Avsnitt
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In an episode as scattered as the book itself, Brian, Chad, and Kaija spend this week wrestling with the wild fragmentation of Morgner’s novel. They talk about co-opting stories, about brains like waffles vs. those like plates of spaghetti, and about what they think might lie ahead. Also: ton of jokes in this one. And some terrible music references.
This week’s music is “Pony” by Ginuwine. (Blame Brian.)
Next week’s episode will cover up through page 242. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
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On this episode, Chad admits to Brian and Kaija that he’s been wrong about something for decades . . . or has he? After that, they discuss the story of Jonah and the whale and Melusine, the poetry generator, Morgner’s general subversions, and more!
This week’s music is “Der blaue Planet” by the GDR band Karat.
Next week’s episode will cover through page 179. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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The new season kicks off by talking about what compelled Kaija to select The Life and Adventures of Trobadora Beatrice as Chronicled by her Minstrel Laura, which didn’t get much attention when it came out from the University of Nebraska Press in 2000, but has developed a bit of a cult following. (Maybe the scene will be primed for a reprint by the time this season ends.) Myths, Melusine, Genshin Impact, the “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries, Hopscotch and Tristram Shandy are all discussed, before Kaija gets to share the real reason she picked this book (spoiler: it’s a bunch of insults).
This week’s music is “De Troubadour” by Lenny Kuhr, winner of Eurovision 1969.
Next week’s episode will cover through page 116. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
On the final episode of this season of the Two Month Review, librarian, book reviewer, passionate reader, and Open Letter intern, Joseph Alcala joins Chad, Brian, and Kaija to talk about the last chunk of Augusto Roa Bastos’s I the Supreme. They discuss what did and didn’t keep them interested in the book, how it compares to other dictator novels, who the audience for this book might be, and just how fire the ending is.
This week’s music is “A House on Fire” by TRAAMS.
Next season’s title is The Life and Adventures of Trobadora Beatrice as Chronicled by Her Minstrel Laura: A Novel in Thirteen Books and Seven Intermezzos by Irmtraud Morgner, translated from the German by Jeanette Clausen, and the reading schedule will be available next week.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Chad is still battling post-COVID brain fog, but he and Kaija make a solid go of it, talking about the brilliance of Roa Bastos’s voice, and reflecting on just how flimsy the monument of words and justifications he’s building really is. Then Kaija brings up this week’s primary topic: How to contribute to a group read when you’re just not feeling the book.
This week’s music is “Seven” by Holy Fuck.
Next week’s episode will cover the last section of the book, pages 382-435. The reading schedule for next season’s title—The Life and Adventures of Trobadora Beatrice as Chronicled by Her Minstrel Laura: A Novel in Thirteen Books and Seven Intermezzos by Irmtraud Morgner, translated from the German by Jeanette Clausen—will be available next week.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Chad has Covid, giving this episode a feverish quality—and making it even more entertaining than usual? Regardless, he’s joined by Kaija and Brian and they talk about their struggles with the book, what’s pulling them through (or not), the philosophies and big ideas of it all, and failure.
This week’s music is “Mata Zyklek” by Angine de Poitrine.
Next week’s episode will cover through page 381. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Carlos Labbé (Navidad & Matanza, The Murmuration) joins Chad and Kaija to talk about his experience reading Yo el Supremo in college, influences on this period of “el Boom,” Latin American history, and much more. They also discuss the plot, as it relates to Paraguay’s independence and the instillation of Francia as Supreme Dictator, and make predictions on what’s to come. Also: More skulls!!
This week’s music is “Northern Wind Brings Redemption” by Saagara.
Next week’s episode will cover through page 326. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Sometimes a pen is just a pen, and sometimes it’s a magical object that might contain all of Dr. Francia’s madness. Although this week’s episode covers pages 166–216, most of the time is spent on the Compiler’s note starting on page 197, in which “the Compiler” finally becomes a fully-fledged character—one who is in possession of the Supreme Dictator’s pen. Kaija, Brian, and Chad talk about how this adds a new dimension to the novel and helps to frame the various threads we’re following (Francia’s dying days, the history of Paraguay gaining independence, the occult, Francia’s reign of terror, etc.). They also discuss Latin American and French influences in the writing, isolationism and nationalism, and much more!
This week’s music is a song about dictators called “L.O.S.E.R.”
Next week’s episode will cover through page 269. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Speculation about the Supreme Dictator and his pet skull dominates this episode of the Two Month Review, although it also includes a comparison between Francia and Alex Jones, an assessment of Francia’s argument as to why he should lead the independence movement, stray thoughts about the Compiler, and a bit about the interplay between the Supreme Dictator’s representation of himself and his reign, and the historical documents that exist.
This week’s music is “Skulls” by The Lemonheads.
Next week’s episode will cover through page 216. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
If you’re reading this book and feel lost—you’re not alone! Chad spends most of this podcast talking over everyone and sharing his research about the history of Paraguay circa 1810, which is when a good chunk of this week’s section of the book (pages 56-110) takes place. After somewhat getting their bearings (this is a difficult book!), the crew talk about circles, meteors/aeroliths, writing and power, the occult, predictions for the rest of the novel, and much more. If you’re struggling with this novel, this episode should provide a few toeholds to understanding Roa Bastos’s—and Dr. Francia’s—world.
This week’s music is “I Won’t Let You Down” by Barry Can’t Swim.
Next week’s episode will cover through page 165. If you want to follow along, the complete schedule can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) for all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
The new season kicks off with an overview of Augusto Roa Bastos's life, some background on this season's dictator, Dr. Francia of Paraguay, and a bit of table setting as to how this book came to be. Then, Chad, Brian, and Kaija dive into the book’s chaotic humor and presentation, the presence of the occult in the first chapter of the book, and what makes this novel challenging to read.
This episode’s music is “Cult of Personality” by Living Color.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Ted Morrissey (The Tunnel at 25, A Lesson Before Writing podcast) returns to help Kaija, Chad, and Brian close out this three-month-long discussion about William H. Gass’s The Tunnel. They discuss the book’s structure, its ending, hoarding and alcoholism, the lack of academic attention paid to the book, the value of the audiobook’s liner notes, and more!
This episode’s music is “I Wish I Was Sober” by Frightened Rabbit.
TMR will be back in mid-February with season 30 featuring I, The Supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos & Helen Lane. The complete schedule for season 30 will be available in the near future, but get your copies now and join along!
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
This week, pervy academics, rivers, candy shops, and a bit of childhood gambling carry us through the penultimate section of Gass’s The Tunnel. Brian and Kaija kick off the episode sans Chad, who pops in toward the end and vechoes the discussion about the book’s overarching pattern of 4s, the applications of “harnessing history,” and—once again and with feeling—what is it that creates and shapes despicable and/or evil people into their despicable and/or evil selves.
This episode features two songs: “The Candy Man” by Sammy Davis, Jr., and “Wabash Cannonball” by Johnny Cash.
Next week is the final episode for this season, covering the whole of the book. Then, in mid-February, season 30 will launch and feature I, The Supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos & Helen Lane. The complete schedule for season 30 will be available in the near future, but get your copies now and join along!
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Susu, the Book of Judges, MAGA, morality, the mirror of literature, heavy furniture . . . all of these are discussed on this week’s episode covering “Susu, I Approach You in My Dreams,” which includes the all-too-timely subsection “Being a Bigot.” Brian fills in some biblical background this week, Chad argues that reading Kohler makes you a better person, and Kaija is concerned about cats.
This episode’s music is “Coast” by Snocaps.
As we head into the end of this season, we’ll be covering a very long section next week: “Going to the River” (pages 534–632). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Ted Morrissey (The Tunnel at 25) returns to talk about his favorite section of The Tunnel, which has some Joycean overtones, and is a little less angry than some of the other parts of the book. (See: Kohler talking about breakfast, saying nice things about Martha.) It is a section that gets into the core of Kohler’s argument in Guilt and Innocence in Hitler’s Germany—an argument that can also be summarized for our times as, “who is more evil: Trump or someone who joins ICE?” A fun way to kick off 2026 with laughs and intellectual musings, and some additional background on Gass’s relationship to academia.
This episode’s music is “This Year” by The Mountain Goats.
The next episode will drop in 2026 and will cover “Susu, I Approach You in My Dreams” (pages 475–533). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
In this section of The Tunnel, Gass looks at academia, committees, power dynamics on campus, and the “curse of colleagues.” Chad, Brian, and Kaija have a lot of fun with this section talking about how gross Kohler is, which colleague of his they most represent, whether or not any of these people are “real,” and the state of college as a public institution in 2025.
This episode’s music is “Sideboob” by English Teacher.
The next episode will drop in 2026 and will cover “Around the House” (pages 437–475). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Lori Feathers (Interabang Books, Big Book Project) joins Kaija, Chad, and Brian to talk about “The First Winter of My Married Life” in which Kohler and Martha suffer the invasive noises of a nearby neighbor, Kohler loses his cool because of his inconsolable son, and various memories are explored thanks to a photo album. They talk about this, about how Kohler is manipulating the reader (why? to what end?), the cruel humor of the book, and much more—including the unveiling of what book we’ll be covering next season . . .
This episode’s music is “Spring and by Summer Fall” by Blonde Redhead.
Next week we’ll cover “The Curse of Colleages” (pages 386–437). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Chris Via of Leaf by Leaf joins Kaija, Brian, and Chad on this episode to talk about “Why Windows Are Important to Me.” They discuss Chris’s ten-hour-long project on The Tunnel, why “Blackboard” is his favorite section, edges and nodes and architecture in literature, philosophy and metaphors, and much more. A very high-level, intellectual episode thanks in large part to Chris’s contributions!
This episode’s music is “Das Verschwinden” by The Notwist.
Next week we’ll cover “The First Winter of My Married Life” (pages 334–385). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
Covering the “Mad Meg” section (pgs 214–282), Chad, Kaija, and Brian talk about the juxtaposition of Kohler’s childhood Sunday drives with the bombast of Mad Meg’s lectures, about Southern Gothic writing and Flannery O’Connor, blaming others for your sadness, history and ideas, and more.
This episode’s music is “The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)” from Car Seat Headrest.
We’ll be back on December 4 to cover “Why Windows Are Important to Me” (pages 282–334). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com -
As Kohler begins to dig his actual tunnel, Chad, Kaija, and Brian talk about Culp as a sort of döppelganger, complicity, the symbolism of a tunnel, losing one’s wedding ring, whether the breakup scene with Lou really took place, the formal constraints of dirty limericks, and much more. For all the daily fascism in the novel, the conversation about it is fun and funny, while teasing out various themes and exploring the core issues.
This episode’s music is “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White.
Next week we’ll cover the second section, “Mad Meg” (pages 214–282). The complete schedule (if you’re reading along in real time) can be found here.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow Open Letter, Two Month Review, Chad W. Post, Kaija Straumanis, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. And subscribe to the Three Percent substack for information about Open Letter Books and literature in translation writ large.
Also consider subscribing to the Mining the Dalkey Archive substack and its respective podcast (Apple, Spotify) about all things Dalkey Archive.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit threepercentproblem.substack.com - Visa fler
