Lit for Christmas

About Lit for Christmas

Two poet pals imbibe in a little Christmas cheer and get naughty and nice discussing Christmas literature.

Publisher

Martin Achatz

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Dec 2020

Latest episode

31 Mar 2025

Latest episodes

48 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Mar 2025

   Episode Three: Bailey's Mint Mudslides & Frank O'Connor

   Welcome to our Saint Patrick’s Day Lit for Christmas party of Season Five! In this episode, Marty and Beth get bombed on Bailey's Mint Mudslides and discuss "Christmas Morning" by Irish writer Frank O'Connor. BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time Beth makes a seuxal innuendo. CAUTION: You WILL get very drunk. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT Bailey's Mint Mudslide: Ingredients: Two shots original Bailey's Irish Cream One shot Creme de Menthe Syrup One shot Vanilla Creamer Hershey's Chocolate Syrup 1 cup of ice 1 Hershey's kiss Directions: In a blender, put ice, Bailey's Irish Cream, Creme de Menthe, and Vanilla Creamer. Blend well. Drizzle sides of glass with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Pour blended mixture into drizzled glass. Add Hershey's kiss, if desired. Non-Alcoholic Directions: Substitute two scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream for the Bailey's Irish Cream and Creme de Menthe. Eliminate the ice. Double the Vanilla Creamer (2 shots) to thin the mixture. Lit for Christmas Party Hosts: Marty has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms at Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula, and has published two poetry collections, The Mysteries ofthe Rosary from Mayapple Press and A Bigfoot Bestiary and Other Wonders from Modern History Press .  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com).  Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting. Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education.  She hasworked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier.  Currently, she works in a call center and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature with her loving husband. Music for this episode: "Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay. "A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay. Other music in the episode: The Dubliners. "Whiskey in the Jar." More of the Hard Stuff. Major Minor, 1968. A Christmas Carol sound clips from: The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore. This month's Christmas lit: O'Connor, Frank.  "Christmas Morning." Collected Short Stories. New York, Knopf, 1981.

2. 

   28 Feb 2025

   Episode Two: Blue Eyes & Toni Morrison

   Welcome to our Black History Month Lit for Christmas party! In this episode, Marty and Beth sip Blue Eyes and discuss Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye. BONUS POINTS:  Take a shot every time you hear Beth make a bad pun. CAUTION: You WILL get very drunk. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: The Blue Eye Ingredients: ·     2 shots Vodka ·     1 shot Blue Curacao ·     3 shots Baja Blast Mountain Dew ·     1 shot white cranberry juice ·     3 or 4 whole blueberries Directions: 1.     Gently mix vodka, Blue Curacao, Baja Blast Mountain Dew, white cranberry juice to a shaker over ice. 2.     Strain into martini glass. 3.     Add three or four whole blueberries for garnish. Directions for Non-Alcoholic The Blue Eye Recipe Follow same directions as above, eliminating vodka and Blue Curacao. Increase amount of Baja Blast Mountain Dew to 4 shots and white cranberry juice to 2 shots. Lit for Christmas Party Hosts: Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting. He has an Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  He served two terms as U.P. Poet Laureate, and has published the poetry collections The Mysteries of the Rosary from Mayapple Press and A Bigfoot Bestiary and Other Wonders from Modern History Press.  For more of Marty's thoughts and writing visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com). Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education.  She hasworked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier.  Currently, she works in a call center and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature withher loving husband. Music for this episode: "Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H, used courtesy of Pixabay. "A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay. Other music in the episode: UB40. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." Getting Over the Storm. Virgin/Universal, 2 September, 2013. A Christmas Carol sound clips from: The Campbell Theater 1939 radio production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore. This month's Christmas lit: Morrison, Toni.  The Bluest Eye. New York, Penguin Group, 1970.

3. 

   1 Feb 2025

   Episode One: Dogs, Peppermint Patties, & Dave Barry

   Yes, we are back, Lit for Christmas party goers! Bigger and better. Apologies for our long hiatus. Life became quite complicated last year, and we had to put quite a few things on hold. However, we are here and ready to Christmas party again! In this episode, Marty and Beth imbibe in Peppermint Patties and discuss Dave Barry's The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Miracle Christmas Dog. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Peppermint Patty (courtesy of https://novelnightcaps.com/recipe/hot-peppermint-patty-cocktail/) Ingredients Mug of you favorite hot chocolate 3 shots of Peppermint Schnapps Marshmallows or whipped cream (if you prefer) Directions Make your mug of hot chocolate (we used Swiss Miss) Three shots of Peppermint Schnapps (use mint or peppermint extract for non-alcoholic version) Lit for Christmas Party Hosts Marty has a Master's in fiction writing, MFA in poetry writing, and teaches in the English Department at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He served two terms as U.P. Poet Laureate, and has published two poetry collections, The Mysteries of the Rosasy from Mayapple Press and A Bigfoot Bestiary and Other Wonders from Modern History Press. For more of Marty's thoughts and writing, visit his blog Saint Marty (saintmarty-marty.blogspot.com). Marty is a writer, blogger, wine sipper, easy drunk, and poetry obsessor who puts his Christmas tree up in mid-October and refuses to take it down until the snow starts melting. Beth has a BS in English Secondary Education. She was worked as a substitute teacher, medical transcriptionist, medical office receptionist, deli counter attendant, and Office Max cashier. Currently, she words in a call center and enjoys discussing/arguing about literature with her loving husband. Music for this episode: "Jingle Bells Jazzy Style" by Julius H., used courtesy of Pixabay. "A Christmas Treat" by Magic-828, used courtesy of Pixabay. Other music in the episode: Osmond, Donny. "Puppy Love." Portrait of Donny. MGM, 27 May, 1972. A Christmas Carol sound clips from: The Campbell Theater 1939 production of A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore. This month's Christmas lit: Barry, Dave. The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Miracle Christmas Dog. New York. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2006.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100

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

Quality

15

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32