Dear Literature
By Dear Literature
Dear LiteratureJun 28, 2022
032: Buddy Reads: All the Rage
In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss All the Rage by Rosamond S. King (Nightboat Books). V-book: https://rosamondsking.black/V-Book
CN: Violence against Black people; police violence; gun violence; rape/sexual assault
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
Portrait of an Unknown Lady by María Gainza, translated by Thomas Bunstead (Catapult)
Some of My Best Friends by Tajja Isen (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster) - 029: First-Half 2022 Releases
013: Buddy Reads: Wound from the Mouth of a Wound
"Going It Alone" by Rahawa Haile (Outside)
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, trans. Anton Hur (Honford Star)
Violets by Kyung-sook Shin, trans. Anton Hur (Feminist Press)
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee, trans. Anton Hur (Bloomsbury)
031: Dear Literature Check-In
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa chat about post-grad life, including current/recent reads, planned writing projects, employment, hobbies, and more!
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard (HarperTeen)
CN: War (colonialism), violence, police violence, death, alcohol use
Incendiary + Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova (Disney-Hyperion)
Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
CN: war, violence, death, alcohol use, sexual content
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake (Tor Books)
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Gallery/Saga Press)
CN: violence
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor)
CN: Death, racism/colorism, violence, police violence
Nuclear Family by Joseph Han (Counterpoint Press)
CN: Drug use (weed)
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (Tor Books)
CN: Violence, war
030: Buddy Reads: Disability Visibility
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From The Twenty-First Century, edited by Alice Wong (Vintage).
Essays Discussed:
“The Erasure of Indigenous People in Chronic Illness” by Jen Deerinwater
CN: Settler colonialism, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, erasure, sexual assault, violence, suicide, suicidal ideation
“While You Are Waiting to Be Healed” by June Eric-Udorie
“The Isolation of Being Deaf in Prison” by Jeremy Woody
CN: Sexual assault, language deprivation, isolation, incarceration, trauma, audism
“Common Cyborg” by Jillian Weise
CN: Hate, misogyny, harassment, rape threats, death threats, racis, suicide, sterilization, ableism, eugenics
“How to Make a Paper Crane from Rage” by Elsa Sjunneson
“Why My Novel Is Dedicated to My Disabled Friend Maddy” by A. H. Reaume
“So. Not. Broken.” by Alice Sheppard
"The Beauty of Spaces Created for and by Disabled People" by s.e. smith
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology, edited by Alex Hernandez, Matthew David Goodwin, and Sarah Rafael García (Mad Creek Books)
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (Tor)
“I Needed to Know if My Favorite Books Were Products of Cultural Appropriation” by Cindy Fazzi (Electric Literature)
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (Tor)
029: First-Half 2022 Releases
Vanessa and Alyssa discuss their more anticipated releases for the first half of 2022
"Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2022" & "61 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2022" by R.O. Kwon
I. The Octopus Museum by Brenda Shaughnessy | Odes to Lithium by Shira Erlichman | Deadline City | Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - II. Constellation Route by Matthew Olzmann | Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez | Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi | Violeta by Isabel Allende | The Employees: A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century by Olga Ravn, trans. by Martin Aitken | Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu | Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda, trans. Sarah Booker | Reclaim the Stars: Seven Tales Across Time and Space, ed. Zoraida Córdova | Gallant by V.E. Schwab | The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories edited and collected by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang | Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver | "Library as Infrastructure" by Shannon Mattern | The Promise of Access by Daniel Greene | Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong | Night Sky with Exit Wound | True Biz by Sara Nović | Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li | Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service by Tajja Isen | The Trees Witness Everything by Victoria Chang | Siren Queen by Nghi Vo | Empress of Salt and Fortune | Swallowed Light by Michael Wasson | Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera | Woman of Light: A Novel by Kali Fajardo-Anstine | Sabrina & Corina | III. "Why PhDs Need to Study Creative Writing" by Anthony Ocampo | Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses
028: Dear Literature 2021 Wrap-Up
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa review their 2021 in books and writing.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (McElderry Books)
“Twitter vs. MFA” by Denne Michele Norris (Electric Literature)
Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse (Milkweed Editions)
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatatil (Milkweed Editions)
Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (One World)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (McElderry Books)
When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Díaz (Copper Canyon Press)
A House Made of Water by Michelle Lin (Sibling Rivalry Press)
Multiply/Divide: On the American Real and Surreal by Wendy S. Walters (Sarabande Books)
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books)
Spinning by Tillie Walden (First Second)
Kingdom Animalia by Aracelis Girmay (BOA Editions)
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World)
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Usborne)
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong (Copper Canyon Press)
Having a Coke With Godzilla by Kazumi Chin (Sibling Rivalry Press)
“Lydia Davis on How Translation Opens a Writer’s Mind” by Lydia Davis (Literary Hub)
“Baba Yaga Is a Lesbian” by Mallory Pearson (Electric Literature)
027: Buddy Reads: Multiply/Divide
Vanessa and Alyssa discuss Multiply/Divide: On the American Real and Surreal by Wendy S. Walters (Sarabande Books).
CN: Racism (anti-Black), enslavement, classicism, gentrification, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, violence (gang, gun, police), death
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Simon & Schuster)
CN (so far): Racism (anti-Black, including use of slurs), enslavement, Jim Crow, murder, violence, spousal abuse, drug use (mostly meth and prescription drugs), child neglect, abandonment, incarceration, terminal illness (cancer), animal death
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions)
CN: Anti-Asian racism
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (Erewhon Books)
CN: Death, suicide, violence (including gun violence), gore, medical trauma, manipulation and gaslighting, graphic language
We Won't Move: A Living Archive
"A Cyborg Manifesto" by Donna Haraway
“Why Don’t American Schools Value Creativity?” by Erin Crosby-Eckstine (Catapult)
CN: Mention of emotional abuse in an intimate partner relationship, anti-Black racism, institutional oppression
Imani Barbarin (Crutches&Spice)
“Starting Testosterone During Ramadan Led Me to the Sacred in My Trans Self” by Zeyn Joukhadar (Catapult)
026: Publishing Supply Chain
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss the global supply chain issues and how they're affecting the book publishing industry.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media:
Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin (Feminist Press)
CN: Sexism, slavery, forced institutionalization, murder, child death, emotional abuse, illness (cancer), sexual content
“Forget Billionaires! The Future Of Literary Magazines Depends On Us” by Denne Michele Norris (Electric Literature)
@firstdraftpod, “Books and the Great Supply Chain Disruption”
“The Book Biz Tries to Avoid Supply Chain Disruptions” by Jim Milliot (Publishers Weekly)
“‘The Beginning of the Snowball’: Supply-Chain Snarls Delay Books” by Elizabeth A. Harris (The New York Times)
”Supply Chain Issues Are Slowing Down the Production of Books Ahead of the Holidays” by Petra Mayer (NPR)
”Two Acclaimed Writers on the Art of Revising Your Life” on The Ezra Klein Show (The New York Times)
Transcript for this podcast episode
"Why I Paid Tenfold to Buy Back the Rights to Two of My Books" by Kiese Laymon (Literary Hub)
CN for both the podcast and the essay: Death (specifically COVID-death), health anxiety; Podcast: racism (specifically anti-Black), fatphobia, sexual assault of minors
“My Mom, Princess Diana, and Me” by Matt Ortile (Catapult)
CN: Death & grief
025: Buddy Reads: The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
For this week's Buddy Reads, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss recent science fiction release The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (they/them) from Erewhon Books.
CN: Death, suicide, violence (including gun violence), gore, medical trauma, manipulation and gaslighting, graphic language
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
"Forty-One False Starts" by Janet Malcom (The New Yorker)
“The Next Word” by John Seabrook (The New Yorker)
“Imitation Games” by Franny Choi (Gulf Coast)
024: On Writing Workshops
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa talk about their experiences in writing workshops.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media:
Sonnets by Bernadette Mayer (Tender Buttons)
“The Endless Life Cycle of Book Cover Trends” by Alana Pockros (AIGA Eye on Design)
“A New Take on Publishing: Giving More Writers Transparency and Power” by Carolyn Kellog (Shondaland)
023: Buddy Reads: Ace of Spades
Vanessa and Alyssa discuss YA thriller Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé in this week's Buddy Reads.
CN: Racism and white supremacy (anti-Black), homophobia, violence, bullying, stalking, gaslighting, attempted suicide, mention of rape, drugging of a minor, incarceration, capital punishment, police brutality, racial slurs, alcohol use (Note: All of these involve minors)
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media:
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao (Bloomsbury YA)
"Faster Than We Thought: What Stories Will Survive Climate Change?” by Omar El Akkad (Literary Hub)
022: Dear Literature's 1st Birthday!
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa celebrate one year of hosting Dear Literature by answering listener questions about the podcast.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
021: Being Multigenre Writers
Vanessa and Alyssa discuss what it's like writing across multiple genres including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and journalism.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers)
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Z Brewer (Penguin Random House)
Project VOICE (Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay)
"The Man in the Mirror? by Alison Kinney (Longreads) - CN: Rape, gaslighting
"Shira Erlichman vs. The Unknown"
Coding Literacy: How Computer Programming is Changing Writing by Annette Vee (MIT Press)
“Too Close To Home: Writing a Book That Your Parents Won’t Read” by Michelle Jana Chan (Literary Hub)
020: Buddy Reads: Sabrina & Corina
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (One World / Random House Books).
CN by story:
1.) "Sugar Babies": Abandonment, human remains
2.) "Sabrina & Corina": Death by strangulation, violence against women, graphic descriptions of a dead body, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes)
3.) "Sisters": Xenophobia and hispanophobia, sexual assault, violence against women, homophobia, alcohol use
4.) "Remedies": Abandonment, child neglect, xenophobia
5.) "Julian Plaza": Terminal illness (cancer), death
6.) "Galapago": Murder, death, gun violence
7.) "Cheesman Park": Partner abuse, death, violence, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes)
8.) "Tomi": Abandonment, violence, suicide, death, alcohol/drug use (prescription pills)
9.) "Any Further West": Abandonment, suicide, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes, marijuana)
10.) "All Her Names": Abortion, alcohol use, sexual content
11.) "Ghost Sickness": Abandonment, sexual content
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
Kingdom Animalia by Aracelis Girmay (BOA)
These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong (McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster)
CN: Murder, mass death, self-mutilation/suicide, gore, gun violence, imperialism, racism (anti-Chinese), transphobia, parental abuse, medical trauma/unethical experimentation, disease/infection, alcohol/drug use (cigarettes, opium)
“Why Linguistically Diverse Audiobook Casting Matters” by Julia Shiota (Electric Literature)
"Ghosts" by Vauhini Vara (Believer Magazine)
CN: Cancer, death
019: Reimagining Books Into Other Media
This week Vanessa and Alyssa reimagine some of their favorite books into other mediums.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
The Octopus Museum by Brenda Shaughnessy (Knopf)
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins)
CN: Murder, death, drug & alcohol use by minors, kidnapping, violence against a child
002: Buddy Reads: Truly Devious
The Haunting of Bly Manor
La Casa de la Flores
Little Women
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
CN: Murder, violence, xenophobia, racism (anti-Asian, anti-Black, anti-semitism), sexism, police violence
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World / Penguin Random House)
CN: Child abuse, miscarriage, vivid descriptions of bodily functions, anti-Asian racism
Soft Science by Franny Choi (Alice James Books)
Cryo Chamber
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press)
CN: Body horror, eating disorder, body shaming, fatphobia, sexual assault, sexual content
Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books)
CN: Violence, murder, rape of a minor, drug & alcohol use
“Finding a Face for My Invisible Illness” by Lorraine Boissoneault (Catapult)
Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes
Spinning by Tillie Walden (First Second Books)
CN: Sexual assault, homophobia
Good Talk by Mira Jacob
018: Buddy Reads: Yolk
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi (Simon & Schuster).
CN: Disordered eating, body dysmorphia/fatphobia, terminal illness (cancer), child death, racism (anti-Asian), drug & alcohol use (including cigarettes, marijuana, and other hard drugs), vomit, sexual content.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer: Everything You Need to Know About Craft, Inspiration, Agents, Editors, Publishing and the Business of Building a Sustainable Writing Career by Kevin Larimer and Mary Gannon (Simon & Schuster)
“Asexual Romance Readers Are Finally Getting Their Happily Ever Afters” by Lily Herman (Bustle)
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
“Did Twitter break YA?” by Nicole Brinkley (Misshelved Newsletter #6)
017: Second-Half 2021 Releases
“Twitter Doesn’t Want to Let the Poets...”
Exhalation: Japanese, Polish, Russian, Slovak; Stories of Your Life and Others: Chinese & Slovak
Six Crimson Cranes; What We Devour
A Psalm for the Wild-Built; The Taking of Jake Livingston
She Who Became The Sun; The River Has Teeth
Pilgrim Bell; Afterparties; How We Fall Apart; Shallow Waters: A Novel
A City Is Not a Computer: Other Urban Intelligences
The Book of Form and Emptiness
How to Not Be Afraid of Everything
Our Violent Ends
016: Buddy Reads: The Chosen and the Beautiful
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom).
CN: Xenophobia / racism (anti-Asian), sexual content, abortion, spousal abuse, murder, alcohol / drug use (cigarettes).
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
Ed Yong's Pulitzer Prize Award
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
“Yahoo! Answers Was My First and Best Writing Coach” by Alexandria Juarez (Electric Literature)
Bonus: Buddy Reads: The Comedown
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Justin Marks's poetry collection, The Comedown.
015: Mid-Year Check In
After a brief hiatus, Vanessa and Alyssa are back to discuss what they've been up to, where they are, and some plans for the future.
About us: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Notes:
“Roxane Gay Starts Publishing Imprint with Grove Atlantic” by Elizabeth A. Harris (The New York Times)
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (William Morrow / HarperCollins)
CN: Medical trauma, body horror, fantasy violence
Dexter
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (Penguin Press)
CN: Drug & alcohol use (Cigarettes) , child abuse (brief), infidelity, death
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books / ABRAMS)
CN: Violence, sexual situation (brief)
A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Captain America "I can do this all day" scene
"What is the Path to Equity in Publishing?" by Vanessa Genao
“The Obsession with ‘Getting Ahead’ in Your Twenties Is Failing Young People” Rainesford Stauffer (Catapult)
“Mourning the Loss of Indigenous Queer Identities” by Astrud Bowman (Autostraddle)
Spring Hiatus Announcement
Hello, bookwyrms! We at Dear Literature will be going on a short hiatus. We will return with new episodes in mid to late June. Until next time, happy reading!
014: Speculative Fiction Recommendations ('Sup, Nerds)
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa geek out about works of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Note: There are some minor audio issues in this episode. Thank you for listening, and May the Fourth be with you.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
“For Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, The Story of the Universe is Also the Story of Blackness” by Aricka Foreman (Electric Literature)
“Finding from Particle Research Could Rewrite Known Laws of Physics” by Dennis Overbye (The New York Times)
“Is It Worth Reading If I Forget Everything I Read?” by Danika Ellis (Book Riot)
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, trans. Ken Liu (Tor)
CN: Murder, suicide, violence, state-sanctioned violence, torture
Exhalation by Ted Chiang (Knopf)
The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab (Titan)
CN: Kidnapping and violence (involving children), attempted murder, imprisonment
Heaven’s Vault (Inkle)
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey)
CN: Murder, death, suicide, violence (including gun and domestic), rape, sexual assault, incest, infanticide, cannibalism, body horror, racism (anti-Latine/Indigenous, generally white supremacist), colorism, kidnapping/confinement, alcohol use, drug use (mushrooms, cigarettes), miscarriage, abuse, sexual content
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
CN: Murder, violence, body horror/gore, racism (anti-Black, anti-semitic, as well as general white supremacy), domestic abuse, rape, alcohol use, drug use (cigarettes), abortion
The End of the World with Josh Clark (iHeartRadio)
“On the Behavioral Economy of the Book World” by Robert Frank (Literary Hub)
013: Buddy Reads: Wound from the Mouth of a Wound
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse (Milkweed Editions).
CN: Rape, child abuse, ableism, transphobia, addiction (alcoholism), homophobic slurs, restricted eating (brief), violence
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
“The Prairie Wife” by Curtis Sittenfield (The New Yorker)
“A For Alone” by Curtis Sittenfield (The New Yorker)
“How a Pandemic Puppy Save My Grieving Family” by Nicole Chung (Time)
CN: Death
Light in August by William Faulkner
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Diaz
"torrin a. greathouse vs. The Truth" The VS Podcast
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
Sonnets by Bernadette Mayer
Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia (Knopf)
CN: State-sanctioned violence, (attempted) suicide/homicide, (child) abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual content, drug/alcohol use (might be missing some)
“How Science Journalist Ed Yong Helps Readers Make Sense of the World” by Nicole Chung (Catapult)
012: Poetry Recommendations
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss some of their favorite poetry collections.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
“Teen Writers Deserve Better Than the Teen Writing Scene” by Amanda Silberling (Electric Literature)
“Why Do I Write in My Colonizers’ Language?” by Anandi Mishra (Electric Literature)
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang, performed by Emily Woo Zeller (HarperCollins Audio)
CN: Violence (wartime & against women), rape, drug & alcohol use, drug addiction (opium), & cannibalism
“Visible Invisibility: The Ghostly Nature of Queer-Reading” by Miachel Elias (Catapult Magazine)
A Cruelty Special to Our Species: Poems by Emily Jungmin Yoon (HarperCollins)
CN: Violence (wartime & against women), state-sanctioned violence, & rape
A House Made of Water by Michelle Lin (Sibling Rivalry Press)
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes (Penguin Poets)
CN: Racism (anti-Black), slavery, police brutality, sexual content
Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson (Vintage)
CN: Sexual abuse, drug/alcohol use, violence, sexual content
Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar (Alice James Books)
CN: Alcohol addiction
Homie by Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)
i shimmer sometimes, too by Porsha Olayiwola (Button Poetry)
Soft Science by Franny Choi (Alice James Books)
Trickster Feminism by Anne Waldman (Penguin Poets)
CN: Colonialism, racism, state-sanctioned violence, violence against women
When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Díaz (Copper Canyon Press)
CN: State-sanctioned violence, racism (anti-Indigenous), addiction, terrorism, sexual content
“How the Pandemic Changed the Way We Read” by Joumana Khatib (The New York Times)
“Your Book Might Not Sell, and You Have to Live with That” by Abigail Rasminsky (Electric Literature)
Bonus: Dear Lit
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss... well, you'll have to listen to find out.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
011: Publishing Tropes & Trends
Vanessa and Alyssa deep dive into some old favorites from the past decade to discuss publishing tropes & trends.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
“Angie Thomas Drops Agent Amid Controversy” by Amy Reiter
“Lit Agent Brooks Sherman Leaves Agency, Dropped by Authors” By Claire Kirch
Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarer #3) by Becky Chambers, performed by Rachel Dulude
Nicholas Flamel and the Secrets of Immortal, Michael Scott
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Immortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Ace of Spades by Àbíké-Íyímídé
The Brown Sisters trilogy, Talia Hibbert
World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
“What Nourishes Your Writing Ecosystem?” by Jamie Figueroa
“When It Comes to Inclusivity in Publishing, Editors Also Play a Role” by Jennifer Baker
010: Buddy Reads: World of Wonders
Vanessa and Alyssa get excited about the natural world with Aimee Nezhukumatathil's World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions)
Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster)
CN: Disaster, terrorism, violence, discussions of death and illness
A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarer #2) by Becky Chambers, performed by Rachel Dulude (HarperCollins / Tantor Media)
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Henry Holt & Company)
CN: War, death, violence
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Henry Holt & Company)
CN: Murder, sex trafficking, rape/sexual assault, violence, drug / alcohol use, graphic depictions of dead bodies
The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2) by R.F. Kuang, performed by Emily Woo Zeller (HarperCollins)
CN: Drug & alcohol use, drug addiction, violence (wartime & state-sanctioned), rape/sexual assault, execution, graphic depictions of dead bodies
CN: Discussion of depression
And the Earth Did Not Devour Him by Tomás Rivera (Arte Publico Press)
CN: Racism (anti-Mexican), murder, death, war, exploitation, violence against women, sexual content
“The Secret Society About Pug Dogs That Was Brought Down by a Book” by Julia Métraux (Electric Literature)
009: Genre Swap Recommendations
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa recommend books to one another based on what genres they want to read more of.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Media Mentioned:
The Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh
CN: Violence, state-sanctioned violence, sex trafficking, drug & alcohol use
CN: Graphic rape/sexual assault of a minor, murder, violence, drug & alcohol use by minors
Hysteria by Jessica Gross
CN: Fantasy violence
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
CN: Alcohol use, sexual situations, state-sanctioned violence & torture
Invisible Planets & Broken Stars translated by Ken Liu
Collected Novellas by Gabriel García Márquez
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
CN: Alcohol use & sexual situations
Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
CN: Extensive descriptions of state-sanctioned violence & torture, military violence & torture, police violence, anti-Black racism, Islamophobia
CN: Child abuse, sexual assault of minors, drug & alcohol use
Obit by Victoria Chang
CN: Death
“Humans Are Not the Virus—Don’t Be An Eco-Fascist” by Sherronda J. Brown
“Saving the Songs of South Korea’s Female Divers” by Hahna Yoon
"Emily Jungmin Yoon vs. Femininity" VS
008: Buddy Reads: Bestiary
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss K-Ming Chang's debut novel, Bestiary.
Media Mentioned:
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World)
CN: Child abuse, miscarriage
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt and Company)
CN: Genocide, death, violence, colorism
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers)
CN: Discussion of rape, drug / alcohol use
“Allegations of Wage Theft, Discrimination at Small Press Distribution” by Alex Green (Publishers Weekly)
The Memory Trees by Kali Wallace (Katherine Tegen Books)
CN: Death, child homicide, violence, drug / alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts and actions
We Were All Someone Else Yesterday by Omar Holmon (Button Poetry)
Other References:
Asian American Writers' Workshop
007: First-Half 2021 Releases
In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa get hyped for books releasing in the first half of the year.
Music by Ben Sulzinsky
Instagram: @dearlitpod
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dearlitpod
Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
Almost Home by Madisen Kuhn
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang
CN: Child abuse
“2020 In the Book Biz Was a Year Unlike Any Other” by Jim Milliot & Ed Nawotka
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
If This Is the Age We End Discovery by Rosebud Ben-Oni
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
Subdivision by J. Robert Lennon
Our Work is Everywhere: An Illustrated Oral History of Queer and Trans Resistance by Syan Rose
Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
CN: Abuse, addiction, trauma
A Complex Sentence by Marjorie Welish
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
Welcome to Nightvale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
CN: Child abuse
006: 2020 Wrap-Up
In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa review their 2020 in books and writing.
Music by Ben Sulzinsky
Instagram: @dearlitpod | @sea_of_sirens (Vanessa)
Vanessa's Shop: https://seaofsirens.bigcartel.com/
Books Mentioned:
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Penguin Classics)
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach (Wednesday Books)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Lais of Marie de France by Marie de France
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World)
The Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewis (Knopf)
We Slept Here by Sierra Demulder (Button Poetry)
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins)
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press)
Three Dark Crowns by Kendara Blake (Quill Tree Books)
Exhalation by Ted Chiang (Knopf)
Lovely War by Julie Berry (Viking Books for Young Readers)
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, read by January LaVoy (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Kona Winds by Scott Kikkawa (Bamboo Ridge Press)
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen (Beacon Press)
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (W. W. Norton Company)
Vicious & Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (Flatiron Books)
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
The Diviners series by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (Beacon Press)
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (Akashic Books)
Other Notes:
Cons: YALL FEST, YALL WEST, NTTBF, Miami
005: Bookshelf Backlist
In this episode, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss books that have been collecting dust on their shelves.
Music by Ben Sulzinsky
Instagram: @dearlitpod | @sea_of_sirens (Vanessa)
Vanessa's Shop: https://seaofsirens.bigcartel.com/
Books Mentioned:
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach
Again, But Better by Christine Riccio
Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
They Went Left by Monica Hesse
The Force of Destiny: The Life and Times of Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel
Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
An Unrestored Woman by Shobha Rao
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez
The Scandal of the Century: And Other Writings by Gabriel García Márquez
The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli, trans. Erica Segre & Simon Carnell
Reality is Not What It Seems by Carlo Rovelli, trans. Erica Segre & Simon Carnell
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
Other Notes:
Sarah Enni
Victoria Schwab (V. E. Schwab)
Nicola Yoon
Melissa Meyer
Renee Ahdieh
Adam Silvera
Hailey in Bookland (Hailey Leblanc)
004: Buddy Reads: The Song of Achilles
During this episode of Buddy Reads, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Ecco Press).
Music by Ben Sulzinsky
Books Mentioned:
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Ecco Press)
CN: Violence (wartime & against women), rape
Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
Sand Opera by Philip Metres (Alice James Books)
CN: State-sanctioned violence & torture
Pictures at an Exhibition by Philip Metres (University of Akron Press)
Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press)
Whereas by Layli Soldier Long (Graywolf Press)
CN: State-sanctioned violence
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (Katherine Tegen Books)
Circe by Madeline Miller (Little, Brown and Company)
The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (Riverhead Books)
CN: Murder, state-sanctioned violence
Drown by Junot Díaz (Riverhead Books)
This is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz (Riverhead Books)
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki (Penguin Books)
CN: Disordered eating
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Viking)
003: Reading and Writing While in School
In this week's episode, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss what their typical university lives are like and what it's like to balance reading and writing in that mix.
Music by Ben Sulzinsky.
Next Buddy Reads: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (episode out [edited] December 1)
Books Mentioned:
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (Katherine Tegen Books)
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (Katherine Tegen Books)
Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Don't Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press)
Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Picador USA)
Death of the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka (W. W. Norton & Company)
Kona Winds by Scott Kikkawa (Bamboo Ridge Press)
All the Love in the World by Cathy Song (Bamboo Ridge Press)
Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang (Alfred A. Knopf)
The Descent of Alette by Alice Notley (Penguin Books)
Other Notes:
Vanessa's Shop (seaofsirens.bigcartel.com)
002: Buddy Reads: Truly Devious
In this episode, Alyssa and Vanessa discuss Maureen Johnson's Young Adult mystery novel Truly Devious.
Media Mentioned:
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins)
Witches Sluts Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen Sollée (ThreeL Media)
Trickster Feminism by Anne Waldman (Penguin Books)
R E D by Chase Berggrun (Birds, LLC)
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (HarperCollins)
The Glass Tree by Laura Davies Foley (Harbor Mountain Press)
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (Everyman’s Library)
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (Vintage International)
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson (HarperCollins)
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo (Imprint)
Bonus: Spooky Bookish Media
For this spooky season, Vanessa and Alyssa suggest some haunting books and podcasts.
Media Mentioned:
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books)
House of Furies by Madeleine Roux (HarperTeen)
The Archived by Victoria Schwab (Hyperion)
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Greenwillow Books)
Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
001: Who We Are (As Readers & Writers)
In this week's episode, Vanessa and Alyssa introduce who they are as humans, readers, and writers.
Music by Ben Sulzinsky.
Books Mentioned:
Circe by Madeline Miller (Little, Brown and Company)
Epic of Gilgamesh, translated by David Ferry (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
Get in Trouble by Kelly Link (Random House Trade Paperbacks)
Bluets by Maggie Nelson (Wave Books)
The Tempest by William Shakespeare, edited by A.R. Braunmuller (Penguin Books)
Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (Hogarth Press)
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Random House Audio)
Sin Eater by Megan Campisi (Simon Schuster Audio)
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (W. W. Norton)
The Diviners by Libba Bray (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Mexican Gothic by Silva Moreno-Garcia (Penguin Random House)
Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang (Alfred A. Knopf)
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen (Boa Editions Ltd)
Space Struck by Paige Lewis (Sarabande Books)
If They Come for Us by Fatimah Asghar (Penguin Random House)
How to Train Your Cactus: A Guide to Raising Well-Behaved Succulents by Tonwen Jones (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Other Notes:
DNF: Did not finish
Lore
paperbackdreams
Ellias
000: Second-Half 2020 Releases
In this pilot episode of Dear Literature, Vanessa and Alyssa discuss the books releasing in the second half of 2020 that they're excited for.
Music by Ben Sulzinsky
Books Mentioned:
Urban Temple by David McCann (Bo-Leaf Books)
The King of Crows by Libba Bray (Little, Brown and Company)
Or What You Will by Jo Walton (Tor Books)
Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis (St. Martin’s Press)
I Hold a Wolf by the Ears by Laura van de Berg (FSG)
Must I Go by Yiyun Li (Random House)
Finna: Poems by Nate Marshall (One World)
The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays by Elisa Gabbert (FSG Originals)
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (Katherine Tegen Books)
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie (Dutton)
Skyhunter by Marie Lu (Roaring Book Press)
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (One World)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor Books)
Eartheater: A Novel by Dolores Reyes, trans. Julia Sanches (HarperVia)
Wound from the Mouth of a Wound by torrin a. greathouse (Milkweed Editions)
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books)
Lovely War by Julie Berry (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Other notes:
Trailer: Dear Literature
Welcome to Dear Literature, a new podcast where two friends, Alyssa and Vanessa, discuss books, writing, and publishing.
Instagram: @dearlitpod