Heavy Bored
Episodes
#50 Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms w/ Valerie Lute
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt is joined by writer and friend of the pod, Valerie Lute, in a discussion about Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece, A Farewell to Arms. ...
Heavy Bonus #6 Horror Movie Round Up October 2023 (preview)
29 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt goes over the (mostly) horror movies he’s been watching during the Halloween season. Including The Nun (2018) and The Nun II (2023)...
#49 Mary Oliver's House of Light
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt goes into Mary Oliver’s poetry collection, House of Light. Topics include: Romantic poetry–Rhetorical questions in poetry–lineb...
Heavy Bonus #5 Listener Emails 10/14/2023 (preview)
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt reads and responds to listener emails. Topics include: The Western Canon–Authenticity in literature–identity politics–hostility...
#48 Melancholic America w/ Caleb Caudell
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt talks with author Caleb Caudell (@LitMiddle) about all things books, writing, politics and culture. Topics include: The Midwest–Fig...
JerkShop #4 w/ Erik | Writing Workshop Stories
01 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew is joined by friend of the pod, Erik (@bazillionplus), as the pair enjoy drinks and shit-talking about the state of literature and its conseque...
#47 Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe w/ Erik
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew is joined by Erik @bazillionplus in a lengthy discussion about Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Topics include: Colonialism–Man Conquering N...
Heavy Bonus #3 Listener Emails (preview)
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt reads and responds to listener emails. Topics include, Ben Lerner’s The Hatred of Poetry, Gary Snyder, Diane Di Prima, Walt Whitman...
#46 Louise Glück’s The Wild Iris
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt goes into Louise Glück’s masterpiece collection of poems while discussing some the best poems written in the 1990’s. Topics incl...
Heavy Bonus #2 August 2023 Reading Roundup (preview)
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bonus Episode for subscribers only. Join Patreon to get FULL access to Heavy Bored!https://www.patreon.com/HeavyBored Andrew Wittstadt reviews the bo...
#45 Ian Fleming's Casino Royale w/ The Nani State
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt talks with anonymous musician and James Bond autist, The Nani State (@thenanistate) As they go into the importance of Fleming’s boo...
JerkShop #3 w/ Matt Wall | Writing Workshop Stories
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt and Matt Wall sit down and chat for hours about MFA programs, Writing Workshops, the State of Poetry, The state of publishing, fashio...
#44 Poetic Anarchy w/ Matt Wall (preview)
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew is joined by friend of the pod, Matt Wall, from the I Hate Matt Wall Poetry Podcast Where the two get into a lengthy discussion about all thing...
JerkShop #2 w/ Cassandra | Writing Workshop Stories
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew is joined by friend of the pod, C*ss*ndr* (@truth_enjoyer), in a lively discussion about workshops, MFA’s, DFW and Mary Karr, writing feedbac...
#43 Richard Siken's Crush w/ Cassandra
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt talks with anonymous e-girl poet C*ss*ndr* (@truth_enjoyer) about Richard Siken’s masterpiece while constantly bringing up peak emo...
#42 Cormac McCarthy's Cities of the Plain (preview)
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt reviews the 3rd novel in Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy, while going into weaknesses in writing prose, writing contracts, if tril...
#41 Charles Simic's Scribbled in the Dark
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew dives into Simic’s book of poems from 2017, going into why artists tend to decline at the end of their careers and why Simic’s reputation i...
#40 Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt praises Cormac McCarthy’s genius in the Border trilogy books while going into what makes McCarthy such an important figure in Ameri...
*UNLOCKED* #31 William Faulkner's As I lay Dying
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
**Get a taste of subscriber-only content**Andrew and Sophie fix the Hamline University controversy before diving into the deep sweaty realms of strang...
JerkShop #1 | Writing Workshop Stories
28 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew reads a listener email and goes into one of his own close encounters with a workshop going off the rails. Exploring topics like, what is worksh...
#39 Gary Snyder's Turtle Island
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The tide washes ashore as Andrew Wittsadt goes into Gary Snyder’s prize-winning poetry collection. Going into the major themes and weaknesses in the...
#38 Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Wittstadt discusses why Vonnegut is one of his most cherished influences as he goes into the major themes of the famous novel, Slaughterhouse-F...
#37 Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems (part 4)
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the final part of The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, Andrew takes the wheel of the car and scrapes the guardrail for over forty minutes while t...
#36 Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems (part 3)
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In part 3 of The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, Andrew moves back in with his parents, while Sophie chooses to live on the streets instead. Both b...
#35 Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems (part 2)
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, Andrew butchers Dickinson’s poems while reading them out loud. Sophie speaks on Death, God, and ...
#34 Emily Dickinson: The Complete Poems (part 1)
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew rants about the censorship of Dahl’s books for twenty minutes before Sophie is allowed to speak and Emily Dickinson’s first few packets of ...
#33 F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
26 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie crashes a car into a pedestrian while Andrew helps bury the body and avoids vehicular manslaughter charges. Both become hermits and avoid large...
#32 Olena Kalytiak Davis And Her Soul Out of Nothing
12 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie becomes an animal bone while Andrew goes on tangents about love, loss, and self-help. Both become souls trapped by bodies while knowing nothing...
#31 William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (preview)
29 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie fix the Hamline University controversy before diving into the deep sweaty realms of strange small-town southern America. Topics incl...
#30 Lana Del Rey's Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
15 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie gets lost in a big haunted vagina, while Andrew makes himself at home in the pepsi-filled cervix. Absolutely no drugs were consumed in the maki...
#29 Artistic Visions w/ Lee Matalone
01 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author Lee Matalone joins the pod to discuss her debut novel, Homemaking, in a wide-ranging conversation on everything from reality TV to the current ...
#28 Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
18 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie gets her Hitler’s out after ye went on his Hitler tour while Andrew cries like a little bitch about how much he loves Christmas. Topics inclu...
#27 Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems
04 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie and Andrew become a pectoral muscle big as vagina and make no reference at all to cock and endless balls in a mature discussion of Allen Ginsbe...
#26 Zoje Stage's Baby Teeth
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie talks love handles and low-rise jeans while Andrew simps for Jessica Biel. Both agree Britney Spears should still be under lock and key. Topics...
#25 Carl Phillips Coin of the Realm
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie talks passionately about her true calling–waxing holes. While Andrew rants about aliens controlling the weather and denies climate change. To...
#24 Bram Stoker's Dracula
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie gets bored while reading about Victorian-era drivel, while Andrew gets obsessed with the sexual nature of horror. Topics include Horror and Sex...
Heavy Bonus #1 Listener Q&A 09/29/22 (free sample)
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie answer listener questions while ranting about workshops, building confidence as a writer, what makes a poem great, how to assess you...
#23 Nick Flynn's The Captain Asks for a Show of Hands
09 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie get waterboarded by government agents as they read and discuss topics such as war crimes, why erasure is the lowest form of poetry, ...
#22 James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room
25 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie and Andrew pretend to read French while discussing Baldwin’s legacy, literary vs pop fiction, mystery structure in novels, literary style, sh...
#21 Heather Christle's The Trees, The Trees
11 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew rants about the lack of structure in contemporary poetry, while Sophie imagines herself as a Tree in a forest. Topics include the power of repe...
#20 Herman Melville's Moby Dick
28 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie becomes a big fat whale while Andrew struggles to remember any character in the novel he just read. Topics include the power of cultural touchs...
*UNLOCKED* #10 Ben Lerner's The Hatred of Poetry
14 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
**Get a taste of what’s behind the paywall with this *UNLOCKED* episode of Heavy Bored #10 Ben Lerner’s The Hatred of Poetry**A long and winding b...
#19 Jonathan Culler's Theory of the Lyric
31 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew gives Sophie Covid through Skype while they discuss lyric poetry and all of its glory. Sophie helps Andrew learn how to read big words he can’...
#18 Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn
17 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The final part of the Twilight Saga has Sophie becoming pro child brides while Andrew mansplains vampire pregnancy. Both become pro-life and consider ...
#17 Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part 3 of the continuing Twilight Saga kicks off with Andrew wanting it to be over because he’s a man, while Sophie is seduced by some hot, wet talk...
#16 Stephenie Meyer's New Moon
19 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie get a bad case of Twilight Fever while being nostalgic for the emo era in Part 2 of the continuing Twilight Saga. Sophie gets in tou...
#15 Stephenie Meyer's Twilight
05 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Twilight Saga gets the Heavy Bored treatment Part 1. We go through the first novel in the series while discussing why pop fiction sells more copie...
#14 The Essential W. S. Merwin
22 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Merwin’s long career is discussed along with his fuckability, his tendency to be vague, line breaks, overpraising famous writers' more mediocre ...
#13 John O'Hara's BUtterfield 8 (free sample)
08 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The famous novel about the great depression in New York and the infamous character Gloria Wanderous is discussed while going into what a reputation do...
#12 Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie and Andrew get terribly bored reading this classic American masterpiece. Topics include transcendentalism, free verse, the limits of the line a...
#11 Iceberg Slim's Pimp (free sample)
10 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The iconic autobiographical novel is discussed with its many vivid depictions of pimp life in the early 20th century and its raw descriptions of sex, ...
#10 Ben Lerner's The Hatred of Poetry (free sample)
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A long and winding breakdown of Lerner’s personal essay and reflection on the craft of poetry. Strap in for this one, as we go over every bit of spa...
#9 Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie discuss one of the greatest novels ever written while discussing technique, the limits of plot, the beauty of Woolf’s prose, and m...
#8 Louise Bogan's The Blue Estuaries (free sample)
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The brilliance of Bogan’s work is discussed at length with Sophie going into some of her favorite works while discussing themes, the fear of being a...
#7 Joy Williams' The Quick and the Dead
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie discuss the merits of plot, the usefulness of setting, trends in writing, the boredom factor, and much more in Joy Williams' Pul...
#6 The Complete John Keats
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A long, boring trip into the young romantic poet and his many works, published in this complete Keats edition. We discuss everything from the benefits...
#5 Stephen King's The Shining
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The one that needs no introduction, this horror classic is given the Heavy Bored treatment. Discussing a wide range of topics including King’s influ...
#4 Brigit Pegeen Kelly's The Orchard
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie go into the haunting imagery of Brigit Pegeen Kelly’s The Orchard. Her final collection of poems. Topics include, the problems wit...
#3 Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look into the strange character that is Stevens and his methodical ways while addressing literary modes, styles, British things, Nobel Pr...
#2 Harold Bloom's The Art of Reading Poetry
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew and Sophie take a deep dive into the very slim, but extremely articulate introductory essay to Harold Bloom’s The Best Poems of the English L...
#1 Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the inaugural episode of Heavy Bored, Andrew and Sophie discuss this classic Wharton novel, including the problem with class analysis, the many the...