Interview with a Bothan: A Star Wars Podcast

This episode, Lou and Lenny allegedly talk about the last instalment of the Wraith Squadron Trilogy, Solo Command (1999). In reality, Lou is losing their mind over the status of Montreal’s public services and Lenny is possessed by the ‘average Tik-Tok creator’ who is seemingly unaware of the industrial revolution.Trigger warning timestamp 1:18:11-1:33:11 for discussion of Unit 731/Nazi medical experimentation. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading:Skyline Dip Tyler the creator cooking a waffleSo You Just Gon' Bring Me a Birthday Gift on My Birthday to My Birthday PartyEarl sweatshirt i don’t careCleveland health villain era

This episode, Lou and Lenny are covering Iron Fist (1998), the second Wraith Squadron book and sixth in the X-Wing Series! As of this recording, Lou is a week out from their wisdom tooth removal. Lenny has thoughts and feelings about Myn Donos and technofascism, which are more related than one might think. They also ask the question, are Corellian men bad in bed?Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther Reading:Hackers (1995)Tosche Station Allston interview (2012)It Could Happen Here (Network State)The Modern Family Cookbook (1942)Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861)Masculinity and the Making of American Judaism

While discussing Aaron Allston’s Wraith Squadron (1998) Lenny and Lou initially focus on the ethics and history of the use of bioweapons but at some point start playing smash or pass with Canadian Prime Ministers. Lenny gets serious about workplace rights and protections and reveals more about their day job than they probably should. The duo then discuss the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and how most internet trends can be linked to fascist propaganda. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading: To Sir Phillip, With Love- Julia QuinnRepublic Commando Series- Karen TravissBest and Worst Canadian prime ministers 1999October CrisisTall Girl#blackatBLS

On this episode of Interview With A Bothan, we become a layman’s tech podcast before covering Bacta War. Lou laments that they want another updated special edition of Star Wars: A New Hope while updating Lenny on the dire straits that is the SSD/HDD market. Lenny, on the other hand, is actually on task and has thoughts and feelings about Tycho’s teenage-like atheism. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther Reading:Southern Enclave BFI screening of Star Wars (1977)Loveland Frog ManWeird USStar Wars Star Pilots - Chris Kempshall’s new bookThe Secret Lives of Mormon WivesPONIESStar Trek: Starfleet AcademyA Displaced Wedding: Getting Married in a DP Camp (Yiddish Book Centre)From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin DoughtyMarriage in the Danish fashion (More danico)Ronald Reagan with the Mujahideen in the Oval Office: Photo and Video Mission Hill 

Lenny and Lou make it through an entire episode without mentioning WMDs or biological warfare! We’re covering The Krytos Trap (1996) this week. Lenny thinks that Corran Horn would learn a lot from watching the hit TV show, Loiter Squad and Lou needs everyone to know that the Star Wars Holiday Special is the most influential film of all time.Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther Reading: “Adding Insult to Injury: Uncovering the Ancient Origins of Epic Action Movie Quips” by Andrew McClellan in SciTech Daily Catchphrase Jones2600 - The Hacker Quarterly  Vikings (2013-2020)Norse SagasWeird Medieval Guys - The Norman Conquest Part IThe Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol The Rise of the Raven (2024- ) The Prosecutor and The Prey by Arkady Vaksberg (1990)The Star Wars Holiday Special 

Lou and Lenny take front row seats to the covert-op to take Coruscant in Wedge’s Gamble (1996). Lenny is seemingly unaware that they are basically the same age as Corran Horn (25)   while complaining about his daddy issues and Lou just can't get over their dislike for him.  Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther Reading:“I miss when the Internet was just Altavista and that little Star Wars Kid” – Veep, S04E03The Star Wars Kid Shattered Glass (2003)Becoming A Star Wars Fan in 2026 by Merphy Napier “We all want to be Obi Wan Kenobi” - Northern Exposure S03E05ladygeekgirl.wordpress.com“Hybrid” (Wookiepedia Article)“The Shape of Water and Interspecies Love” in Big IssueThe Problem with Coruscant (Planet Cities Explained) by DemiLee Doxiadis, C. A. “Ecumenopolis.” Esketics 21, no. 123 (1966): 110–14.

Lou and Lenny tackle the first installment of the X-Wing series! Rogue Squadron (1996) follows the reformation of the iconic (in and out of universe) x-wing squadron during the early years of the New Republic. Lenny reveals that their opinions of Ahsoka have made them an enemy of the public and Lou can't stop calling Corran Horn ‘Corn,’ before they both analyze what it means to have ‘Harrison Ford rizz.’Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading: Wedge and Fake WedgeEwan McGregor seeing Star Wars for the first time Flying AcesHan Solo/Skywalker fandom beef

Discussing the leadup to Thrawn’s exile laid out in Timothy Zahn’s conclusion to The Ascendancy Trilogy, Lesser Evil (2021), as well as Thrawn and Thrass’s tragic backstory, Lou and Lenny get unusually emotional and reflect on memory and friendship. Lenny over-intellectualizes a one-off comment comparing Thrawn’s trajectory to Anakin’s. Lou explains the different forms of conspiratorial thinking, and the duo discuss their favourite conspiracy theories.Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading: Charted Courses and Collisions - marroniere_mThe Fog is Coming2025 Guinea-Bissau coup d’étatTimothy Zahn and Aaron Allston discussing the (then potential) re-setting of SW canonThe Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire - Chris Kempshall (2024)Anakin has a Doctorate in Darth Plagueis the Wise Studies - Seals are GoodThe Americans (2013-2018)The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers  - Christopher Vogler (1992)The Hero with A Thousand Faces  - Joseph Campbell (1949)“Finland doesn’t exist” conspiracy “Marjorie Taylor Greene planted pipe bombs” conspiracy “JD Vance Killed the Pope” conspiracy The Question of Narrative in Contemporary Historical Theory - Hayden White (1984) Conspiracy and Sedition as Canadian Political Crimes - Peter Mackinnon (1977) A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America - Michael Barkun (2003)The October Crisis

Lou and Lenny discuss the second installment of the Ascendancy Trilogy, Greater Good (2021) by Timothy Zahn. Chiss military culture prompts a discussion of girlbosses in the military, and the chafing of military and political interests through the lens of Chiss family drama. Lenny talks about the early study of religion in relation to how (what we know as) the Force appears in this book. Lou expounds on the merits of being a guy who knows guys. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading:The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade (1957)Patterns in Comparative Religion by Mircea Eliade (1949)Das Heilige (The Idea of the Holy) by Rudolf Otto (1917)Star Wars Gamer 5 (2000)The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Chris Kempshall (2024)The Warriors (1979)Letterkenny (2016-2023)“I’m really proud to be from Ohio” - Joe BurrowsJust Like the Holodramas by Marroniere_m (2025)Lenin’s Testament The Book of Job 

Lou and Lenny start the Ascendancy Trilogy! Chaos Rising (2020) follows Thrawn at the start of his military career where he shows his early affinity for pre-emptive strikes. Join Lou and Lenny as they meander through conversation topics as wide ranging as conditional familial bonds, the significance of flag rank, and the inherent intimacy of hand-to-hand combat. Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialHosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelFurther Reading: Anakin Has a Doctorate in Darth Plageius the Wise Studies “Arranged Marriages & Other Literary Tropes - LarissaFae - Star Wars - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own].”“The Artist Is Present - Marroniere_m - Star Wars - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own].”The NRSV Bible Begiato, Joanne. “Favouritism, Patronage and the ‘Family System’ in England, c.1700–1850.” English Historical Review 139, nos. 598–599 (2024): 801–29.“Love Covered in Oil with Broken Wings - LarissaFae - Star Wars - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own].” Leaves of GrassNylan, Michael. “Confucian Piety and Individualism in Han China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 116, no. 1 (1996): 1–27. https://doi.org/10.2307/606369.The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Wikipedia) Tzanelli, Rodanthi. The Cinematic Tourist: Explorations in Globalization, Culture and Resistance. 1st ed. Routledge, 2007.

In this episode, Lou and Lenny finish Timothy Zahn’s Empire Trilogy. Thrawn Treason was a fan favorite, Lou cannot comprehend why Ezra Bridger is barred from being an adult. Lenny, on the other hand, is obsessed with Imperial aesthetics. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.social

In this episode, Lou and Lenny are discussing the second installment of the Imperial Trilogy, Thrawn: Alliances. Lou geeks out about historiography in the GFFA and Lenny, the city slicker they are, is fascinated by the indoctrination of rural populations in fascist regimes. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.social

Episode 4- Thrawn (2017)In this episode, Lou and Lenny begin their journey with the canon Thrawn books! Thrawn, published in 2017, explores Thrawn’s beginnings as an asset to the Galactic Empire. While Lou and Lenny are fascinated by Eli Vanto and Ahrinda Pryce, they also discuss the implications of femininity in fascist spaces and the process of reading about the Empire from the Imperial perspective.Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading: The Fog is Coming Sun Tzu on The Art of War Hitler’s Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields - Wendy Lower Joe Hill, performed by Paul Robeson The World’s Most Dangerous Country for Trade Unionists (BBC)Death of Stalin (2017)Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in 19th-century Europe - Hayden White Death Stars and Democracy- Chris KempshallMaus - Art Spiegelman

In this episode, Lou and Lenny wrap up the original Thrawn Trilogy with The Last Command! Published in 1993, Zahn wraps up what many would consider the beginning of the Star Wars EU. Lou continues to be fascinated with Garm bel Iblis’s existence, while Lenny raises interesting questions about the environmental implications of the Emperor's decisions and workplace safety laws in the New Republic. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.social

This week, Lou and Lenny read Dark Force Rising! Published in May 1992, the second installment of The Thrawn Trilogy raised many questions about how xenophobia manifests in the Empire and the New Republic, Garm bel Iblis’s return, and speculation on the nature of Pellaeon and Thrawn’s relationship.Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading:The White Man at the Centre of the World: Masculinity in Sherlock- Judith May FathallahDeath Stars and Democracy- Chris KempshallUnsettling Settler Food Movements: Food Sovereignty and Decolonization in Canada- Zoe MattiesIs Multiculturalism Bad for Women?- Susan Moller Okin

On this episode of Interview With A Bothan, Lou and Lenny discuss Heir to the Empire, the first installment of The Thrawn Trilogy. Published in May 1991, Timothy Zahn’s novels are credited as the ‘beginning of the EU’ by many fans. Lou and Lenny dive into the role of warlords in the GFFA, slavery in the Empire, Thrawn’s “love” of art, and the permeability of Religion and Culture as Luke is tasked with creating a New Jedi Order. Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.comBluesky: interviewwabothan.bsky.socialFurther reading:Death Stars and Democracy- Chris KempshallThe Humanity Game: Art, Islam, and the War on Terror- Jessica Winegar

Welcome to Interview With A Bothan! This episode introduces your hosts, Lou Laverty and Lenny Apesos. They are scholars of Religion who are fascinated by the Star Wars universe in all its forms (and Thrawn, but that is beside the point). Interview With A Bothan will cover Star Wars books, with no preference for Canon or Legends (Old-EU). Ultimately, this is a last ditch attempt for them to talk about Star Wars without further alienating their loved ones and peers! Hosts: Lenny Apesos and Lou LavertyArt: Lenny Apesos Music: Thomas SeibelHave questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected] Find us elsewhere on the internet!Substack: interviewwithabothan.substack.com