Phillip Freedenberg & Jeff Walton (America & The Cult Of The Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic)

This episode is one I've been trying to get set-up for a while, and it finally happened! I'm joined for this edition of Chatting Lit by Phillip Freedenberg and Jeff Walton, who are the author and illustrator of America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic, a fantastic maximalist novel set in a dystopian America in the which the written word has been banned. We discuss the unique genesis of the book, the ability of literature to unite us, and how playing math rock is useful training for writing a novel with a complex structure!If you're interested in buying the book, it can be purchased here:  https://coronasamizdat.com/index.php?id_product=34&rewrite=america-and-the-cult-of-the-cactus-boots-a-diagnostic-by-phillip-freedenberg-illustrated-by-jeff-walton&controller=productShout-outs for this episode:Noah Clemons (@everyone_who_reads)Rick Harsh of Corona /Samizdat Press (@coronasamizdatbook) and https://coronasamizdat.com/index.phpBooks mentioned in this episode:The Melancholy of Resistance by Lászláó Krasznhorkai, translated by George SzirtesGrey Bees by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris DralyukDeath and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov, translated by George BirdPenguin Lost by Andrey Kurkov, translated by George BirdHouses by Borislav Pekić, translated by Bernard JohnsonElena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances RiddleThe Passenger by Cormac McCarthyStella Maris by Cormac McCarthyAmerica and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonThe Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschLast Orgy of the Divine Hermit by Mark LeynerWhere The Sidewalk Ends by Shel SilversteinA Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'EngleThe Voynich ManuscriptThe Philosophy of Creativity by David MillerMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)