Two Month Review

Latest Episodes:

TMR 15.5: "I Am a Hobo Perched on a Hill" [Vernon Subutex] May 10, 2021

Show notes

Translator Frank Wynne joins Chad and Brian to talk about slang, about yummy mummies, about why Vernon's pseudonym is so weird, and much much more. This is an episode as much about translating and reading as it is about the book proper, and is definitely worth listening to.

This week's music is "Waiting Room" by Fugazi.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us next week when we discuss the beginning of Volume 2, and ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 15.4: "Marxist Hells Angel" [VERNON SUBUTEX] May 03, 2021

Show notes

Translator Katie Whittemore (Four by Four, The Communist's Daughter, World's Best Mother, Last Words on Earth) joins Chad and Brian to talk about the horrible actions of Patrice, and whether he could be redeemed, about childbirth, about Aïcha and Hyena, and about Disney. Funny and cutting, this episode explores the book's tensions and MacGuffin, the narrative arcs being set up for the various characters, and why character studies can be so fulfilling to read.

Please ignore all of the technical difficulties, but definitely get in touch if you'd like to rent Katie's writer's space outside of Valencia, Spain.

This week's music is "100%" by Sonic Youth.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us next week when we discuss all of volume one with Frank Wynne and ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 15.3: "Vodka Satana" [VERNON SUBUTEX] Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

Caitlin Luce Baker of Island Books joins Chad and Brian to talk about a very nicely framed section of Vernon Subutex. We get introduced to Aïcha, who has, through Pamela Kant, just found out that her mom was a porn star before her death. (And had a fling with Alex Bleach.) We also get to see how the Hyena works (kind of), and leave off with her and Aïcha on a trip to Barcelona together.

This week's music is "Here Come the Munchies" by Kid Loco.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us next week when we discuss pages 216-271 and ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 15.2: "Yummy Mummy or MILF" [VERNON SUBUTEX] Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

Emma Ramadan—translator of Despentes's Pretty Things and Anne Garreta (among many others), and recent winner of the PEN Translation Prize—joins Brian and Chad to talk about how cool Despentes is, and how much slang she uses in her work. They also discuss the conflict that will drive the plot (Laurent Dopalet vs. Bleach's tapes), inventing fake identities on the Internet (hi, Doug Feldick!), and, not bury the lead, which is preferable: yummy mummy or MILF. Also a bit of music talk, and a lot of laughs.

This week's music is "Manipulator" by Ty Seagall.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us next week when we discuss pages 147-215 and ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And buy books from Riffraff!!

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 15.1: "Alexandre Bleach Is Dead" [VERNON SUBUTEX] Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

The fifteenth iteration of the Two Month Review kicks off in a big way, giving a quick overview of Virginie Despentes's life and work for Brian, and then launching into the wonderful world Despentes constructs filled with characters who are past their prime, who are flawed and don't hide their warts. The subtle ways in which Despentes criticizes society, the separation between horrible thoughts and authorial intent, and the humor found in here all discussed at length. It's a fun way to kick off the new season!

This week's music is "Pretend We're Dead" by L7.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us next week when we discuss pages 84-146 and ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 14.11: "Hey . . . You Listening?" [J R] Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

The final episode of the season! First off, Chad and Brian wrap things up, and preview season 15 (Virginie Despentes's Vernon Subutex trilogy, coming in April!), then Nick Sullivan talks to Chad about recording the audiobook, how he got into that business in the first place, the challenges of recording a book like this, and much much more.

This week's music is "In America" by Ezra Furman.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. (This episode is really fun to watch because Chad's camera shorted out . . . ) You can join us next week for the final episode with a special final guest where you'll also have the opportunity to ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 14.10: "Hoppin' with Flavor!" Feb 19, 2021

Show notes

Kaija Straumanis joins Chad and Brian this week to talk about toxic masculinity, the genius of the J R audiobook, Bach, "up yours, up mine," connections to Pynchon, shit & money & the American Dream, and the implosion of J R's paper empire.

This week's music is "Deadlines (Hostile)" by Car Seat Headrest.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 14.9: "J R Shipping Corp" Feb 13, 2021

Show notes

This week, Sam Rutter and Nick During join Chad for a long, sprawling discussion of J R, of the interesting quote Joy Williams attributes to Gaddis instead of Gibbs, of Gibbs's knowledge of financial doings, of how great Rhoda is as a character, and so so much more. This is the longest episode to date, but also one of the most fun.

This week's music is "Don't Get Hit By a Car" by Cheekface.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. (This episode is really fun to watch because Chad's camera shorted out . . . ) You can watch the next episode on Wednesday, February 17th where you'll also have the opportunity to ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 14.8: "$$$$$$$$" [J R] Feb 05, 2021

Show notes

Chad and Brian talk about church parking lots, relationship entropy, millionaires, corporate logos ("Just Rite"), the uneasy alliance of art and commerce, and much more on this week's episode.

This week's music is "Highlights of 100" by Kiwi Jr.

If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can watch the next episode on Wednesday, February 3rd where you'll also have the opportunity to ask questions, make comments, or correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

TMR 14.7: "Alsaka" [J R] Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

Dan O'Brien (The House in Scarsdale, A Story that Happens) joins the podcast this week to talk about J R from a playwriting perspective. Lots of interesting insights in this episode, about theater, about the relationship between art and commerce in the book, and about GameStop.

This week's music is "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe" by Okkervil River.

Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is now officially available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions.

You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

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