This episode kicks off with a discussion of the scientific laws of the universe–no big deal–including a proposal to defund the third law of thermodynamics and shut down physics. (FYI, the idea of entropy is a perfect metaphor for a struggling writer’s life.) Then, the WITTScasters convert their energy to discussions of grand-slam books, the benefits of writerly competition, and Lindsay Hunter’s story “Three Things You Should Know About Peggy Paula.” Apologies in advance to the Irish.
- Download directly as an MP3
- Subscribe to us and write a review on iTunes
- Subscribe to the new episode RSS feed
Reading Discussed
- Two things you should know: Lindsay Hunter’s “Three Things You Should Know About Peggy Paula” is available at Recommended Reading, and it’s from her new collection Don’t Kiss Me.
- Speaking of threes, these are the three laws of thermodynamics.
- What do we need to know about the universe that we can’t learn from Thomas Pynchon’s story “Entropy,” from his collection Slow Learner? (58 degrees sounds ominous, but Brian always figured 98 Degrees would have something to do with the end of the world.)
- Go Chiefs.
- Take heart, writers. Also, yes, The Situation has a book. So actually, take your heart out into an open field and leave it for dead.
- Jon wrote about the struggles of having to fight for writing time in the real world at The Writer’s Job, run by all-around solid dude Porter Shreve.
- WITTScast’s theory about how Notre Dame got its nickname isn’t among the possibilities posted by the school.
- Bob Shacochis’ The Woman Who Lost Her Soul has made Jon realize what he really wants to do is write big, thick, ambitious doorstop novels.
- Shacochis on (and in) context in the LA Review of Books.
- The Steven Millhauser story we read way back in Episode 1 is included in this year’s Best American Short Stories anthology.
- Grand-slam books: Einstein’s Dreams (Ben) and The Count of Monte Cristo (Brian), along with Underworld, Tree of Smoke, and Blood Meridian (Jon).
- Pynchon callback: One thing Ben has in common with great authors is that they’ve read Gravity’s Rainbow (disclaimer: not in its entirety).
- A Perkins restaurant after a school dance can be sad, much like Kendrick Perkins can be sad.
- Ben kept his cool at the Panic Film Festival in Oswego, where teams had 48 hours to come up with an original horror film…
- …which is a contest reminiscent of the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge. Brian reached the finals in 2012. (Also, correction: In the contest, you’re given genre, character, and subject, not setting. Brian regrets this error, and points to it as a possible cause of why he didn’t win.)
- We all know the type. (FYI, here’s how you piss them off.)