This day is finally upon us... Licensed Poetics react to the biggest instagram poet of them all, Rupi Kaur. Rupi, if you are listening, we're sorry.
This week, FL comes back with a good old-fashioned reading update, talking about Junji Ito’s adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s classic novel No Longer Human. Then the hosts pivot to reading lyrics/poetry. Derek reads John Cooper Clark’s Full-time Loser. P.S. if you noticed the lack of outro, leave a comment! :D
No intro music this week! The reason will become apparent as you listen :)
LP film club continues!! One host watched this film during high school, the other host wishes she did. One host is still impressed by Fincher's cinematography after all these years, but less impressed by the message of the film. The other host was surprised by how literary (and wanky) this film is.
BFL emerges from her reading slump with some fantastic reading updates. Derek picked the film Office Space, which inspires an interesting discussion on their philosophy of work.
Unfortunately the LP team didn’t like the second half of the book as much as the first half - maybe it went downhill right after the main character and the love interest started having sex? Sigh. Jokes aside, reading this book has taught us important lessons, and for that, author Emily Henry, we’re grateful.
00:00 Intro
11:17 Sexual tension
41:05 The fantasy of safe love
54:53 Contrived endings
Take a shot every time we say porn in this episode… Derek asserts that people who think they’re better than this book should read this book. LP’s first venture into the romance genre generated such a productive discussion that we’ve had to split it into 2 episodes!
The title of this episode is to be taken literally. Shoutout to Story Games at https://perchance.org/storygames for providing us with prompts.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
11:29 Improv begins!
01:04:06 Outro
Long time LP collaborator Sofi dials in from Melbourne and discusses American Fiction, a satire-drama film about a Black author ironically using familiar, reductive tropes about the African American experience and end up producing a bestselling novel.
00:00 Intro
10:19 Synopsis
01:06:00 Horny metaphor :)
01:08:00 Outro
This is a special episode of LP where famous poetry hater Derek reads a poem by American writer Charles Bukowski for the first time, and what do you know, he loves it.
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LP’s hosts reveal more about themselves than they ever have before. Fung-Ling was nearly laid off, Derek is in enormous pain, but both have decided to show up despite it all. FL dropped the most ludicrous phrase on LP yet, ‘intellectual interior’, which she is prepared to give up in order to have real friends. Who would have thought living your life would be actually fulfilling?
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:13 Aspiring or not?
13:55 Good quality convos
19:57 P and P watch party
27:59 Corporate sucks
33:34 The popular kids
42:49 Outro
It’s time! LP’s first ever anime club pick is, of course, the industry-defining, culture-shifting, legendary Eva. We began with the 26 episodes available on Netflix, and discussed its themes of abandonment, self-loathing, and daddy issues. Fun! Oh and Derek used to be a member of his university’s anime club.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
08:43 Synopsis
40:46 Spoilers
01:08:12 Outro
Author SR Stuart appears on LP to discuss his debut novel, Mr Muerte, a mystery/thriller written during a two-year journey backpacking through the Americas. He shares the inspiration behind his novel, a controversial recent read, and inspires Derek and Fung-Ling to be better writers and to, like, actually start writing?!
Chapter
00:00 Music
01:49 Sean’s bio
04:59 Reading update
12:13 Synopsis of Mr Muerte
30:50 Writing routine
57:00 Outro
Why does the main character look like? In this very writerly discussion, Derek dissects tropes and wishes he could use them. BFL laments her past resistance to the Great Man History way of writing, because making a main character an idolise-able hero freaking works.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:42 Reading update
13:00 the lone genius
16:04 main character must be extraordinary
42:09 Nolan & great man history
50:25 outro
This week, BFL and Derek get real personal and delve into their love lives. What if your partner doesn’t like reading? What books would you performatively read in public to pull your type? What books are red flags? Green flags? How fast should you run when you meet a guy who likes Murakami? or High Fidelity?
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:47 Derek’s recent dates
11:26 High Fidelity
27:07 Red and green flags
58:05 Outro
This week, BFL and Derek read a musician’s memoir, Just Kids by Patti Smith, which is famously referenced in The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift. They start off the episode by discussing BFL’s relationship struggles (?!?!), then they open up about the conceit of being an artist, before reacting to some scornful Goodreads reviews of their new favourite book. It’s a special episode.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
04:21 Why this book?
31:40 XYZ question
46:43 Artist’s conceit
55:20 Goodreads reviews
[Split into spoiler-free and spoiler sections] In LP’s first ever TV club, Derek and Fung-Ling dissect the TV show that everybody is talking about, Severance, created by Dan Erickson. They talk about the show’s pacing, themes, acting, set design, and plot, while relating it to their own experiences working in corporate jobs. This episode is about Season 1.
Chapters
00:00 Music
02:14 Synopsis
02:38 Showrunner bio
14:30 Corporate satire
32:55 Spoiler
51:40 IMDB reviews
LP sits down with Kwame, a friend from FBi Radio, and discuss Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. HP Lovecraft advanced the comic horror genre, but also left some racist and terrible impact on literature. Does this new take on 1950s America subvert Lovecraftian racism? Join Fung-Ling, Derek, and Kwame in their very nerdy discussion.
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Find Kwame @kwameslusher
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:02 Guest bio
06:25 Synopsis
22:50 Structure
36:00 XYZ question
54:52 If I was the writer…
01:00:10 Goodreads
01:10:31 Outro
In this casual episode, LP takes a break from book clubs and reminisce on an author who has a special place in many people’s hearts, John Green. BFL and Derek dive into his novels, podcasts, educational videos and philanthropic work, after they give an update on their chaotic writing life.
Support LP on Buy Me a Coffee!
chapters
00:00 Intro
00:11 Writing update
09:50 John Green's work and influence
19:17 JG work we have consumed
28:00 JG fiction formula
31:40 Crash Course
50:05 JG’s general life advice
In line with LP’s new branding as the BEST book podcast for writers, Derek and BFL discuss The Art of the Novel by the patron saint of literary wankers, Czech-French author Milan Kundera. He has had an enormous impact on BFL’s writing, and maybe even transmitted parts of himself to her, oh my god. Meanwhile, Derek has a love hate relationship with this book, and shares his delightful meta spirals. Chat, you’re welcome.
BFL’s piece link here
Support LP link here
00:00 Intro
00:51 Table of contents
04:46 Why this book?
09:06 Five Words or Less
11:05 Synopsis and Author Bio
16:19 The XYZ question BFL
33:30 The XYZ question Derek
41:55 Recommend to whom?
51:40 Roadmap: chapters of thebook
01:00:59 Takeaways from the book
01:05:24 Goodreads Reviews
01:10:00 Outro
Derek’s best friend and ex-landlord Jeremy recommended The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu, the translator of The Three Body Problem, so of course LP had to read it. What did they think? Who, if anyone, would they recommend it to? Finally, they also react to some truly unhinged Goodreads reviews. PS, please, Ken, I want to be your friend.
Support LP here
Chapters
00:00 Intro
09:18 Five word summary
26:03 About the author
35:21 The XYZ question
01:10:34 Recommend?
01:16:56 Spoilers!
01:26:59 Goodreads reviews
01:45:02 Outro
