Violence — Amit Varma. 64. The Generation of Rage in Kashmir — David Devadas. 65. Counterinsurgency Warfare — David Galula. 66. We Won't Need To Fight A War If We Can Win The Peace — Amit Varma. 67. Kashmir and Article 370 -- Episode 134 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Srinath Raghavan). 68. Think the Unthinkable (2008) -- Vir Sanghvi. 69. Independence Day for Kashmir (2008) -- Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar. 70. The Anti-Defection Law — Episode 13 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barun Mitra). 71. Our Parliament and Our Democracy — Episode 253 of The Seen and the Unseen (w MR Madhavan). 72. Abby Philips Fights for Science and Medicine — Episode 310 of The Seen and the Unseen. 73. Why Read the Classics? — Italo Calvino. 74. History Of Western Philosophy -- Bertrand Russell. 75. Ideas: A History from Fire to Freud -- Peter Watson. 76. Arthashastra -- Kautilya (translated by Shama Shastri). 77. The Upanishads. 78. The Mahabharata -- translated by Bibek Debroy. 79. Brihatkatha, Kathasaritsagara, Panchatantra and Hitopadesha. 80. Charvaka and Jayarāśi Bhaṭṭa. 81. Tattvopaplavasiṃha -- Jayarāśi Bhaṭṭa. 82. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams. 83. Catch 22 -- Joseph Heller. 84. Commanding Hope -- Thomas Homer-Dixon. 85. Paul Auster, David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami and Terry Pratchett on Amazon. 86. Piercing -- Ryu Murakami. 87. 2021 - The Year in Fiction -- Nitin Pai. 88. Bhimsen Joshi, Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar, Radiohead, Norah Jones, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Himesh Reshammiya and Yehudi Menuhin on Spotify. 89. Take Five -- The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It's free! Episode art: ‘The Bigger Picture' by Simahina.
We talk about the January 6th Committee's work with Luke Broadwater, who covers Congress for the New York Times. He was in the Capitol the day of the assault, and has reported on the Committee's work from the beginning.John Powers reviews Noah Baumbach's film adaptation of Don DeLillo's White Noise.The list of authors Robert Gottlieb has edited include Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Katharine Graham, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron and Michael Crichton. The documentary Turn Every Page, by his daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, examines his decades-long editing relationship with Power Broker author Robert Caro.
Robert Gottlieb has been working in publishing since 1955. The list of authors he's edited include Joseph Heller, Toni Morrison, John Le Carré, Katharine Graham, Bill Clinton, Nora Ephron and Michael Crichton. The documentary Turn Every Page, by his daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, examines his decades-long editing relationship with Power Broker author Robert Caro. Terry Gross spoke with both Lizzie and Robert Gottlieb. Also, John Powers reviews the British drama Living, adapted by Kazuo Ishiguro from Akira Kurosawa's classic 1952 film Ikiru.
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