Bowie Book Club Podcast

Latest Episodes:

V. by Thomas Pynchon Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild
speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has
reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read the story of...the story of...we'll we're not entirely sure. It was called V. by the very publically visible Thomas Pynchon and it was a lot of fun anyways!

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Bowie Book Club Podcast

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time, we read Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, a book that has launched a thousand dorm room conversations.

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Our Bookshop

Visit our lists on bookshop.org and help support the podcast (and independent bookstores too!)

Stuff We Talked About

Kurt's appearance in Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield*
He's in a coffee ad with Bowie too!
excerpt from On Vonnegut's Karass vs. Granfalloon

the kids who read Jack Kerouac and listened to David Bowie and smoked cigarettes behind the bleachers, where they hung out on the way to protesting the Vietnam War

What Are We Reading?

Kristianne:

The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of the Everyday - Sharon Blackie
If Women Rose Rooted - Sharon Blackie
The Centaur's Wife - Amanda Leduc
Proust, of course

Greg:

Stay Alive - Ian Buruma
Pale Horse, Pale Rider - Katherine Anne Porter
The Plotinus - Rikki Ducornet
Pattern Recognition - William Gibson

What Song Did We Choose?

What's Up Next

V by Tommy Boy Pynchy

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Basquiat - The Notebooks Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Bowie Book Club Podcast - Basquiat - The Notebooks Bowie Book Club Podcast

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read Basquiat - The Notebooks edited by Larry Warsh - just like the ones you used in grade school, but probably worth a lot more!

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Follow us! (Not in a creepy way)

Our Bookshop

Visit our lists on bookshop.org and help support the podcast (and independent bookstores too!)

Stuff We Talked About

Bowie's art collection - including Basquiat!
Interview with Bowie and Julian Schnabel on Charlie Rose
"New Art, New Money" article in the NY Times Magazine

What Are We Reading

Kristianne:

The River Has Roots - Amal El-Mohtar
Wild Life - Amanda Leduc
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space - Amanda Leduc
A Closed and Common Orbit - Becky Chambers
started the third Proust book! The Guermantes Way

Greg:

Vineland - Tommy Pinchy
Here Where We Live is Our Country - Molly Crabapple
The Murmuration - Carlos Labbe
Affliction - Russell Banks

What Song Did We Choose?

What's Up Next

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

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Cheap Novelties by Ben Katchor Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

Cheap Novelties by Ben Katchor Bowie Book Club Download

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read Cheap Novelties by Ben Katchor about one man's eternal search for Herbert Water, or a Grape Bosphorus, at least. All you have is cans?

Subscribe!

Apple Podcasts | RSS

Follow us! (Not in a creepy way)

Our Bookshop

Visit our lists on bookshop.org and help support the podcast (and independent bookstores too!)

Stuff We Talked About

Ben Katchor with Fran Leibowitz
Bowie writes about NYC
John Maggiore of "Maggiore on Bowie" does a tour of Bowie's NYC
Passenger Pigeon - Another New Low - a new-ish record worth a listen!
The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn - we're still talking about this book!

What Are We Reading

Kristianne:

Kalpa Imperial - Angelica Gorodischer
Red City- Marie Lu
The Celestial Seas - T.A. Chan
Wife Shaped Bodies - Laura Cranehill

Greg:

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
City on Fire - Garth Risk Hallberg
Gods of New York - Johnathan Mahler
True Grit - Charles Portis
Watershed - Percival Everett

What Song Did We Choose?

What's Up Next

Basquiat - The Notebooks - edited by Larry Warsh Jean-Michel Basquiat - 40th Edition

The Immoralist by Andre Gide May 18, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read The Immoralist by Andre Gide, about a guy who spends a lot of time telling his friends how immoral he is. Almost as good as Maldoror!

The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis, which turns out to be more than just a vehicle for the majestic acting of Harry Dean Stanton!

Grendel by John Gardner Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read a book about a muppet (?) monster and his tour of the philosophical hot spots, Grendel by John Gardner.

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano - a far-ranging tome about poets who never seem to write any poetry, but do a lot of other crazy stuff.

Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, which tells the tale of arch-fixer Thomas Cromwell without a mention of turkey legs.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie’s favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, a story of hot beer and cold nights (and many, many other more important themes and ideas!)