There’s a lot more to Jessica Mitford’s life! A lot of it truly astonishing. Kaplan is an excellent speaker. If you have a chance to see her, go! Also read the book.
(Muckraking started more than a half century before this with Upton Sinclair and others.)
Mitford’s classic work of muckraking was THE AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH. (Rachel Carson published SILENT SPRING around the same time. THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE by Betty Friedan published that year too.)
Kaplan said she wished Jessica Mitford were present in this current political moment so she could teach us how to wake up each morning energized to fight fascism. That’s how she lived her life (apparently she first threw back a shot of vodka upon waking - food for thought).
Kaplan is an English professor at Northeastern. She said she was one of three people teaching about muckraking in this country, that she knew of.
Muckraking exposes exploitation and defends the exploited. It builds sympathy for the exploited.
Someone asked if muckraking wasn’t the same as investigative journalism and Kaplan said that all muckraking is investigative journalism but not all investigative journalism is muckraking.
Learned many things from Carla Kaplan at our event with her last night, but one of the things I’m still mulling over is what she said about muckraking as a literary form and how it is purely American and not widely taught.
So much great stuff to talk about in EP8. Kathy Acker is ... wild. And we do a little lesson on what makes something "gothic." And then look at the very flawed foundations of liberal notions of "freedom." The seabirds are squawking!
Find, like, review, etc., on Apple or wherever you get your pods.
This Olympics more than any other, I’m struck by how many of the competing athletes have Olympian parents.
Thank goodness LONDON FALLING by Patrick Radden Keefe (coming April 7) is so good bc I’m being held hostage by this sleeping lap cat.
I just wish it wasn’t a Substack link
If James VanDerBeek was left broke because he couldn't pay the bills during his cancer struggle, imagine the plight of millions of Americans?
Medicare for All or some major, radical overhaul of the system will only gain steam as Republicans and billionaires continue killing us.
For those of you who were keeping up with the mass market mess, here is a more informative article.
Trade paperbacks cost only 30c more to make and are priced $18-20 now, where mass market paperbacks didn't sell at $12. So... there's your answer. It's about margins.
boingboing.net/2026/02/10/t...
If you haven't listened to EP7 yet, now's the time!
Or start back at EP1. All we do is talk about the books, so no need to worry that you're "behind," or whatever.
Find us (and like us and review us!) on Apple (and elsewhere): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f...
Spotted @thewaroncars.bsky.social at the charming @bfbookshop.bsky.social
Hey #BookSky Moon Palace in Mineapolis is running a book drive for Spanish language books. Buying a few is a great way to support them! Gift Registry 21_pburk7u4 | Moon Palace Books share.google/ddfS1aWbCRGJ...
Reading books about resistance like this, I always think, how did they know? How did they know it was time to take these decisive actions now?
Anyway, our bookstore is closed today for the national shutdown and it wasn’t an easy decision to make.
Glad to know about the Kropotkin book, thank you!
I love Philip Pullman and there were sections of THE ROSE FIELD that absolutely demolished me.
Yes, there’s a book. I haven’t read it yet.
bookshopofbeverlyfarms.com/item/q4758Zu...
Was just thinking that I’ve been seeing LOTS of people using this phrase and I’m not sure everyone knows what it means.
Oh, look at that, Episode 7. Right on schedule. Lots of good stuff this episode, but there's a sneaky "Heated Rivalry" chit-chat you won't want to miss.
Remember the other day when I was saluting my friend Greg Ketter, owner of Minneapolis’ DreamHaven Books? This is him the following day. Greg will never say this, so I will — now is a great time to buy books from DreamHaven. Support Americans who stand up vs. 🧊. dreamhavenbooks.com
Voting NO on the DHS funding bill is the bare minimum.
Backing Kristi Noem’s impeachment is the bare minimum.
Holding law-breaking ICE agents legally accountable is the bare minimum.
ICE is beyond reform. Abolish it.
The guy that runs the Reddit where people post about patting their cat on the butt like bongos has put his foot down
In novels, an unwillingness to admit you need other people or accept help is a character flaw.
I was recently trying to make someone understand how good and important these books are. Should have just sent them this.
Welllll, we see power readers for sure. Half our sales to only 4% of customers still feels pretty extreme - I’d have to run the numbers though! We also work pretty hard to diversify our base.
I came in at 91 but, like, it’s my job.
