The Back Half Podcast

Sean Bugg
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

Maturely immature or immaturely mature? I write, you decide. seanbugg.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 21H AGO

    Growing Up Southern

    Born in the South just after the end of Jim Crow, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and the legalization of interracial marriage, Sean Bugg and Trey Graham discuss growing up as gay white Southern boys, encountering issues of racism, class, and religion. Sean and Trey both came to Washington, D.C. — a.k.a. Chocolate City — as young journalists, where they gained a clearer (if imperfect) understanding of how systemic racism had shaped them. Using their own experiences as a lens, along with the short stories of famed Southern writer Flannery O’Connor, they revisit what they’ve learned and how far they have to go. Trey Graham is a D.C.-based journalist who covered theater for the Washington City Paper for two decades. He received the George Jean Nathan Award for distinguished drama criticism in 2004. He currently covers theater for the Washington Post. His newsletter, “In Good Company,” is on Substack (treygraham.substack.com). An Oral History of D.C.’s Gold Coast: Chapters 00:00 Exploring Southern Roots and Race 02:10 Awareness of Racial Identity 07:16 Cultural Differences in Racial Perception 11:34 Confronting Personal Racism 16:30 Navigating Racial Dynamics in D.C. 23:22 Exploring Ethnic Backgrounds and Class Dynamics 26:47 Literary Influences: Flannery O’Connor’s Impact 33:59 Revelation and Self-Reflection in O’Connor’s Work 40:28 The Intersection of Religion, Class, and Race 47:25 Cultural Reflections: The South’s Complex Identity 50:48 Introduction and Context 51:06 Navigating Difficult Conversations 51:54 Closing Thoughts and Reflections Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    53 min
  2. Flashback to Amazing

    FEB 3

    Flashback to Amazing

    Welcome to Flashback, where we revisit the age of New Wave science fiction and fantasy — the stories that came after the Golden Age of Science Fiction and before cyberpunk conquered the world. This episode we’re diving into one of the magazines that shaped me as a reader and writer, the famed Amazing Science Fiction Stories. By 1982, Amazing had been on an extended rough patch, losing readers in a shrinking market for short genre fiction. This issue highlights some of the strategies the editors tried to attract new readers — big names in the genre and classics from the past — along with some of the weaknesses that plagued the magazine, like bad art and abysmal copyediting. So, join in as we take a trip to the early ‘80s, complete with Nazis, sequelitis, and simmering racial tensions. Sound familiar? Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    12 min

  3. 09/05/2025

    The Habit of Reading

    Some of us caught the bug early, others later in life, but once you fall in love with reading books there’s no going back from a lifetime of stories. But habits do change over time. Perhaps our tastes move from genre page turners to the classics shelf. Maybe the pressures of career and adulthood chip away at our free time to dive into new narratives. But books are always calling. If you’re like me, they’re calling from the many, many “to be read” tomes stacked around the house or clogging up the e-reader. Louis Bayard — bestselling author of The Wildes, Jackie and Me, The Pale Blue Eye, and more — joins me on The Back Half to talk about a lifetime of reading, from our earliest forays into books to how we see our reading habits evolving in the future. Plus, how being a professional writer means you’re also a professional reader. Listen here on Substack or via Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr

  4. 07/12/2025

    On the Podcast: How Science Fiction Helped Get Us into this Mess

    Don’t have the time to read the newsletter? Here’s the podcast version you can listen to anywhere! And, if you’re more visually inclined, I’m also on YouTube: As they say, like and subscribe! The Back Half is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    14 min

  5. 06/24/2025

    Infinite Jest and America's Addictions

    In this episode, Marshall Boswell (author of Understanding David Foster Wallace) joins Sean Bugg to talk about Infinite Jest, its enduring place in American literature, Wallace’s position as an avatar of Gen X, and how students today respond to Wallace’s weirdly prophetic novel about American addictions, entertainments, loneliness, and tennis. Marshall is a professor of American Literature and Fiction Writing at Rhodes College in Memphis. He’s also the author of the short story collection Trouble with Girls and the novel Alternative Atlanta. Understanding David Foster Wallace, by Marshall Boswell This is part of my series at The Back Half on books that changed me as a writer and a person. Check out A Most Excellent Fancy: Infinite Jest and America's Addictions at seanbugg.substack.com. Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    44 min
  6. On the Podcast: Space Shuttle Dreams

    02/05/2025

    On the Podcast: Space Shuttle Dreams

    This episode we Flashback to 1981, when the Space Shuttle first took flight and Analog magazine took a victory lap for science fiction and science fact. Too bad that victory lap included fantasies of a militarized space and winnable nuclear wars. Following that, I outline my personal taxonomy of science fiction: escapist, optimistic, pessimistic, nihilistic. It sounds academic but it’s more fun than that! Except for the nihilism. And the fascism. Content and authors include: George R.R. Martin, Jerry Pournelle, Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Elon Musk, and more. Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    29 min
  7. On the Podcast: Amazing 1981

    10/03/2024

    On the Podcast: Amazing 1981

    In this episode, we’re on another Flashback, this time to September 1981 and Amazing Science Fiction Stories. By the late 1970s, the famed first science fiction magazine had hit new lows, cutting costs and corners until it became primarily a magazine of reprints. In 1981, a new editor was at work attempting to regain the glory years. But money was still tight, circulation was down, and advertising wasn’t setting records. As a result, some old habits were dying hard. Still, in this issue you’ll find the inescapable Harlan Ellison, both writing and being written about, and some top class stories once you make it past the filler. Plus, a column predicting the amazing future of fiber-optic communications gets some things right but some things very, very wrong. The Back Half at Substack Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    20 min
  8. Amazing Origin Stories

    09/07/2024

    Amazing Origin Stories

    And here we are with the third episode of The Back Half podcast and other episode of “Flashback,” examining the science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing that shaped me as a kid. This time I’m looking at the August 1981 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. I also dig a little deeper in the “why” behind this project. There are some serious topics in here but I promise we’re all going to have fun doing this! Interested in the magazine and authors discussed? Here’s a list of resources for you to peruse: Publications: Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine: www.asimovs.com Asimov’s, Aug. 3, 1981 contents list: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?59137+c Authors: Harlan Ellison: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_Ellison Barry B. Longyear: https://www.barryblongyear.com Jerry Pournelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle Mildred Downey Broxon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Downey_Broxon Steve Rasnic Tem: https://stevetem.com Martin Gardner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Gardner Bob Shaw: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Shaw J.P. Boyd: https://isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?11389 Hank Simpson: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?11516 Jeanne/Joanne Mitchell: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?11517 Somtow Sucharitkul/S.P. Somtow: https://www.somtow.com F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Gwynplaine_MacIntyre Dona Vaughn: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?11518 Michael Kube-McDowell: http://alternities.com/wp/ Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    24 min
  9. That's a disturbingly sexy L. Ron Hubbard

    09/06/2024

    That's a disturbingly sexy L. Ron Hubbard

    I’m back with the second episode of The Back Half podcast, this time a "Flashback" to the November 1982 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. Content warning: Disturbing mental imagery of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. In other, less fraught topics, I cover the kindly science fiction editors of my youth; George R.R. Martin being playful; and why you should read “The Postman” even though Kevin Costner screwed the movie up. Original post at The Back Half, complete with L. Ron Hubbard's ad for Battlefield Earth: "Dispatches from the Cold War" Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    21 min
  10. Ursula K. Le Guin, the Vietnam War, and Me

    08/22/2024

    Ursula K. Le Guin, the Vietnam War, and Me

    Welcome to the first episode of The Back Half podcast, kicking off with an audio version of my piece on The Word for World Is Forest for those of you who prefer getting your words aurally. There’s more to come and in the near future I plan to bring in some guests to help expand and explore on these topics even more. The Back Half is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for reading The Back Half! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to The Back Half at seanbugg.substack.com/subscribe

    13 min
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Maturely immature or immaturely mature? I write, you decide. seanbugg.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Sean Bugg
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sean Bugg
  • Show Website
    The Back Half Podcast