Desperate Readers

About Desperate Readers

Tatiana and Niko meet together to discuss great literature of the past and present. In each episode they read a book of contemporary world literature and pair it with a canonical western classic to delve into shared literary themes and questions that writers keep returning to across space and time. Follow us on Instagram: @desperatereaderspod and Twitter: @DeserateReads Sound recording and editing by Niko and Tatiana Opening music by Seth Thomsen

Publisher

Desperate Readers

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Nov 2022

Latest episode

3 Jul 2025

Latest episodes

51 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Jul 2025

   L. Napoleon and Mephistopheles: The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin

   Hosts Niko and Tatiana analyze Alexander Pushkin's "The Queen of Spades," exploring themes of obsession and gambling.

2. 

   15 May 2025

   XLIX. The Most Righteous and Appalling: Michael Kohlhaas by Heinrich von Kleist

   This week welcomes back to the pod Heinrich von Kleist and perhaps his most famous novella, "Michael Kohlhaas"! Niko and Tatiana discuss justice, certainty, and doubt in a story that even Kafka read with "true piety"

3. 

   21 Mar 2025

   XLVIII. The Ways of White Folks: Passing by Langston Hughes

   This week Niko and Tatiana return to the Harlem Renaissance and discuss Langston Hughes's short story "Passing" from the collection The Ways of White Folks. They discuss identity, economic freedom, patronage, and the Kendrick-Drake feud.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

4.3 / 5

21 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

35

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

Contact Desperate Readers

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.