Save Me From My Shelf

Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. This season, we are only looking at banned and controversial texts. In our sixty-ninth episode (nice) we recap the first (?) known pornographic work to use the novel as its form: John Cleland's Fanny Hill, Or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1748). We see a weaponised Measuringworth and learn the joys of giant maypoles, turtlebilling, and plenipontentary instruments.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: John Gay, 'Overture' in The Beggar's Opera (1728).

The twentieth episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, resuscitate the Bad Sex Awards™, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from our Streetcar episode.

Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. This season, we are only looking at banned and controversial texts. In our sixty-eighth episode, we recap Tennessee Williams's most famous work, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947). Abby stresses out after some massive audio equipment failure and Daniel reveals himself to be both the podcast's Brando AND a thriving gay man.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: Daniel Jenkin-Smith, 'Trolley Problem'.

The ninteenth episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, resuscitate the Bad Sex Awards™, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from our Ulysses episode.

Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. This season, we are only looking at banned and controversial texts. In our sixty-seventh episode, we examine the second half of James Joyce's 800-page inscruitable Modernist Masterpiece, Ulysses. Here we recap the 'Nausicaa' chapter, which got the book banned in the first place, and speculate on if such an achievement in literature angered the gods.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: 'The Rocky Road to Dublin'.

Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. This season, we are only looking at banned and controversial texts. In our sixty-seventh episode, we examine the first half of James Joyce's 800-page inscruitable Modernist Masterpiece, Ulysses. We make lots of connections to the Odyssey and wonder if Joyce--the filthy bugger--might have put his penis (or something worse, given his pecadillos) in a popcorn tub at Dublin's first cinema.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Episode Theme: 'The Rocky Road to Dublin'.

The eighteenth episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, resuscitate the Bad Sex Awards™, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from our Kite Runner episode.

Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal.This season, we are only looking at banned and controversial texts. In our sixty-sixth episode, we examine Khaled Hosseini's 2003 redemption-and-brotherhood melodrama, The Kite Runner. In this episode, Daniel feels seen, gives a shout out to his friends in the Taliban, and tells us what he'd do if ever gifted a copy of Hitler's biography. Abby, meanwhile, becomes the angriest she's been since the Pamela episode.Cover art © Catherine Wu.Ustad_Gada_Mohammad_-_RababaEpisode Theme: Ustad Gada Mohammad, 'Rababa'.

The fifteenth episode of SMFMS Bookends, the satellite show for Save Me From My Shelf. Here we read emails, answer listener questions, talk about what we're currently reading, watching, and playing, resuscitate the Bad Sex Awards™, and provide further outtakes and analysis cut from our Handmaid's Tale episode.