Extra Literary Affairs Podcast

The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

Welcome back to another episode of the Extra Literary Affairs podcast. This week Joey and Jennifer are discussing one of the most iconic American short stories, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. We explore the idea of fate, how Jackson utilizes dread, and establish an all too convincing status quo. 
 

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas - Ursula K. LeGuin

Welcome back to another episode of Extra Literary Affairs!
This week Jennifer and Joey discuss "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. LeGuin. Follow along as we delve into utilitarian philosophy, question the morality of utopian societies, and provide some historical background to help us understand why LeGuin may have included ideas like freedom of sexual expression.

The Ones Who Stay and Fight - N.K. Jemisin

Welcome to Extra Literary Affairs! We have officially rebranded and are excited to delve deeper into a multitude of new topics.
This week, Joey and Jennifer discuss "The Ones Who Stay and Fight" by beloved fantasy / sci-fi author, N.K. Jemisin. In this episode, we discuss why this story is effective from a technical writing perspective and why this utopic society has been able to achieve equity.  We cover difficult topics like capital punishment and recall current events that may have inspired the author. 
 
To read and listen to this story, please use this link:
The Ones Who Stay and Fight - Lightspeed Magazine

The Machine Stops - E.M. Forster

Check out this week's episode where we discuss one of the greatest sci-fi short stories of all time.  Follow along as we discuss what happens to society when free thinking is oppressed, and the only currency is an elusive new idea.  

Extra Literary Affairs - Should we still read Flannery O'Connor?

Welcome back to another episode of Extra Literary Affairs, a LitFiction podcast.  This week Jennifer and Joey discuss if Flannery O'Connor's work still merits scholarship. Should we continue to read problematic authors? Can we separate the author from the text? Do we still have anything to gain from stories with harmful rhetoric? 
*Please excuse Joey's poor audio!

A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor

Check out this week's episode where we discuss a story we have all been waiting for, "A Good Man is Hard to Find".  This is a widely anthologized and studied story about an everyday American family whose family vacation gets cut short by an escaped prisoner named, "The Misfit". Follow along as we discuss the idea of "grace" and morality. 

New Year's Reading Resolutions

It's officially the new year!  Check out our first episode of 2025 and learn about our reading goals for this year.  We have a list of new authors we want to discuss and would love to hear from you!

Street Haunting: A London Adventure - Virginia Woolf

New Episode!
Check out this week's new episode as we change it up and discuss an essay, for the first time ever!  Follow along as we walk the streets of London with Woolf and experience the imagination.