Literary Guise: A Book Club for Modern Men

What would a series discussion of the intersex narrative in this Pulitzer Prize winning novel be without some divergence into early Genesis albums and inappropriate High School plays? In this episode: we talk to some experts, explore the problematic (and reoccurring) fictional character of Dr. Luce, and really get to the heart of our reason for this podcast/bookclub-- what does it mean to identify as a man?

Join us for a special episode recorded in Hawai'i! We'll be discussing one of the best novels of the decade, learning from its perspective on native Hawaiian culture, and exploring its unique relationship to "The Big Island."
Did we take this opportunity to record from white sand beaches over-looking clear-turquoise bays where sea turtles glide and dolphins play? Of course not! Instead we take a tour of some of Hilo's finest dive bars where the windows are shaded and the pu-pus are served on paper plates. Our thinking was-- hey, didn't one of the novel's characters get kicked out of the same bar where a problematic DC-universe actor was recently arrested? Let's go drinking there!

Our second graphic novel exploration, taking a hard pivot from the action genre by delving into the world of LGBTQIA+ high school romance. What does Alice Oseman get right about the story of two young men falling in love? What has this work meant to the queer community? And why is paving the way for more work like this is so important? Also, Nellie the dog.... come on! When is she going to get her own MCU spin-off series?!

We talk about our favorite reads in 2023 and the conversations they inspired. We discuss changes (Gordon in NYC, Zac in lawful marriage) and brainstorm tentative plans for the future of the podcast. We speculate why no one listened to our Death Wish episode (an episode no one asked for and certainly no one wanted), congratulate ourselves on some truly stellar book choices and some well received readings, and inevitably go off on tangents about Hitchcock, Steven Seagal being an absolute joke of a man, and ABC's 1991 sitcom "Dinosaurs." See if you can also catch our subtle tribute to the film, "Clue."
We'll be taking a hiatus while we discuss the future and hope you'll stick with us down the road.
...Literary Guise Will Return!

We kick off our first Listeners' Choice! (Thanks, David). "I Am Legend" by the great and woefully underrated Richard Matheson. Q: What does a man do when the world around him is totally beyond his control? A: He Drinks! He drinks and fires guns.