PODCAST · arts
Literary Ramblings
by Scott Talmage, Joe Hecker, Kevin McCarthy, and Wes Allen
In a book club spanning over a decade, Joe, Kevin, Wes, and Scott actually discuss the books- and now, it's a podcast! With a focus on serious fiction, the four explore context, interpretation, and criticism while enjoying a few drinks and lively banter. There will be spoilers- so, if you haven’t read the novel, and would prefer not to hear plot points, pause this now, go read the book, and then press play.
Episodes
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On Min Jin Lee's Pachinko
In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dig into Min Jin Lee’s acclaimed novel Pachinko. We discuss the novel’s exploration of Korean identity and the experience of the Zainichi in Japan, as well as the roles of family, duty, shame, honor, and patriarchy across generations. We also consider…
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On Eleanor Catton"s Birnam Wood
In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dig into Eleanor Catton’s 2023 novel Birnam Wood. We discuss how effectively this literary thriller mixes environmentalism, politics, technology, and dark satire; our thoughts on Catton’s style; and whether her satire succeeds in taking aim at the...
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On László Krasznahorkai's War and War
On this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin tackle the 1999 novelWar and War by László Krasznahorkai. They discuss Krasznahorkai’s distinctive style, the novel’s obsessive protagonist, and they wrestle with one of the book’s central questions: How do we decide what is worth preserving, and how do...
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On Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend
On this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss The New York Times Book Review's top-ranked book of the 21st century. They explore the novel’s enduring appeal, widespread popularity, and critical acclaim, while also venturing into related topics such as pseudonymous authors and artists, the…
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On James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into James Hogg’s 1824 Scottish masterpiece, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. Their conversation explores the novel’s strikingly modern, even proto-postmodern qualities, its surprising parallels with Mary Shelley’s...
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Bonus Short: On Playground, Lush Life, and The Fraud
In this bonus short, Joe reflects on three contemporary novels—Lush Life, Playground, and The Fraud—all drawn from a reading list shared by Ann Patchett. While each book engages directly with major issues like gentrification, AI, and colonialism, the episode asks a larger question: should…
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On Joseph E Hecker's I Ain't a Girl
This special episode of the podcast was recorded live at the Blue Couch Bookshop in Columbus, Ohio. Because the discussion centers on a critical conversation about Joe Hecker’s new novel I Ain’t a Girl, Wes Scott and Kevin take the first half of the episode on their own, discussing the book…
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On Don Carpenter's Hard Rain Falling
In this Bonus Short, Joe discusses Don Carpenter’s 1966 novel Hard Rain Falling. He explores Carpenter’s background, the novel’s existential struggles, and Carpenter’s possible place within the Beat Generation and the West Coast experimental writers of his time. Joe also considers the novel’s...
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On Marilynne Robinson's Gilead
In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into Marilynne Robinson’s 2005 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Gilead. Their conversation explores themes of reconciliation and forgiveness, the role of religion in fiction, the moral responsibilities of parents, and the quiet dignity—and possible...
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On Peter Matthiessen's Shadow Country
In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into Peter Matthiessen’s 2008 National Book Award–winning novel, Shadow Country. The conversation explores the construction of truth, the challenges of writing beyond one’s lived experience, what defines historical fiction—and whether Shadow…
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Reflections on Reading
In this special episode, Joe, Wes, Scott, and Kevin dive into a wide-ranging conversation about the act of reading, who’s doing it, and why literary fiction—however you define it—remains essential. This episode also features the premiere of our original podcast music composed and performed by Sam...
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On Pynchon's Shadow Ticket
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Thomas Pynchon's 2025 novel, Shadow Ticket. At 88 years old, Pynchon gives us another gem which we compare and contrast with his previous work, discuss who might follow in the footsteps of master's like Pynchon, delve into the cheese scandals of...
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Thoughts on Postmodern Literature via Arno Schmidt
In this episode, Joe, Wes, Scott and Kevin discuss the German postmodern writer Arno Schmidt and dive into what exactly postmodern literature is and what value it may or may not have.
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On Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. We discuss the Judge, the Kid, the nature of violence as presented by McCarthy, why there are no women in the nevel, the influence of Faulkner and Melville, and much more...
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On Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 dystopian novel, Never Let Me Go. We discuss questions around what it actually means to be human, the ethical treatment of others, what exactly is YA, style vs content, and much more...
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On Rodrigo Fresán's Melvill
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Rodrigo Fresán's 2022 work, Melvill. The post-modern biography centers on Herman Melville and his father who died after crossing the frozen Hudson River. We discuss Fresán's structure and playfulness, his many many literary allusions, the "bad...
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On Roberto Bolaño's 2666
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Roberto Bolaño's 2004 work, 2666. This 900+ page work has been hailed Bolaño's masterpiece and one of the most significant novels of the 21st century. We discuss Bolaño's work as a post-Boom reaction to writers like García Márquez, the strength...
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Bonus Short: On Donoso's The Obscene Bird of Night
In this Bonus Short, Wes shares his thoughts on José Donoso's The Obscene Bird of Night (1970). Wes helps us understand the complicated and twisting tale of this postmodern novel of identity and offers insight into the themes and ideas Donoso is working with.
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On Labatut's When We Cease to Understand the World
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Benjamín Labatut's 2020 work, When We Cease to Understand the World. The work is ranked 83rd on the NYT's list of The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. We focus on Labatut's strange blending of fiction and nonfiction and the way this parallels...
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Bonus Short: On Percival Everett's James
In this Bonus Short, Joe shares his thoughts on Percival Everett's James (2024). Joe discusses Everett's choices in diverging substantially from the plot line and time period of Huck Finn where Everett's title character first appears in literature. Joe further discusses the value of Twain's Huck...
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Bonus Short: On Hanif Abdurraqib's There's Always This Year
In this Bonus Short, Kevin shares his thoughts on Hanif Abdurraqib's There's Always This Year (2024). Kevin discusses Abdurraqib's ability to move us from one image to another and to carry us to unexpected places.
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On Ian McEwan's Atonement
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Ian McEwan's 2001 novel, Atonement. The novel is ranked 26th on the NYT's list of The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. We focus on the reliability of narration, the responsibility a person has for choices they make, the potential for...
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Bonus Short: On William T. Vollmann's Imperial
In this Bonus Short, Wes shares his thoughts on William T Vollmann's Imperial (2009). While this work blends genres, it is primarily a work of nonfiction that explores history and sociopolical issues around the US/Mexico border.
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Bonus Short: On Melville's Moby Dick
In this Bonus Short, Joe shares his thoughts on Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby Dick. Joe discusses the novel's classic interpretation, how the 19th century whaling industry looks from today's environmental perspective and more...
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On Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Sherwood Anderson's 1919 collection of interconnected stories, Wineburg, Ohio. We focus on how this book influenced modernism and exposes the underbelly of small town life. We also touch on Anderson's themes of isolation, existential angst, how...
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Bonus Short: On Richard Powers' The Overstory and Stephen Markley's The Deluge
In this Bonus Short, Kevin shares his thoughts on Powers' The Overstory and then adds some brief comments on Markley's The Deluge. Kevin considers how these books merge popular fiction and literary fiction, their attempts to merge message with story and much more.
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Bonus Short: On Arno Schmidt's Bottom's Dream
In this Bonus Short, Wes shares his review of the German novel Bottom's Dream by Arno Schmidt. The novel was translated into English by John E. Woods in 2016. Wes discusses the unusual nature of this work, it's postmodern aspects, tips on how to work through it, how Schmidt is influenced by…
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Bonus Short: On James Thurber
In this Bonus Short, Joe visits with James Thurber expert Steve Andersson. Joe and Steve offers a brief introduction to James Thurber including discussions around Thurber's writings and drawings, his time at The New Yorker, his friendship with E. B. White, his relationship with The Ohio State...
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On Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Paul Auster's 1985-86 postmodern trilogy The New York Trilogy. We focus on the Auster's life and personal views, influences and literary allusions, what connects the three short novels, the Auster film Smoke, Auster's exploration of identity and...
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On Flannery O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Flannery O'Connor's 1960 Southern Gothic novel The Violent Bear It Away. We focus on the O'Connor's life and personal views, the division between religion and secularism, what exactly is Southern Gothic literature, similarities to other novels,...
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On Henry James' The Golden Bowl
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes and Kevin discuss Henry James' celebrated work of early modernism, The Golden Bowl. We focus on James' family background, speculations about his lifetime bachelorhood, the challenges of this particular work, Freudian interpretations of James' work, our overall...
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On Nabokov's Ada or Ardor
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Vladimir Nabokov's celebrated satire of the family chronicle Ada or Ardor . We touch on how the novel is complicated, deals with some uncomfortable topics, plays with language, and overall returns whatever is invested.
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On Faulkner's Sanctuary (Re-release and newly edited)
In this episode, Joe, Scott and Kevin (recorded pre-Wes) discuss the 1931 novel, Sanctuary, by William Faulkner. We discuss the style and themes, misogyny and racism, the difference between art and entertainment, film versions of the book, a bit about the author, some plot points, and published...
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On Wurlitzer's Drop Edge of Yonder
In this episode, Joe, Scott, Wes, and Kevin discuss Rudolph Wurlitzer's acid western The Drop Edge of Yonder. We touch on how the novel is connected to the films Dead Man and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, what makes something an acid western, the difference between pop art and serious fiction…
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Lynch's Prophet Song
In this episode, we discuss the 2023 novel, Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. There is some context and background info, but it is by no means comprehensive discussion - simply a conversation amongst friends. There are spoilers - so, if you haven’t read the novel, and would prefer not to hear plot...
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Faulkner's Sanctuary
In this episode, we discuss the 1931 novel, Sanctuary, by William Faulkner. There is some context and background info, but it is by no means comprehensive- simply a conversation amongst friends. There are spoilers- so, if you haven’t read the novel, and would prefer not to hear plot points, pause...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
In a book club spanning over a decade, Joe, Kevin, Wes, and Scott actually discuss the books- and now, it's a podcast! With a focus on serious fiction, the four explore context, interpretation, and criticism while enjoying a few drinks and lively banter. There will be spoilers- so, if you haven’t read the novel, and would prefer not to hear plot points, pause this now, go read the book, and then press play.
HOSTED BY
Scott Talmage, Joe Hecker, Kevin McCarthy, and Wes Allen
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Literary Ramblings have?
Literary Ramblings currently has 36 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Literary Ramblings about?
In a book club spanning over a decade, Joe, Kevin, Wes, and Scott actually discuss the books- and now, it's a podcast! With a focus on serious fiction, the four explore context, interpretation, and criticism while enjoying a few drinks and lively banter. There will be spoilers- so, if you haven’t...
How often does Literary Ramblings release new episodes?
Literary Ramblings has 36 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Literary Ramblings?
You can listen to Literary Ramblings on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Literary Ramblings?
Literary Ramblings is created and hosted by Scott Talmage, Joe Hecker, Kevin McCarthy, and Wes Allen.
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