On today’s Modern Readers episode, we’re placing “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift in context with pieces of contemporary political satire. We'll explore how satire is being used today to comment on politics and social issues, and the power, or limits, of its influence. Throughout our discussion, we discuss the lasting legacy of Swift’s essay, the rise of satirical media, and how satire is used as a rhetorical tool. Listen to the end for contemporary satirical examples in TV, online media, and comedy.

We’re also excited to announce our Summer Big Book Read Along: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. We’re looking forward to digging into this classic with you! This Big Book Read Along includes 5 recaps spread over June, July, and August, 3 book club meet ups to discuss along the way, an active Discord chat for support and motivation, classes and bonus content. The summer is a great time to join our scholarly community!

Find more details on our summer plans in our free Substack newsletter or head to patreon.com/novelpairings to join our community.

Books Mentioned:

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Odyssey by Homer

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Also Mentioned:

A Modern Proposal on Project Gutenberg

Little Women Musical

Jo Musical

A Point of View: What’s the point of satire?

The Onion

Saturday Night Live

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

White Lotus

Abbott Elementary

Veep

The West Wing

John Oliver

In today’s episode, we’re discussing The Importance of Being Earnest by the ever-delightful Oscar Wilde. A classic example of British theater, this play is known for its biting social satire and brilliant comedic dialogue. Throughout our conversation, we dive into the play’s themes, discuss Wilde’s mastery of wordplay, and his ability to write characters that satirize Victorian society in the cleverest ways. As always, we share our complementary pairings, and we hope this episode adds a few books to your TBR pile!

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have a hunch that you would also love participating in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Books Mentioned:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

The Best of Me by David Sedaris

I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett

Dr. No by Percival Everett

What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Also Mentioned:

Bonus: 127. An Introduction to The Importance of Being Earnest

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

R. Eric Thomas

We're thrilled to welcome back Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks Podcast, for a thought-provoking discussion on one of Shakespeare's darkest comedies, Measure for Measure. In this conversation, we'll dive deep into the play's timeless themes including punishment, gender, power, and politics. We discuss how these themes continue to resonate with modern audiences, revealing the parallels between the play and our contemporary world. We also talk about how Shakespeare masterfully uses this satire in this work, even when satire doesn't necessarily equate to laugh-out-loud humor. Listen to the end for Traci’s book recommendations, including Shakespeare pairings and a soon-to-be-released title.

Connect with Traci:

The Stacks Podcast

Unstacked

Instagram: @thestackspod

Join our community!

Patreon

Substack

Instagram: @novelpairingspod

Books Mentioned:

Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper

Blackface (Object Lessons) by Ayanna Thompson

New People by Danzy Senna

Color Television by Danzy Senna

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Erasure by Percival Everett

Severance by Ling Ma

Victim by Andrew Boryga

Love’s Labor Lost by William Shakespeare

All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

Othello by William Shakespeare

Richard III by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Also Mentioned:

Ask a Shakespeare Professor

Macbeth

The Stacks episode on Romeo and Juliet