The Dark Heart of Ordinary Life: Shirley Jackson, Gothic Literature & Why We Love to Be Scared with Dr. Bernice Murphy

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Wait - What Do You Do Again? | Careers, Life, and the Surprising Paths We Take

Meghan DeFord

66 episodes

2 days ago

Ever ask someone what they do and end up in a surprisingly fascinating conversation? Think of this podcast as a cocktail party, minus the small talk and bad appetizers. Wait - What Do You Do Again? explores career pivots, passion projects, and the unexpected twists that shape people’s lives. From creatives to CEOs, scientists to storytellers, we dig into what they actually do and what they’ve learned. If you like learning something new just for the heck of it, subscribe and join in the conversation! More at www.megdeford.com.

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Society & Culture

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The Dark Heart of Ordinary Life: Shirley Jackson, Gothic Literature & Why We Love to Be Scared with Dr. Bernice Murphy

Wait - What Do You Do Again? | Careers, Life, and the Surprising Paths We Take

1 hour 11 minutes 31 seconds

2 weeks ago

The Dark Heart of Ordinary Life: Shirley Jackson, Gothic Literature & Why We Love to Be Scared with Dr. Bernice Murphy

This week on Wait — What Do You Do Again?, we meet Dr. Bernice Murphy, Professor of Popular Literature at Trinity College Dublin and one of the world’s leading experts on Gothic and horror fiction. From Shirley Jackson’s chilling works (including The Lottery, which is still haunting Meghan 30 years after she first read it), to the haunted houses and haunted hearts of the modern Gothic, Dr. Murphy unpacks why these unsettling tales endure and what they reveal about us.

Murphy explores Jackson’s wit, feminism, and deep insight into community and conformity, the reaction The Lottery garnered, and how horror helps us process real-world fears, from postwar trauma to social media “stonings.” The conversation spans Stephen King, suburban Gothic, cancel culture, and why being scared might actually be good for us.

If you love spooky season, literary history, or just want to understand why we can’t look away from the macabre, this episode is for you.

You can purchase Dr. Murphy's books here and follow her on Bluesky.