how to win the lottery: a book club podcast

after discussing vestments last week, we welcome john reimringer onto the show to talk about his work. we ask him about his connections to minnesota and baseball, the origins of joe dressler (and what the character afforded him while writing the novel), and where vestments began. he shares lessons learned about catholicism and the church, talks about what other stories can be told in this universe, and fills us in on the o’connor system at work in saint paul. we ask for ther novels set in minnesota that he’d recommend, where his favorite spot for a juicy lucy is, and whether or not hamm’s is a major midwest beer. he talks about life as a professor and policing the use of ai. we ask him a question he’s never been asked. he shares a playlist he made for the novel and tells a fun story about why bob dylan is mentioned in vestments.

reading list for season nineteen

ruby and roland by faith sullivanvestments by john reimringeramerican boy by larry watson

our minnesota module continues with vestments by john reimringer, which represents not only the high point of the season but one of the high points of the show’s run so far. after revealing that shreds already forgot all of our previous minnesota facts, joey shares even more. we talk about where else could vestments take place, specifically with regards to its working class catholicism. we discuss the looming dread of what could happen, how the suicide in the text doesn’t feel like a plot device, and ow the basic social realism in the text elevates its characters and plot. does vestments re-orient the way we think about priests? we praise the strong way reimringer closes the story, discuss his romantic descriptions of (and associations to) baseball, and share in our mutual love of and for betty. in talking about the young pope, we ask: is paolo sorrentino “the priest guy” or “the ornate shit guy”? come back next week for our interview with john reimringer.

reading list for season nineteen

ruby and roland by faith sullivanvestments by john reimringeramerican boy by larry watson

our minnesota module kicks off with ruby and roland by faith sullivan and with a slew of minnesota facts… from both of us (!). after discussing game show hosts (including one who took his own life) and pokemon, we talk about how minnesota is a farming state, which is frustrating for the pod but ultimately re-assuring for national unity. we talk about the world war i framing in the novel, its aspirations to be the type of timeless love story that ruby reads, and the absolute lack of heat/horniness/sexiness on display. (it’s tina belcher-esque.) shreds recalls getting dunked on in class and asks if “drunk driving-inspired romances” is now a genre. joey pinpoints the early writing that put him off almost immediately. we break down the inappropriate age gaps and power dynamics found in ruby’s love life and try to answer: is the dog that ruby kills a metaphor for something? why does ruby go home? genuinely, what is she seeking? egg pulls no punches in her email.

reading list for season nineteen

ruby and roland by faith sullivanvestments by john reimringeramerican boy by larry watson

it’s a return to the best podcast format ever invented: the random card draw. we are exploring our sixth state and telling sufjan stevens to once again suck shit as we have tripled up on his state output. after recapping the states we have already covered (as well as which we’re most excited for), shreds draws a card and determines our fate. we discuss our favorite things about minnesota.

reading list for season nineteen

ruby and roland by faith sullivanvestments by john reimringeramerican boy by larry watson

we talk to sara levine, author of treasure island!!! and the hitch, about pets, siblings, and her favorite notebooks. after joey promises her 100 compliments, shreds tells her about the 100% hit rate on recommending her novels to friends. sara talks about haters on goodreads and “hammock reviews”, what she learned from adam levin about parrots, and subverting the expectations of chick lit. we tell her about her mythology on the podcast. we ask about the cover art of her novels, how she approaches different class situations for her protagonists (or: if she does), and whether she ever lived by the mottos “steer the boat, girlfriend” or “be the alpha.” we talk about her ability to invert expectations and play with genre a bit and then share a series of questions from meg. sara mentions another author she recommends we read, discusses the ups and downs of publishing short stories in smaller publications, and her affinity for robert louis stevenson. (here’s the playlist for treasure island!!! that she created for largehearted boy.)

reading list for season eighteen

short dark oracles by sara levinetreasure island!!! by sara levinethe hitch by sara levine