Electric Literature's Writers Gone Rogue
by Radiotopia
Electric Literature is dedicated to expanding the influence of literature in popular culture and fostering innovative literary conversations. These episodes are stories of writers –and readers – in unexpected situations, from unexpected sources. We’ve avoided the conventional interview-style, storytelling, and read-aloud podcasts to highlight how writers are shaking shit up in all parts of society. For more from us, visit electricliterature.com.
Episodes
-
A tale about people who hear voices in their heads
This mind bending episode is about a woman named Shea and her tulpas, or “intelligent companions imagined into existence.” Shea’s tulpas emerged out of writing she did during a period of suicidal depression–she describes it as if her characters came to life to save her. After finding a community…
more -
Discussing Westworld, Bruce Springsteen’s memoir and more
Two of the hosts of Slate’s weekly culture podcast have an all out, knock down, drag out fight about whether it was ethical for the Italian reporter Claudio Gatti to reveal Elena Ferrante’s true identity. The intensity of the argument between culture critic Stephen Metcalf and Slate…
more -
Are laughter and protest friends or foes?
Gladwell looks at the story of Harry Enfield, a comic in 90’s Britain who satirized Margaret Thatcher and her supporters, and examines whether satire can really help effect social and political change. Drawing from examples of literature and TV, such as Tina Fey making nice with Sarah Palin on…
more -
The story of the celebrated screenwriter and activist
In this episode, Karina Longworth tells the story of Dorothy Parker–poet, queen of the famed Algonquin Round Table and half of a screenwriter duo that helped pen Hollywood classics like A Star is Born. In the interwar period, Parker supported socialist causes, which put her in a difficult…
more -
Learning to read in prison
This episode is about Robin Woods, an inmate serving sixteen years in prison, who decides he’s going to read a book for the first time in his life. The book is Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, and Woods has to regularly consult a dictionary as he goes. This habit turns him into the closest of close...
-
Consuming and creating art
Radiolab borrows a story from Radio Ambulante, the podcast founded and produced by Daniel Alarcón, author of the novel At Night We Walk in Circles. The episode, reported by Luis Trelles, is about a group of Cuban punk rockers called Los Frikis who, in the late 80’s, began to inject themselves…
more
About this show
Electric Literature is dedicated to expanding the influence of literature in popular culture and fostering innovative literary conversations. These episodes are stories of writers –and readers – in unexpected situations, from unexpected sources. We’ve avoided the conventional interview-style, storytelling, and read-aloud podcasts to highlight how writers are shaking shit up in all parts of society. For more from us, visit electricliterature.com.
Hosted by
Radiotopia