The Getting Lit Podcast

Send us a text Sini and Fresta go through their best reads, watches, and listens of 2025 (mostly things they didn't cover for the show). Support the show

Send us a text Here is a sneak peek of our series on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic novel of revolutionary violence, Demons. All three parts are available in full on Patreon. Go to https://www.patreon.com/c/GettingLit to listen. Support the show

Send us a text Josh from the Dionysian Dream joins me once more to discuss Wicked! This time, we are looking at the sequel to the 2024 movie, Wicked: For Good. We chat about the film, the changes between the stage show and the movie version, the new songs, and why Wicked isn't just for the girls and gays. Follow Josh on X: https://x.com/tragic_fruit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tragic_fruit/ Substack: https://thedionysiandream.substack.com/ Music: Wicked - No Good Deed (Cynthia Erivo and Idina Menzel remix), Pure Re-imagination Support the show

Send us a text This is part 2 of our Philip K. Dick collaboration with the Rare Candy podcast. Head over to their feed for part 1 (https://open.spotify.com/show/2cXVcvC3G13PGUuYMVLGZb), where we cover The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1965), before joining us here for the continuation of "Dick Week" as we discuss Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said (1974). In this novel, Jason Taverner, a genetically engineered celebrity talk-show host, wakes up one morning to discover he has been erased from the world. His identification records vanish, no one recognises him, and in a hyper-surveilled police-state America—where IDs are everything—this is effectively a death sentence. This noirish typically Dickian story goes in unexpected places. Just like this discussion! Also, as an extra treat for our paid subscribers, we have a mini-episode on Patreon where we horse around with Glen and Psi. Go to patreon.com/gettinglit to listen. Support the show

Send us a text Paul Dalla Rosa returns to talk about Gary Indiana's fabulous pastiche of the Menendez Brothers trial, Resentment. We chat about vicious gay wit, the media circus around the trial, comparing the mediatised social life of television and the internet, Indiana's distinctive style, and much more. Go to the Patreon for a continuation of this discussion on Back Matter, where we talk about Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: https://www.patreon.com/c/GettingLit Buy Paul's book here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Exciting-Vivid-Inner-Life/dp/1800810121 Music: We're Living in Violent Times, The Barracudas Who Shot Ya? The Notorious B.I.G. Support the show

Send us a text On this week's episode, we dive into Ryu Murakami's Popular Hits of the Showa Era, where a group of disaffected men find themselves in an absurdly violent war with a rival society of older women (Oba-sans) after a deadly encounter. We talk about the book's mix of ultra-violence, satirical humor, escalating absurdity, and much more! This a teaser. For the full episode, and access to our complete archive and bonus content, subscribe at patreon.com/gettinglit Support the show

Send us a text In this week's episode, the legendary Bruce Wagner joins us to discuss his new novel Amputation, inspired by the 2025 Los Angeles fires. The conversation moves from the book’s genesis in anger at bureaucratic incompetence to Wagner’s reflections on art, rage, and the sacred. We discuss how indignation can be transformed into creative energy without devolving into polemic, his long-standing use of real public figures in fiction, and his resistance to censorship and “cultural bureaucrats.” The discussion broadens into questions of artistic integrity, nihilism, and compassion; the corrosion of civic responsibility; and how modern fame, selfhood, and delusion intertwine. We also meditate on impermanence, artificial intelligence, and the dissolution of self in art, positioning AI as both a creative threat and a spiritual mirror. And much more. Join us for one of our favorite episodes ever! Buy Amputation here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1648211615?&tag=skyhorsepub-20 Music: Because We Built It, John Maus He Stopped Loving Her Today, George Jones Support the show

Send us a text Australian-American writer Lucas Smith joins us to discuss his collection of wonderful short fiction, Spare Us Yet. We discuss the elements of faith in his fiction, the pandemic, lockdowns, literary culture in Australia, as well as his experience running an independent publishing company, Bonfire Books. This is a special crossover event with Sini's New Mythologies Substack, which you should check out: https://newmythologies.substack.com/ If you'd like full episodes of the Getting Lit Podcast, and access to the full archive and aftershows, go to https://www.patreon.com/c/GettingLit Buy Spare Us Yet: https://www.wisebloodbooks.com/store/p159/Spare_Us_Yet_and_Other_Stories%2C_by_Lucas_Smith.html Follow Lucas on Substack: https://lucassmith.substack.com/ Follow Bonfire Books on X: https://x.com/BooksBonfire Music: Celtic Ballad, The Saints Support the show

Send us a text *this is a PREVIEW. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/GettingLit This episode, Fresta and Sini riff on Fresta's Sydney trip, thrift shop book finds, Bret Easton Ellis, the fantastic Australian crime show Mr Inbetween, ABC Radio National's Top 100 books of the 21st Century, and much more. To find out why this episode has this title, you will have to wait until the end. Support the show

Send us a text This week, we're looking at Gustav Meyrink's The Golem, a strange novel of occultism, Kabbalah and psychological terror in early 20th century Prague's Jewish ghetto. Joining us on this journey is none other than Brad Kelly, host of the wonderful Method and Madness podcast. Follow Brad on X: https://x.com/bradkelly?lang=en Method and Madness pod: https://open.spotify.com/show/4AQR8tram18P2PBYdhKiQN Music: Danse Macabre, Op. 40, R. 171, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Support the show

Send us a text This week, a big episode discussing a slim novel. We're joined by a couple of our favourite Southerners (Kalob Petty and Banjer Jack) and our favourite Montanan (Ryan Simón) to chat about Carson McCullers' classic Southern Gothic novel about repressed eros and dark desires, Reflections in a Golden Eye. We talk about the Southern Gothic tradition, why Southerners are so chill, why Carson McCullers was likely a f@g hag, horse girls, music, and much more. This episode quickly turns into a rollicking bull session, full of hilarious tales, forbidden confessions, and...banjo. Lots of banjo. Music: Southern Blood, Kalob Petty Sammie Where You Been So Long, Banjer Jack Links to Kalob's music: https://linktr.ee/kalobdpetty Ryan's American Vulgaria: https://americanvulgaria.com/ Support the show

Send us a text Jasper Ceylon, author of the hoax poetry journal Echolalia Review, has been unmasked as Aaron Barry. Aaron joins us to talk about what's been happening in his life since he revealed himself in The Free Press, his new novel "£, flesh", the internet novel, writing under pseudonyms and much more. Order Aaron's novel here: https://mcbussypublishing.org/product/flesh-by-aaron-barry-ebook/ Read more about Jasper/Aaron's hoax here: https://www.thefp.com/p/white-man-who-pretended-to-be-black-poet Outro: The Pest, John Cooper Clarke Support the show

Send us a text Jack Norman is the author of the new short story collection Sleep Capricorn, coming in October from Bonfire Books. Like Fresta and Sini, he also grew up in North Queensland. This episode features three northerners yarning about Jack's fiction, as well as fatherhood, Australian fiction in general, The Honourable Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, craft discussions on narration, and writing literary fiction as a gamer/Tolkien fan. Pre-order Jack incredible collection from Bonfire Books here: https://bonfirebooks.org/product/sleep-capricorn-by-jack-norman-pre-order/ Follow Jack on X: https://x.com/Thingol2006 Music: The N.W.R.A (Live), The Fall Support the show

Send us a text We talk about the NYT article about men "performatively reading", as well as Fresta's realisation that he is "Unc" now after a night out. Music: To Die Among Strangers - Rome Can't Fight The Moonlight - LeAnn Rimes Support the show

Send us a text This episode, we are joined by the best book YouTuber around, Mr Cliff Sargent. Cliff hosts the popular channel "Better Than Food," where he reviews everything from classics to difficult postmodern tomes and sci fi. Truly a great discussion from one of the best in the game right now. We talk about how he makes his book content, developing a reading practice, filmmaking, as well as a long digression on black metal. Run it up! Follow Cliff's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@BetterThanFoodBookReviews Music: Beholding the Throne of Might, Darkthrone Support the show

Send us a text This week we are joined by Passage Prize winner Michael Button to discuss Alice Munro's short story cycle, Who Do You Think You Are? (aka The Beggar Maid in the US). Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/Michaelknife1 Music: Time Fades Away by Neil Young Support the show

Send us a text This week Fresta talks to Will Samson about Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Bend Sinister and the Fall record of the same name. As Fresta and Will are both avant-garde music-spazz’s the conversation ends up in a discussion about other artists such as The Country Teasers, Lana Del Rey, Kanye, Pere Ubu, The Melvins, Townes Van Zandt, Oasis, Throbbing Gristle, Roky Erickson and The Kinks. Note: there are a couple of audio issues on Will's end with this one, but we prefer to think of it as authentic lo-fi experimentation. Music: Living Too Late by The Fall, Get Lost by Kanye West Will’s Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/samsonwill93/?hl=en Will’s recent appearance on Bistro Californium: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-117-my-name-w-133687985?l=es Will’s essays: https://apocalypse-confidential.com/2021/05/12/war-at-33-1-3-throbbing-gristle-public-enemy-datapanik/ https://safetypropaganda.substack.com/p/life-stinks-cuz-i-like-the-kink-by https://apocalypse-confidential.com/2024/05/21/paradise-stands-in-the-shadow-of-swords/ Support the show

Send us a text Bigmac McCarthy joins Fresta (who is hosting solo this ep) to talk about Haruki Murakami’s surrealistic tome The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle as well as some music nerd talk at the end. Mac’s Twitter: https://x.com/bigmac_mccarthy?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Mac’s music, Heavy Body: https://heavybody.bandcamp.com/ Country Teasers episode with Fresta on Mac's podcast, Nice: https://open.spotify.com/episode/55AYAetKj51f4gFyWusZ8B?si=QVokpdTEQ1yw1SGsq81a1g Support the show

Send us a text Zach Langley Chi Chi joins us once again to talk about William Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest, as well as Julie Taymor's 2010 film adaptation starring Helen Mirren as a gender-swapped Prospero. Subscribe to Zach's wonderful podcast, I'm So Popular: https://www.patreon.com/imsopopular And for a special episode of Back Matter where a lot of tea is spilled, subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GettingLit Support the show

Send us a text Our guest this week is David Mamet, Pulitzer Prize Winner and America's foremost playwright, known for such plays as American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross, and movies such as Oleanna, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Untouchables. He joins us to talk about his masterful new novel, Some Recollections of St. Ives, which poses as a memoir of a teacher at an idyllic private school. We have a wide-ranging chat about his work in the theatre, the movie business, and his thoughts about modern education and culture. Pre-order the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1648211402?&tag=skyhorsepub-20 And watch David's new film starring Shia LaBeouf, Henry Johnson, here: https://henryjohnsonmovie.com/ Support the show