Desperate Readers

Desperate Readers
  • 5.0 (3)
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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: @DeserateReads Sound recording and editing by Niko and Tatiana Opening music by Seth Thomsen

  1. 07/08/2025

    L. Napoleon and Mephistopheles: The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin

    This week Niko and Tatiana discuss the ultimate Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. They read the novella "The Queen of Spades" and talk about certainty, obsession, gambling, and sports betting.

    42 min

  2. 05/15/2025

    XLIX. The Most Righteous and Appalling: Michael Kohlhaas by Heinrich von Kleist

    This week welcomes back to the pod Heinrich von Kleist and perhaps his most famous novella, "Michael Kohlhaas"! Niko and Tatiana discuss justice, certainty, and doubt in a story that even Kafka read with "true piety"

    44 min

  3. 03/21/2025

    XLVIII. The Ways of White Folks: Passing by Langston Hughes

    This week Niko and Tatiana return to the Harlem Renaissance and discuss Langston Hughes's short story "Passing" from the collection The Ways of White Folks. They discuss identity, economic freedom, patronage, and the Kendrick-Drake feud.

    50 min

  4. 03/06/2025

    XLVII. The Misfit and the Grandmother: A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor

    Niko and Tatiana discuss Flannery O'Connor's iconic short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" with special guest Sophie.

    56 min

  5. 11/07/2024

    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

  6. 10/21/2024

    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

  7. 10/04/2024

    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

  8. 08/22/2024

    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
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

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: @DeserateReads Sound recording and editing by Niko and Tatiana Opening music by Seth Thomsen

Information

  • Creator
    Desperate Readers
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Desperate Readers