Best shreds" and joey lewandowski Podcasts (2025)

1
the night circus by erin morgenstern 41:59

1d ago41:59

41:59

our “you” module is winding down, so it feels like the perfect time to cover a book that shouldn’t be in the module at all: the night circus by erin morgenstern. first, though, we talk about the film magazine dreams (with heavy spoilers): what makes it a mess, what went wrong, and how shreds would have ended the movie. then, we pivot to the night c…

1
the diver's clothes lie empty by vendela vida 46:46

15d ago46:46

46:46

shreds continues to physically fall apart on our latest episode as we talk about the diver’s clothes lie empty by vendela vida. joey rejoices as we finally hit a book this module that he loves, and we wonder if there’s a module we can built around the central element in this novel that he loves. we talk about how young and modern this novel feels, …

1
how like a god by rex stout 41:34

29d ago41:34

41:34

our episode about how like a god by rex stout starts with joey immediately killing one of shreds’ bits, setting a vibe. after talking about dave “storyteller” grohl, we talk a lot about shakespeare (including whether hamlet is required reading) before shreds gives this podcast our “ian mckellen on wtf” moment. we talk about how this feels like a ph…

1
the malady of death by marguerite duras 34:26

1M ago34:26

34:26

the malady of death by marguerite duras is likely the shortest text we’ve covered on the main feed so far. like suicide last week, it’s also european as all hell. after celebrating the 100th book covered on our show, which we missed, we pivot into the malady of death. horny module alert! we explore the mystery behind this book’s publication, try to…

1
suicide by édouard levé 39:32

2M ago39:32

39:32

the next book in our second-person module is suicide by édouard levé, which kicks off a mini-module of shorter writing that is also european as hell. after discussing a gem of a film we discovered on the criterion channel, we talk about suicide‘s up-ending afterward and the manipulation found within the text. we discuss suicide as the defining mome…

1
bright lights, big city by jay mcinerney 47:51

2M ago47:51

47:51

welcome back to the penn badgley module. today’s episode is the most “normal” book we’ve read in a while: bright lights, big city by jay mcinerney. we talk about the novel’s deadpan humor, whether it feels tied to the 1980s, and how the main character ends the book while still sort of spiraling. we explore the current irony of a plot about fact-che…

1
if on a winter's night a traveler by italo calvino 46:05

3M ago46:05

46:05

our next second-person novel is if on a winter’s night a traveler by italo calvino, which features an all-time great first chapter. before we talk about the novel, though, we simply must talk about the season 5 trailer for “you.” we then talk about incarnations of the text’s “gimmick” in other mediums, whether this is a “horny book for dudes,” and …

1
interior chinatown by charles yu 31:23

3M ago31:23

31:23

our second-person module kicks off with interior chinatown by charles yu, which gives us literary whiplash both in terms of difficulty and perspective. we talk about the type of racism that charles yu captures in the book (and the type we “expected” to find), the way he takes down hollywood in the novel (and the similar representations we’ve seen o…

1
season thirteen theme and reading list 12:14

4M ago12:14

12:14

it’s time for another season of lottery pod, and today’s theme reveal is news to everyone, including joey. (well, not everyone. shreds knows. he made it.) we discuss the theme as structure (rather than content), the inspiration for this theme, and the only book most people know that fit this theme. we talk about our goal of aiming for something les…

1
blake butler interview (author of 300,000,000, aannex, void corporation, uxa.gov) 1:03:21

4M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

after covering four of his novels — 300,000,000, aannex, void corporation, and uxa.gov — we talk to blake butler about his work. note: there are spoilers in this conversation (at least as much as you can spoil blake’s work.) we ask him about what he focuses on when he reads, his double book launch, and whether his nonfiction writing helps inform hi…

1
uxa.gov by blake butler 43:24

4M ago43:24

43:24

the final book in our blake butler module is uxa.gov, which may be his hardest-to-understand book we’ve covered. we talk about why we thought it would be more approachable, as well as why we should know better by now. we discuss the premise and whether it feels or reads like a film being described, the importance of font choice in the printing, and…

1
void corporation by blake butler 50:21

4M ago50:21

50:21

our blake butler module continues with a slight swerve and schedule pivot as we discuss void corporation (formerly titled alice knott). we talk about the text’s new foreword from blake, the approachability of this novel (especially in comparison to his other work), and the benefits of having read more of blake’s other novels to compare to this text…

1
aannex by blake butler 43:11

5M ago43:11

43:11

our blake butler module continues with aannex, which apocalypse party describes as “a post-joycean neo-slipstream sci-fi cult dream encyclopedia composed as algorithmic code compiled in-soul.” we talk about how we viewed the novel while reading it, and we unpack what “difficult” means with regards to this specific text. shreds poses some questions:…

1
300,000,000 by blake butler 55:38

5M ago55:38

55:38

we’re kicking off our blake butler module with 300,000,000: a novel that proves there’s still room to push the medium forward. we discuss whether or not this novel qualifies as horror (especially considering the queasy nature of its violence, how much of the text should be taken as literal (and how much of the unconscious is literal), and the text’…

1
season twelve theme and reading list 12:17

6M ago12:17

12:17

we’re dropping another surprise module on you (and on us) with a new format: a deep dive into the work of blake butler. we talk about how the module came about, why shreds has been intimidated by blake’s writing, and the idea of knowing “about” blake before reading his work. we discuss a throwback to an earlier time of creating successful and chall…

1
blood meridian by cormac mccarthy 52:18

6M ago52:18

52:18

we conclude our first great american novel module with blood meridian by cormac mccarthy and a simple question: what is this novel about? we talk about blood meridian‘s ties to an original american sin, whether or not the judge an antagonist, and mccarthy reacting to americans’ view of war. shreds sets a record in mentioning nominative determinism.…

1
moby dick by herman melville 1:02:34

6M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

the time has come for us to cover our first great american novel, moby dick by herman melville, which by definition makes it our greatest american novel yet. we talk about the insanity of ahab’s quest, the common misunderstanding of who the protagonist is, and who’s hanging dong aboard the pequod. we wonder if other novels provide a more apt compan…

1
season eleven theme and reading list 11:40

7M ago11:40

11:40

we're adding in a brand new type of module here on lotto pod as we continue to get conceptually more difficult. welcome to the first installment of the great american novel module. what is "the great american novel"? where did that phrase come from? we try to figure that out. we talk about whether or not any of our previous books qualified for this…

1
flee by evan dara 38:24

7M ago38:24

38:24

we’re closing out our vermont module with flee by evan dara along with everyone’s favorite segment: vermont facts. we talk about the proverbial canaries in the coal mine of a dying town, grappling with gentrification, and a narrative tied to a specific moment in u.s. history that also finds itself as a timeless text. we discuss evan dara’s use of i…

1
radio free vermont by bill mckibben 40:20

7M ago40:20

40:20

our vemont module (and shreds’s maple syrup challenge) continues with radio free vermont by bill mckibben. before we talk about the book, joey quizzes shreds on famous vermonters, prompting shreds to ask: does vermont suck? we discuss whether the idea of pirate radio make the novel feel dated, the nicest (and least dramatic) way for the characters …

1
the shame by makenna goodman 35:30

8M ago35:30

35:30

we’re kicking off the vermont module in proper with the shame by makenna goodman. does this novel feel like vermont? we discuss. first, though, we (naturally) talk about halloween and halloween costumes. then, joey shares some vermont facts (that turns into a vermont quiz). we realize that we’ve covered quite a few books about motherhood as we talk…

1
season ten theme and reading list 11:14

8M ago11:14

11:14

we’re once again embracing our lottery and gambling spirit with the tenth season of the pod. we’ve doubled up sufjan stevens with this one. after shreds recaps what we’re doing — and draws a card — he blames joey for something he can’t control before the sound board acts up in an inopportune way. joey tries to remember an old card game on tv. shred…

1
drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk 47:07

8M ago47:07

47:07

we wrap up our eco module (perhaps our most depressing module yet?) with drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk. we talk about the novel’s unreliable narrator, who is revealed as such in a potentially frustrating way… except it doesn’t frustrate us. shreds talks about writing for writers vs. writing for readers, and the trick …

1
stephen markley interview (author of the deluge) 48:46

8M ago48:46

48:46

we covered stephen markley’s novel the deluge last week, and today we’re joined by him to talk about his work. after confirming that we have a mutual friend, we learn how stephen pronounces the title of his novel and how much research went into the deluge. stephen speaks about edits made in the paperback version of the book and whether or not the t…

1
the deluge by stephen markley 1:14:39

9M ago1:14:39

1:14:39

we’re winding down our eco module with the deluge by stephen markley: one of our longest books on the pod and arguably our most depressing. we discuss how the narrative reflects a movement toward total chaos and how reading the book at a very strange time (with regards to weather and politics) made it even more impactful. we talk the book’s ambitio…

1
the man with the compound eyes by wu ming-yi 42:44

9M ago42:44

42:44

the eco module is starting to wind down, but it’s not done yet! today we’re talking about the man with the compound eyes by wu ming-yi. after checking in with shreds to make sure he’s h.a.g.s.ing (and seeing what he’s been reading this summer), we talk about how he judged this book by its cover (in a good way). we talk about its magical realism and…

1
jeff wood interview (author of the glacier) 1:05:33

9M ago1:05:33

1:05:33

jeff wood, author of the glacier (which we covered last week), joins the pod to talk about whether or not this book does, in fact, fit into our eco module. we talk about ohio literature, our love of two dollar radio (and how he hooked up with them), and how much work it took to adapt his writing from a screenplay into this novel. we talk about the …

1
the glacier by jeff wood 40:40

10M ago40:40

40:40

it’s back-to-back books from two dollar radio in the eco module as today’s book is the glacier by jeff wood. after shreds eviscerates joey to begin the podcast proceedings, we talk about two dollar radio and exploring a single press’s work. we try to parse what the glacier is about and whether being in eco module informs how we interpret its narrat…

1
square wave by mark da silva 49:38

10M ago49:38

49:38

our eco module continues with square wave by mark da silva, a book that we have plenty of thoughts about. after comparing it to giles goat-boy (joey’s least favorite book we’ve covered so far), we talk about how shreds maybe poisoned the well and why we found this book difficult to permeate. we compare da silva’s writing to thomas pynchon, chuck pa…

1
fever dream by samanta schweblin 31:28

11M ago31:28

31:28

our eco module continues with another water-related catastrophe as we discuss fever dream by samanta schweblin. after realizing that we missed an anniversary/milestone (or more than one) and wondering how many books people read in their life, we look back to see what the last book we read in translation was. we then discuss how the title of the nov…

1
deb olin unferth interview (author of barn 8) 1:02:23

11M ago1:02:23

1:02:23

after talking about her novel barn 8 last week, we spoke with deb olin unferth about heist stories, teaching literature, and chickens. after deb dubs joey the frontman of the podcast (a topic that we never circle back on), we ask deb about how she combines disparate genres and her time spent at farms and with chickens. she and shreds share lessons …

1
barn 8 by deb olin unferth 38:42

11M ago38:42

38:42

our eco module continues with barn 8 by deb olin unferth as we shift our focus from trees and water toward animal rights. shreds starts the pod like it’s the end of the pod as he explains why this book found itself in the module in this location. we talk about all we need (as a people) for the earth to be okay. we discuss how barn 8 aligns with (an…

1
something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman 58:53

11M ago58:53

58:53

something new under the sun by alexandra kleeman is the next book up in our eco module, and it continues our run of bleak looks at our near-future. we discuss the book’s structure (and its 3-4 main focuses) and how it kind of bails on a bunch of stuff in an interesting way. we talk about the perspective shifts (and whether or not they work), the un…

1
the overstory by richard powers 58:39

12M ago58:39

58:39

our eco module continues with the overstory by richard powers, which marks an early high point in the season as it’s one of our favorite books of all-time, and one of the best books we’ve ever read. first, though, we get into some heavy lotto pod lore. then, we dive into the overstory and wonder: is this the ideal version of this module? we talk ab…

1
land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang 47:32

1y ago47:32

47:32

we’re kicking off our eco module with land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang — as well as some steve harvey talk. we ask: is this book a bummer? also: is the book pro cigarettes? we discuss the inner conflict of the protagonist, whether or not the novel’s depiction of climate disaster and climate repair is realistic, and the queer freudian love sto…

1
season nine theme and reading list 21:00

1y ago21:00

21:00

we’ve turned nine (seasons) old, and we’re celebrating by looking up what the ninth anniversary gifts are. (they are weird.) we then explore the next season’s worth of books, featuring another uplifting theme! shreds explains his process for picking books. reading list for season nine land of milk and honey by c. pam zhang the overstory by richard …

1
first blood by david morrell 56:51

1y ago56:51

56:51

our last-minute addition to the kentucky module turned out to be one of our favorite books on the podcast so far: first blood by david morrell rules so hard. after starting in media res as shreds reads from a blog about sylvester stallone, we play a kentucky celebrity game and discuss how the novel diverges from the movie (specifically in its viole…

1
david connerley nahm interview (author of ancient oceans of central kentucky) 53:49

1y ago53:49

53:49

before closing out our kentucky module, we had the pleasure of speaking with david connerley nahm, author of last week’s book, ancient oceans of central kentucky. after learning how to pronounce his name (oops), we ask a kentucky man about justified — and get an ernest p. worrell answer. we learn where david’s love of the mysterious and eerie came …

1
ancient oceans of central kentucky by david connerley nahm 39:39

1y ago39:39

39:39

our kentucky module continues with ancient oceans of central kentucky by david connerley nahm as well as, you guessed it: more kentucky facts. first, though, we explore the twisted mind of matthew vaughn. we then discuss the profound sadness in the book, the best passage in the novel (which we agree upon), and why the ending worked (in spite of bei…

1
the vine that ate the south by j.d. wilkes 46:54

1y ago46:54

46:54

you just heard an episode last week, but we’re back with our first episode in months (our time): the vine that ate the south by j.d. wilkes. we catch up on stuff, like how life has been going (busy) and what we’ve been up to (not reading). we talk about the kudzu plant. we explore rural myths, cryptozoology, and more x-files stuff before talking an…

1
season eight theme and reading list 18:30

1y ago18:30

18:30

we're once again embracing our lottery and gambling spirit with the eighth season of the pod. we've passed sufjan stevens with this one. the most exciting moment in podcasting returns -- and no, we're not talking about shreds sharing his thoughts on the irish or joey declining to do an impression. instead, we are returning to the deck of cards to d…

1
ragnarok by walter simonson 46:23

1y ago46:23

46:23

our graphic content module draws to a close with ragnarok by walter simonson. fantasy content is tough for us, which isn’t particularly fair to this book, but we still find things to love and appreciate about it. we talk about what moving away from marvel allows for simonson to do with this book, which segues into a discussion about the future of t…

1
prison pit by johnny ryan 36:35

1y ago36:35

36:35

our graphic content module truly lives up to its name (for the first time) as we talk about prison pit by johnny ryan. we talk about whether or not johnny ryan is an edgelord — and if there’s a reason he aims to offend. we talk about the art’s similarity to “kid drawings” (and joey’s regret about the reading experience). shreds shares a perhaps too…

1
kingdom come by mark waid, alex ross 40:11

1y ago40:11

40:11

we’re finally entering the realm of the superhero in our graphic content module with kingdom come by mark waid and alex ross. shreds explains why he sees this as a superman comic but not a batman comic, and joey explains why he felt lost by an apparent lack of context for dc mythology — and why the book would likely work better on a second read. we…

1
asterios polyp by david mazzucchelli 43:16

1+ y ago43:16

43:16

the next stop in our graphic content module is asterios polyp by david mazzucchelli. after discussing how this module being defined by medium (rather than content) seems to yield great success, we talk about the singular vision and design and presentation of polyp before reading something from mazzucchelli’s wiki that totally endears him to us even…

1
this one summer by mariko tamaki, jillian tamaki 33:23

1+ y ago33:23

33:23

we’re tackling our first young adult book this module as we’re covering this one summer by mariko tamaki and jillian tamaki. after talking about location-specific friends and family fights on vacation, we dive into the emotionally-fraught story as we tap into our love of media aimed at teen girls. shreds gets passionate about this book and describe…

1
bitter root by david f. walker, chuck brown, sanford greene 46:16

1+ y ago46:16

46:16

we’re headed to 1920s harlem on this episode of lottery pod as we talk about bitter root by david f. walker, chuck brown, and sanford greene. (a fun note: heather antos worked on this book!) we talk about the incredible value of this book’s omnibus, the book’s absolutely gorgeous coloring, and how the story smartly resets for each new third. we dis…

1
ann nocenti interview (author of the seeds) 47:49

1+ y ago47:49

47:49

after covering the seeds last week, we are joined by ann nocenti, the book’s author, to talk about hexagons, fake news, and andrei tarkovsky. ann talks about the roots of the journalism in the book, how the novel’s other major themes found their way in, and what changed through the course of the development. she talks about the origin of the ending…

1
the seeds by ann nocenti, david aja 37:52

1+ y ago37:52

37:52

our graphic content module continues with the seeds by ann nocenti and david aja and a return to familiar subject matter. first, though, we talk about steven soderbergh for a while. then, we talk about how the seeds reminds us of the private eye, except with aliens and different ideological divides among its characters. we talk about the book’s 90s…

1
no longer human by junji ito 49:20

1+ y ago49:20

49:20

our graphic content season continues with no longer human by junji ito, which marks our first foray into manga. we explore the medium (including our overall unfamiliarity with it, despite its global prominence) and how no longer human‘s original publication specifically targeted adult men (and how this manifests itself in the story). we analyze how…

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