Beste The Slavic Literature Pod podcaster (2024)

1
A Hiatus, Kind of 34:08

4d ago34:08

34:08

Show Notes: Our Christmas gift to you is a non-clickbait title. Unusual for December, huh? TL;DR: Matt is going to be stepping back from the podcast for the time being. Cameron will be continuing to produce episodes going forward, shifting the focus toward interviewing translators and authors about their work. Will the boys ride again? It's an open…

1
December Break: The Performance by Sergei Dovlatov 51:41

18d ago51:41

51:41

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron dive into the short story “The Performance,” from Sergei Dovlatov’s book The Zone. Get ready to dive into the most underrepresented point-of-view in the Soviet camp system: the guards. Well, kind of. Get ready to get stagnant and talk a bit about the state of the Soviet Union in the 1970s, but mostly about a …

1
Office Hours - Is Tolstoy still relevant? 55:11

1M ago55:11

55:11

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron get into their last Office Hours of the year, tackling the future of literature, whether or not Tolstoy is still relevant, which Russian literature icon would win in a rap battle and — most importantly — the tale of John Moritsugu, a man who tricked PBS into funding filth. God bless public broadcasting. Major…

1
The UnSimple by Taras Prokhasko 1:02:17

1M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

Heads up: This episode will contain conversation about incest throughout. Take that into consideration as you head into it. Also sorry about the kitchen noises in the background of some portions. Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron learn about narrative-causes and narrative-effects in The UnSimple, a novella by Ukrainian writer Taras Prokhasko …

1
To Hell with Poets by Baqytgul Sarmekova 1:02:30

2M ago1:02:30

1:02:30

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron dig into the short story collection To Hell WIth Poets, authored by Kazakh writer Baqytgul Sarmekova and translated by Mirgul Kali. The collection, published in English by Tilted Axis Press in 2024, explores rural-urban divides (with a focus on the dissatisfaction life doles out on both sides), troubled peopl…

1
Office Hours - Why don't straight men read novels? 1:19:28

2M ago1:19:28

1:19:28

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron host Office Hours, speaking about the wider state of reading as well as some non-Slavic lit they’ve been getting in to. Tune in to find their opinions about Lament for Julia by Susan Taubes and Z by Vassilis Vassilikos, whether or not literary analysis has any meaning at all, and whether we’re too concerned w…

1
Strike! (1925) by Sergei Eisenstein 1:01:37

2M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron dive into Sergei Eisenstein’s landmark film Strike! (1925) to get a better look into his foundational ideas around montage and film composition amidst a tragic tale of a failed strike. Yes, they will be talking about the cow scene for most of the episode. Not sure what we’re talking about? You’ll have to tune…

1
The Tears & Smiles of Things by Sodomora (w/ translators Dr. Roman Ivashkiv and Sabrina Jaszi) 1:18:08

3M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron dive into Andriy Sodomora’s short story collection The Tears & Smiles of Things with the help of its translators Roman Ivashkiv and Sabrina Jaszi. The collection draws together Sodomora’s reflections on life, ancient texts, and the difficulties of translation. The book holds the subtitle “Stories, Sketches, M…

1
Office Hours - Enrolling in Jordan Peterson Academy 1:12:59

3M ago1:12:59

1:12:59

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron talk Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song, dropping the nuclear bomb (a timely conversation), and torturing your roommates by cooking cabbage. They’ll also be getting into a topic that everyone has been dying to know more about: Jordan Peterson Academy. Well…maybe not, no one has asked us about it, but Cameron is dying …

1
The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz 1:15:55

3M ago1:15:55

1:15:55

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron are down with the sickness of Schulzomania, covering parts of the short story collection “The Street of Crocodiles” by Polish-Jewish literary superstar Bruno Schulz. They’ll be talking about “Visitation,” “Tailor’s Dummies,” and the eponymous “The Street of Crocodiles,” delving deep into Schulz’s surreal visi…

1
Devil's Yard by Ivo Andrić 1:01:51

4M ago1:01:51

1:01:51

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron chart new territory by covering the novella Devil's Yard by Yugoslav writer, poet, and diplomat (at varying times) Ivo Andrić. Covering a story within a story, they’ll have plenty to say about the construction of narrative, storytelling from the core and periphery of empire, and what’s up with everybody talki…

1
August Break - The Czech Manuscripts (w/ author Dr. David L. Cooper) 56:43

4M ago56:43

56:43

Note: This episode originally aired in February 2024. Matt and Cameron are taking a much needed break this August and wanted to re-up some mid-series Life and Fate episodes they thought deserved more attention. Pick up a copy of The Czech Manuscripts here. Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron are joined by Professor David L. Cooper to talk about…

1
August Break - Ochre & Rust by Gandlevsky (w/translator Philip J. Metres) 1:03:32

5M ago1:03:32

1:03:32

Note: This episode originally aired in January 2024. Matt and Cameron are taking a much needed break this August and wanted to re-up some mid-series Life and Fate episodes they thought deserved more attention. Pick up a copy of Ochre & Rust from Green Linden Press’ website. Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron tackle some of the work of Sergey G…

1
August Break - Work Flows: Stalinist Liquids in Russian Labor Culture (w/ author Dr. Maya Vinokour) 1:03:21

5M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

Note: This episode originally aired in April 2024. Matt and Cameron are taking a much needed break this August and wanted to re-up some mid-series Life and Fate episodes they thought deserved more attention. You can pick up a copy of Dr. Maya Vinokour’s book Work Flows: Stalinist Liquids in Russian Labor Culture here. Show Notes: This week, Matt an…

1
Life and Fate (Part 3, Chs. 49-61) by Grossman 1:09:41

5M ago1:09:41

1:09:41

Show Notes: They said it couldn’t be done; they said it was too much work; they say it was simply too much Grossman. (The ‘they’ here is Matt and Cameron, to be clear). This week, more than 7 months after starting their Life and Fate series, Matt and Cameron proved them (us) wrong by covering Chapters 49 through 61 of Part 3. It’s time to say goodb…

1
Life and Fate (Part 3, Chs. 19-48) by Grossman 1:08:16

6M ago1:08:16

1:08:16

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron stay in Stalingrad to the bitter end, covering Chapters 19 to 48 in Part 3 of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate. Stalin’s phone calls, the 6th Army’s surrender, and senseless kindness oh my! It’s all coming together. Get your horsemeat and get ready to tune in. Major themes: Unrewarded kindness, family ties, th…

1
Aelita (1924) by Protazanov 1:04:16

6M ago1:04:16

1:04:16

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron dive into the 1924 film Aelita, directed by Yakov Protazanov, to learn more about very early Soviet sci-fi, New Economic Policy anxiety, and Martian socialist revolution. It’s the most fun you didn’t know you could have with a silent film. Get your plans for your rocket ship, write “Anta Odeli Uta” on your wi…

1
Office Hours - Answering r/Dostoevsky's hottest questions 48:49

7M ago48:49

48:49

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron return to the salt mines of Reddit to address some of the internet’s most asked questions, such as “Can atheists understand Dostoevsky?” and “Does Crime and Punishment ever get interesting?” Alongside that, they’ll also be talking about some novels and works they’d like to cover but don’t work with the normal…

1
Life and Fate (P. 2, Chs. 51-62, P.3 Chs. 1-18) by Grossman 1:08:41

7M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron finish the encirclement of Paulus’ 6th Army in Stalingrad as they cover Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate from Part 2, Chapter 51 through Part 3, Chapter 18. After fighting from the back foot for months — exhausting all those still on the front line, civilian and soldier alike — it’s time for the USSR to swing …

1
The Body of the Soul by Ulitskaya 1:00:23

8M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron get into Lyudmila Ulitskaya’s recently published collection of short stories “The Body of the Soul.” In particular, they’ll be covering “The Dragon and the Phoenix,” “A Man in a Mountainous Landscape,” and “Woof-woof.” They’ll be getting into the dynamics of building communities, death as a part of life, and …

1
Office Hours - Ranking our best episodes 1:10:29

8M ago1:10:29

1:10:29

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron take a trip into the stacks to review and -- more importantly -- rank their back catalogue. Everything from Gogol's "The Nose" to Life and Fate, they'll be putting it under the microscope and giving you their thoughts on where it falls from S-tier to F-tier (which, of course, stands for: 'What were we f'ing t…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 2, Chapter 49 17:43

8M ago17:43

17:43

Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media about Part 2, Chapter 49 of Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate. You can read our post about the chapter here. If you haven't already signed up to get daily emails reflecting on each chapter of Life and Fate, you can do so on our website. Be sure to follow us on Instag…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 2, Chapter 48 13:56

8M ago13:56

13:56

Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media about Part 2, Chapter 48 of Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate. You can read our post about the chapter here. If you haven't already signed up to get daily emails reflecting on each chapter of Life and Fate, you can do so on our website. Be sure to follow us on Instag…

1
Life and Fate (P.2, Chs. 21-50) by Grossman 1:13:13

8M ago1:13:13

1:13:13

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron keep up the pace in Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, covering Part 2, chapters 21 through 50. They’ll be covering everything from Klimov’s All Quiet on the Western Front moment in Battlefield Stalingrad to the death camps that take up much of the latter chapters for this part. Get ready to get sad, and tune i…

1
Work Flows: Stalinist Liquids in Russian Labor Culture (w/ author Dr. Maya Vinokour) 1:03:21

9M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

You can pick up a copy of Dr. Maya Vinokour’s book Work Flows: Stalinist Liquids in Russian Labor Culture here. Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron sit down with Dr. Maya Vinokour to talk about her book Work Flows: Stalinist Liquids in Russian Labor Culture and touch on Daniil Kharms’ short story “How the Old Woman Tried to Buy Ink.” Dr. Vinoko…

1
Office Hours - We Read This Book So You Don't Have To 1:09:51

9M ago1:09:51

1:09:51

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron decide to see what insights Book-Twitter has to offer by reading and reacting to some choice passages from Hit Reverse: New Ideas From Old Books by Jash Dholani. If you’ve ever read H.P. Lovecraft and decided, “yeah, I should get my views on governance from this guy,” boy is this the book for you. Head to vis…

1
Life and Fate (P.1 Chs. 61-70, P.2 Chs. 1-20) by Grossman 1:04:55

9M ago1:04:55

1:04:55

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron continue their quest through Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, covering Part 1, chs.61-70 along with Part 2, chs. 1-20. They’ll be going into greater depth about the state of Grossman’s world, the nature of fascism, and will dive a little bit into the nature of science in the USSR. Major themes: Provocative mo…

1
Light Breathing by Bunin 43:58

9M ago43:58

43:58

Note: This episode contains light discussion of sexual assault throughout. Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron dig into Ivan Bunin’s popular short story “Light Breathing” to talk about narrative chronology, whether Bunin really is the emigree Gorky, and why exactly every Slavic literature class makes its students read this piece at least once. …

1
Office Hours - Do-stoevsky it for the 'gram, Empress Theresa 46:41

10M ago46:41

46:41

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron take some time to recap the syllabus to students in Office Hours. They’ll be recapping the Life and Fate Read Along so far, talk about Dostoevsky on Instagram, and then spend far too much time talking about the one, the only novel of its kind: Empress Theresa. Major themes: Read Along recap, Dosteovsky-gram, …

1
Life and Fate (P.1, Chs. 32-60) by Grossman 1:13:41

10M ago1:13:41

1:13:41

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron stay on the Life and Fate grind, covering Part 1’s chapters 32 through 60. Time to talk hospital tours, tank corp organization, and front-line commissars oh my! Get your canteen full of carefully boiled water and tune in! They’ll be briefly recapping the events covered in these chapters, but for a complete pl…

1
The Czech Manuscripts (w/ author Dr. David Cooper) 56:43

11M ago56:43

56:43

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron are joined by Professor David Cooper to talk about his new book The Czech Manuscripts: Forgery, Translation, and National Myth. In the book, Dr. Cooper takes a new look at the so-called Czech Manuscripts — several forged literary works that played a large role in 19th Century Czech national identity-building …

1
Office Hours - Dissertation, sea monsters, DostoevskyGPT 36:59

11M ago36:59

36:59

This week, Matt and Cameron take a break from their daily Grossman grind™ to talk about what they’ve been getting up to for fun this month, about Cameron’s deep fear and love for the sea and its creatures, as well as a ChatGPT’s take on how you should be reading Dostoevsky. Major themes: Dissertations, fears of sea monsters, DostoevskyGPT The music…

1
Life and Fate (P.1, Chs. 1-31) by Grossman 1:00:44

11M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Show Notes: You can sign up for our email list here, where we are currently sending daily analysis emails as part of our Life and Fate read along This week, Matt and Cameron — after numerous daily episodes — start outlining some of the main themes covered in Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, chapters 1-31, and talk a little (read: a lot) more about …

1
Ochre & Rust by Gandlevsky (w/translator Philip J. Metres) 1:03:32

12M ago1:03:32

1:03:32

Show Notes: Pick up a copy of Ochre & Rust from Green Linden Press’ website. This week, Matt and Cameron tackle some of the work of Sergey Gandlevsky, translated by Philip J. Metres and collected in Ochre & Rust. Tune in to hear more about one of Russia’s most celebrated modern poets, self-described outsider who drifted around the edges of the USSR…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 1, Chapter 5 8:14

12M ago8:14

8:14

Wondering where the other episodes in this series are? We've moved them to a secondary RSS feed (under the title Life and Fate - Chapter A Day Read Along) to avoid clutter. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media ab…

1
The Sulphur Spring by Durova/Alexandrov 49:42

12M ago49:42

49:42

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron cover the short story “The Sulphur Spring” by the author Nadezhda Durova, and investigate its depiction of indigenous peoples, its ambiguous relationships, and sulphur as a health benefit for ungrateful children. Yep, it's a wide-ranging one. Grab your spring water and tune in! Major themes: Improvised speaki…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 1, Chapter 4 12:19

12M ago12:19

12:19

Wondering where the other episodes in this series are? We've moved them to a secondary RSS feed (under the title Life and Fate - Chapter A Day Read Along) to avoid clutter. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media ab…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 1, Chapter 3 12:39

12M ago12:39

12:39

Wondering where the other episodes in this series are? We've moved them to a secondary RSS feed (under the title Life and Fate - Chapter A Day Read Along) to avoid clutter. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media ab…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 1, Chapter 2 11:38

12M ago11:38

11:38

Wondering where the other episodes in this series are? We've moved them to a secondary RSS feed (under the title Life and Fate - Chapter A Day Read Along) to avoid clutter. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media ab…

1
Life and Fate Read Along: Part 1, Chapter 1 7:40

12M ago7:40

7:40

Wondering where the other episodes in this series are? We've moved them to a secondary RSS feed (under the title Life and Fate - Chapter A Day Read Along) to avoid clutter. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Covering thoughts shared by some of our listeners on our Discord and on social media ab…

1
December Break: The Sistine Madonna by Grossman 39:00

12M ago39:00

39:00

Show Notes: Note: This is a re-run of Vasily Grossman's "The Sistine Madonna." Matt and Cameron have finished reading Stalingrad, but they aren’t yet done with Grossman. This week, they tackle his short story “The Sistine Madonna.” Written before the publication of Stalingrad and after he began to write Life and Fate, “The Sistine Madonna” is a pie…

1
Coming Soon: Supporter Drive '23 6:27

1y ago6:27

6:27

This week, Matt and Cameron start up the December Supporter Drive 2023, aiming to raise their paying monthly supporters by 10 people. If you're interested in supporting us, you can do so here. So why are we asking for the money? To answer that, we recorded several short episodes covering our purpose (as we see it), how we plan to spend the money, a…

1
We Need To Talk: Supporter Drive '23 7:15

1y ago7:15

7:15

This week, Matt and Cameron start up the December Supporter Drive 2023, aiming to raise their paying monthly supporters by 10 people. If you're interested in supporting us, you can do so here. So why are we asking for the money? To answer that, we recorded several short episodes covering our purpose (as we see it), how we plan to spend the money, a…

1
SAVE OUR SHOW: Supporter Drive '23 7:41

1y ago7:41

7:41

This week, Matt and Cameron start up the December Supporter Drive 2023, aiming to raise their paying monthly supporters by 10 people. If you're interested in supporting us, you can do so here. So why are we asking for the money? To answer that, we recorded several short episodes covering our purpose (as we see it), how we plan to spend the money, a…

1
The Master and Margarita (chs. 26-epilogue) by Bulgakov 56:30

1y ago56:30

56:30

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron wrap up Mikhail Bulgakov’s Soviet-era masterpiece The Master and Margarita, covering chapters 26 to the epilogue. Come see the Devil and a representative of Yeshua Ha-Nozri hack out the fate of our eponymous characters, as the Moscow investigators finally try to put a pin into this whole “magic” thing. Major …

1
A Volga Tale (The Pupil-The Son-The Children) by Yakhina 52:05

1y ago52:05

52:05

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron finish the last three parts of Guzel Yakhina’s A Volga Tale, discuss fairytales as history, talk about best character Vaska, and think about billiards as a metaphor for World War II. Join us as we think about just what does the Volga mean. Major themes: Knowing The Big Lie, WWII as billiards, rivers as histor…

1
Office Hours - Life and Fate Chapter a Day Read Along 1/1/2024 47:06

1y ago47:06

47:06

Sign up for emails related to our Life and Fate read along here! Show Notes: This week, it’s time for Office Hours, which Matt and Cameron are contractually obliged to hold at least once per quarter. This episode they’ll be revealing a little something-something that you should look forward to, talk about violence and discomfort in media, and spend…

1
The Master and Margarita (chs. 19-25) by Bulgakov 49:32

1y ago49:32

49:32

Show Notes: Content warning: there will be a brief mention of rape from 12:20 to 12:28. This week, Matt and Cameron get into their tuxes for a Devil’s Ball celebrated all the way from across the skies to the distorted apartments of Moscow, covering chapters 19 through 25 of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. They’ll be talking sex, they’l…

1
A Volga Tale (The Wife-The Daughter) by Yakhina 52:46

1y ago52:46

52:46

Show Notes Content Warning: there are mentions of rape around 10:55-12:30 and 27:45-28:10 This week, Matt and Cameron lace up their sailing shoes and dig into Guzel Yakhina’s sophomore novel A Volga Tale. Hop on your skiff and let’s get discussing! Major themes: Fairy tales, women with “K” names, justified societal shunning Buy this book with our a…

1
Solaris (1972) by Tarkovsky 1:00:13

1y ago1:00:13

1:00:13

Show Notes: This week, Matt and Cameron explore Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 film Solaris. They talk genre, they talk the meaning of the soul, and they draw a couple points from — hold on, what do you mean he wrote a book about it? I did all this research and he just…he just wrote a book? Okay, that’s fine. Well, they’ll cover what he has to say, where …

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