Desperate Readers

Desperate Readers
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Desperate Readers

Tatiana and Niko meet together to discuss great literature of the past and present. In each episode they read a book of contemporary world literature and pair it with a canonical western classic to delve into shared literary themes and questions that writers keep returning to across space and time. Follow us on Instagram: @desperatereaderspod and Twitter: @DesperateReads Sound recording and editing by Niko and Tatiana Opening music by Seth Thomsen

  1. 7 NOV

    XLVI. Touching Grass Is Not Enough: When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà

    Spooky Season has come and gone but we're still talking about witches on the podcast. Niko and Tatiana read When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà, translated from its original Catalan. Each chapter of the novel is told from a different narrator to weave a story crossing generations and mountain ranges. We discuss the Pyrenees, trauma, and the relationship between nature and poetry.

    59 min

  2. 21 OCT

    XLV. Waves of Violence: Barn Burning by William Faulkner

    Welcome back to the pod, William Faulkner! This week, Tatiana and Niko read the short story "Barn Burning," originally published in Harper's Magazine in 1939. They discuss cycles of violence within the structures of family, history, and class, make comparisons to Juan Rulfo, and try to figure out why so many people love American Southern Gothic literature.

    44 min

  3. 4 OCT

    XLIV. El llano en llamas: The Burning Plain by Juan Rulfo

    A underrated classic praised by Nobel winners. Niko and Tatiana read two short stories, "The Burning Plain" and "Tell Them Not to Kill Me!", from Juan Rulfo's El llano en llamas recently translated by Douglas J. Weatherford.

    44 min

  4. 22 AUG

    XLIII. Not a Podcast: Not a River by Selva Almada

    On to the Booker International Shortlist! This week Niko and Tatiana read Not a River by Selva Almada, translated from the Spanish by Annie McDermott. They talk about water, fire, eco-criticism, masculinity, and girlhood, and touch on authors like Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner, and Juan Rulfo.

    42 min

  5. 16 AUG

    XLII. Liars and Mothers: The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone

    We're back!! Niko and Tatiana read the 2024 Booker International Longlist and Strega-Prize winning The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone. We talk about memory, family, painting, and touch on Starnone's possible connection to the mysterious writer Elena Ferrante.

    53 min

  6. 24 MAY

    XLI. What Women Most Desire: The Wife of Bath's Tale by Geoffery Chaucer

    On the last episode of our pilgrimage, we meet one of the most colorful characters in Chaucer's tale: The Wife of Bath. Niko and Tatiana discuss experience, sovereignty, and what women most desire. Drop us a DM if you think you know!

    35 min

  7. 9 MAY

    XL. RIP Chaucer, You Would've Loved the Godfather: The Miller's Tale and the Reeve's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

    The pilgrimage continues! Niko and Tatiana dive into some of the most famous stories from the Canterbury Tales: the Miller's Tale and the Reeve's Tale. They discuss entertainment and morals, what it means to repay a tale, and why the Reeve's tale is a bad tale. A long digression on the Godfather at the end of the episode awaits.

    37 min

  8. 2 MAY

    XXXIX. Whan that Aprill: The Canterbury Tales (Opening Prologue and the Knight's Tale) by Geoffery Chaucer

    ...with his shoures soote, Niko and Tatiana celebrate spring by starting the Canterbury Tales by Geoffery Chaucer. They focus on the General Prologue and the Knight's Tale while discussing Middle English, medieval life, storytelling, and chivalry.

    50 min
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About

Tatiana and Niko meet together to discuss great literature of the past and present. In each episode they read a book of contemporary world literature and pair it with a canonical western classic to delve into shared literary themes and questions that writers keep returning to across space and time. Follow us on Instagram: @desperatereaderspod and Twitter: @DesperateReads Sound recording and editing by Niko and Tatiana Opening music by Seth Thomsen

Information

  • Creator
    Desperate Readers
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Desperate Readers

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