Proving politics is downstream of culture. Tune in to hear leftist takes on books and short stories on topics like gender, humanism and the alt right.
http://www.leftshelf.com
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 1 day 22 hours 2 minutes
episode 1: Episode 1: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuin
It’s not about where you go, but that you walk away. This podcast examines Ursula K. LeGuin’s thought experiment about what it means to have the happiness of a society depend on the suffering of a child.
You can read the piece (for free) here.
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- Email: leftshelfpodcast@gmail.com
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Support the show (https://patreon...episode 2: Episode 2: Space Raptor Butt Invasion by Chuck Tingle
Sad puppies, rabid puppies, dino dick and extraterrestrial love making. Ladies and gentleman, this piece by Chuck Tingle has got it all. Join us through this tale of woe and intrigue as we discuss how the alt-right, in their endless crusades against diversity, inadvertently made an alleged doctor of massage and his erotic stories more popular.
You can listen to this man read the story for free on YouTube or purchase the piece here for the special price of $2.99...
episode 3: Episode 3: Pop Art by Joe Hill
“I want to see if it’s true. If the sky opens up at the top.” -- find out in this episode, where we explore the short story “Pop Art” by Joe Hill, talk about subtle yet underrated young male friendships and have some (small) asides of a particular cult experience.
You can read Pop Art for free here.
Follow the show on
- Website
- Youtube
- Email: leftshelfpodcast@gmail...
episode 4: Episode 4: Faith In A Tree by Grace Paley
I dare you to find an author as witty and quick as Grace Paley. In this week’s episode, we cover her short story “Faith In A Tree” and talk about all the ways Grace Paley subverts the norms of gender/class expectations with her unusual characters and postmodern writing.
We couldn’t find a free source of this story, but you can get Grace Paley’s short story collection here...
episode 5: Episode 5: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster of shame, guilt, hope, and finally, inevitable tragedy. In this week’s episode, we read our first longer piece, “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin, and talk about all things sexuality, gender and how all the characters hate women.
You can read or listen to the whole book here.
Follow the show on:
- Website
- Youtube
- Email: leftshelfpodcast@gmail...
episode 6: Episode 6: The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara
Che Guevara - the man, the symbol, the legend. Join us as we discuss who Che Guevara was before he became the revolutionary he is known for today. We read “The Motorcycle Diaries”, a journal of Che’s travels throughout South America, and explore the Pan Latin Americanism and Humanism presented in his writings.
You can read the whole book here...
episode 7: Episode 7: Dance in America by Lorrie Moore
Dear Lorrie Moore,
If you are listening (which we know you are), we were really trying to be nice. But we will not apologize for the violence.
Tune in to this week’s episodes to hear about how a political piece seems to be devoid of all politics and to hear us vent about boomers.
You can read the short story here. The one where she goes off on millennials is here. The deranged lib story you can find here...
episode 8: Episode 8: Ward No.6 by Anton Chekhov
What is the nature of suffering and is it good? Why is how mental illness was treated in Russia in the late 1800s similar to how it is viewed today? These and many more questions will be answered with our big brains in this week’s episodes of Left Shelf, where we go over Chekhov’s Ward No. 6. It revolutionized Lenin, and maybe it will revolutionize you too.
You can read the short story here...
episode 9: Episode 9: When Mr. Pirzada Came To Dine by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Indian subcontinent has a complicated history of colonialism and political conflict. In this week’s episode, we explore the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and Bangladeshi independence as experienced by an Indian immigrant living in the United States. Tune in as we talk about the history of that region and explore what it means to be an immigrant in America when crises are going on in your home country.
You can read the short story here...
episode 10: Episode 10: At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft
Tune in for a spooky Left Shelf episode this week where we go over two harrowing short stories by H.P. Lovecraft. We talk about the troubled life of H.P. Lovecraft and his even more troubling works - both in terms of blatant racism and xenophobia but also in terms of themes pertaining to existential fear.
You can read “At the Mountains of Mountains” here and “The Shadow over Innsmouth” here...