John McCoy

The Early Writings of John McCoy (2nd edition) A Facsimile Edition; with commentary by the author The author in 1974. I published the first edition of this commentary in 1997, having just learned how to code HTML from a disreputable Usenet post…

If you enjoy comic essays in which the 57-year-old author roasts his six-year-old former self, I got you covered: johnmccoy.org/2025/08/04/t...

Meet me at the cemetery gates Boston is a great place for cemeteries. If you visit our fair city as a tourist and walk the Freedom Trail, which is the red-brick line that connects downtown Boston’s and Charlestown’s…

If you're not already reading my blog/newsletter Pathetic Fallacy, what better post to start with than this exploration of Boston's best graves? (As voted on by me.)
johnmccoy.org/2025/07/27/m...

Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads The latest episode of my podcast, Sophomore Lit, is a discussion of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, Or, Life in the Woods (1854), with guest host Daniel Daughtee. As I mentioned in my discussio…

And also check out my blog/newsletter for more thoughts on Thoreau johnmccoy.org/2025/07/18/h...

Walden, or Life in the Woods (Sophomore Lit 176) If you’re suffering from Quiet Desparation, why not listen to the not-so-quiet voices of Dan Daughhetee and me discussing Henrey David Thoreau’s Walden, or Life in the Woods (1854)?

Make no mistake, we will call you back to the lake. Or pond, whatever. @dancredentials.bsky.social discusses Walden. #thoreau #sophomorelit #quietdesperation www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

Pathetic Fallacy Another Blog You're Not Reading.

I invite all listeners to Sophomore Lit—and anyone else, really—to check out the new iteration of my blog, Pathetic Fallacy. In addition to literature, I discuss design, pop culture, ASD, and lots more! You can subscribe to the blog as a newsletter and get new posts via email. johnmccoy.org

remember when Dad used to listen to Music from the Hearts of Space? now they want to defund public radio what will us olds listen to smh

First Class - The Incomparable Exclusive bonus content, only for Incomparable members.

Just posted, only for The Incomparable members - I talk with @tracemcjoy.bsky.social about Stephen King's first novel "Carrie,” which I had never read. Turns out... Sue Snell is in it?

www.theincomparable.com/members/firs...

The Chrysalids (Sophomore Lit 174) Podcasts are the original voices in your head. David Dredrick discusses John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids (1955).

Fun fact: this book never actually says what a chrysalid is. #JohnWyndham #SophomoreLit #TheWorldEndsAgain www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

The Visit (Sophomore Lit 173) Make money fast with this one weird trick. Glenn Fleishman discusses Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s play The Visit (1956).

I talked about the surprisingly relevant 1950s play The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt with @tracemcjoy.bsky.social on Sophomore Lit. www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit... Call it “the ones who decided Omelas was an okay place to live if it paid well enough.”

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (Sophomore Lit 172) And indeed there will be time to discuss this, the most mid-life white-guy crisis poem of all. Lisa Schmeiser discusses T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1915).

If life is getting you down right now, maybe spend about a half an hour discussing someone else's problems.
@lschmeiser.bsky.social discusses T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." #sophomorelit #disturbingtheuniverse www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

Frank O'Connor Stories (Sophomore Lit 171) I’ve heard it said by men of wide experience that podcasts used to be better in the old days. Kieran Healy discusses three short stories by Frank O’Connor: “First Confession,” “The Majesty of the Law,...

In the latest episode of Sophomore Lit I discuss Frank O'Connor, first confessions, and heather-based whisky with guest host Kieran Healy (@kjhealy.co) www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

Emily Dickinson Poems (Sophomore Lit 170) Forever is composed of podcasts. Caroline Fulford discusses selected poems by Emily Dickinson (c. 1860-65).

I'll tell you how the sun rose... is not discussed in this episode. #sophomorelit #dickinson #emopoetsunite

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Sophomore Lit 169) Cigars are always trouble. Marina McCoy discusses Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1972).

Not a movie tie-in! www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

lifehack your kindness with one weird cup

The Time of Your Life (Sophomore Lit 168) Sometimes you want to go where everybody is a thread in the fabric of the human condition. Also they know your name. Phil Gonzales discusses William Saroyan’s The Time of Your Life (1939).

Phil Gonzales (@pcgonzo.bsky.social) visits #sophomorelit to discuss this very strange play that is also an American classic? www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

Thanksgiving Special: Comfort Reads (Sophomore Lit 167) Hey, things are tough. The McCoy Bros, Rob, John, and Dan, discuss the books that get them through.

This year’s traditional family episode, featuring Dan (@dankmccoy.bsky.social ?and Rob, this time discussing comfort reading www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

By the way I'm always looking for book/poem/play requests! And for new co-hosts! You can write me at sophomore dot literature at gmail dot com. Uncharacteristic self-promotion finished!

The Incomparable - Smart, funny pop culture podcasts

I don't have a producer. I record everything in my guest room, I edit the episodes myself, and I publish sporadically. The sound quality changes from time to time. I've been publishing under the Incomparable Network umbrella since 2016 and they are the actual best. www.theincomparable.com

Animal Farm (Sophomore Lit 20) Elliott Kalan joins in for a quiet weekend in the country with George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Four legs: good! Four eyes: nerd!

If you know my little brother @dankmccoy.bsky.social and his much, much more popular podcast, rest assured that I've had all three Flop House hosts on as guests. www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

Klickitcast A Beverly Cleary podcast with Phil Gonzales and John McCoy.

Speaking of kid's lit, regular guest host @pcgonzo.bsky.social (of Deep in Bear Country)
and I also did a podcast where we read every single book by Beverly Cleary. All episodes still available! www.theincomparable.com/klickitcast/

The Westing Game (Sophomore Lit 72) Fun for the whole family! Ages 10 and up! Dan McCoy discusses Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game (1978).

As time has gone on, the podcast has expanded into stuff you may have read in college (The Bell Jar, Gilgamesh, Native Son), stuff you may have read when you were a kid (Stuart Little, The Westing Game, The Long Winter), and other "formative literature." www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

The Scarlet Letter (Sophomore Lit 16) This time historian Daniel Daughetee of The Lesser Bonapartes joins in to discuss Nathaniel Hawthorne’s inescapable novel The Scarlet Letter. What? You somehow made it through high school without read...

SophLit's tagline is "where we re-read your 10th grade reading list," and it was originally entirely about books assigned in high school, but which a guest and I re-read now: e.g. Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace, The Scarlet Letter. www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit...

Sophomore Lit A podcast about your 10th grade reading list, hosted by John McCoy.

Since I seem to be getting a bunch of followers from the Flop House starter pack, here is a thread promoting my podcast, Sophomore Lit. I'd love some new listeners, so anyone who wants to, please retweet! Or whatever it's called now. www.theincomparable.com/sophomorelit/