A couple of years ago Jonah Andrist convinced Will Peterson, of the Walrus and Carpenter bookstore in Pocatello ID, to go halfsies on a recorder. Every month or so we've sat down in front of this recorder for a chat, with some beer, to talk about writing and great writers and the philosophy of doing as such. Will has an incredible amount of developed training as a talker - being a personal knowledge hub who people look to for suggestion and guidance, a great bookstore owner - and as a writer himself knows the pains and pleasures of trying to do something great. Jonah felt doomed to becoming a writer, come hell or high water (of which there's been plenty) and with less life experience than Will has yet tried to read as widely as possible to truly understand the magic of the craft.
Together they form a highly educated 45 year old who has dedicated their life to books and the people who read them.
Episode 56: Thomas Hardy, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Hunter S. Thompson, Herman Hesse,
About 4 minutes in Jonah reveals the idea for this episode: he is going to list off bursts of authors he's read in the last five years of doing the podcast which they haven't featured and Will is going to riff on whatever comes to mind. Thanks for listening fellow littérateurs. This may be our last episode ... Jonah is tired of doing jobs he doesn't like so he's gonna get out of Idaho and get beat on the dirty streets of Hollywood. He is leaving behind a box of books of his short stories at the Walrus and Carpenter. If you take a pilgrimage you can get one for free. It really is a great bookstore. Come sit with us in front of the fire for a while.
14 Aug 2023
Episode 55: Mallarme (accent not included)
This is a very loosely styled podcast. I know, usually we keep it so on point and tight. But often I think podcasts are more fun this way. At least we had fun. It's the conversation you'll get in the Walrus and Carpenter bookstore. Come sit for a while and geek out about language.
19 Jul 2023
Episode 54: Milan Kundera Dies Age 94
A eulogy Live from the Walrus and Carpenter bookstore. Ten years ago, when Jonah first fell headfirst into an obsession with Kundera (and his new English translations) Jonah was surprised to learn Kundera was still alive. Shortly after he started writing notes for an article about the importance of Kundera's novel Immortality to 20th century literature - halfway expecting at some point to have a relationship with a literary journal which might publish it. Those notes still exist but suffice to say said relationship never occurred. But what might be the best simplification is Immortality and NOT the unbearable lightness of being is Kundera's most important novel. In all Kundera's obituaries they lead with him being a commenter on Communism in The Czech Republic and his writings on sexual desire but Kundera dedicated his life to literature and the resonant feeling which displays this best is in the novel Immortality. Don't worry, this point isn't belabored in the show but Jonah needed to make that clear. (Although, perhaps, Immortality makes the most significant impression after reading Kundera's previously published works. Well, no one said dedicating your life to understanding the relationship between metaphor and man and the limits of our desires was streamlined. It's rather rambling and don't expect to look for it knowing what you're going to get. Kind of like this podcast.)
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