Three Percent Podcast

This is a jam-packed episode as Rachel Crawford joins Brian and Chad to talk about Kronauer's "trial," Hannko and Samiya in the Taiga, the lasting impact of PTSD, the post-post-apocalyptic world, Russian literature and French minimalism, New Jersey, and more. This is the penultimate episode of season seven, and sets up a lot of things to talk about next week, including these two articles by Volodine.  As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live on Wednesday, March 20. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, Brian Wood, and Rachel Crawford for more thoughts on Volodine and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps people to discover the podcast. This season's music is all from Mother Earth's Plantasia by Mort Garson, which is Moog music for plants. This week yo

Following a trip to India to speak at the Seagull School of Publishing, Edwin Frank sat down to talk about Uwe Johnson's Anniversaries and NYRB's overall editorial history, including surprise hits, books he wishes more people read, and much more. A brilliant reader, publisher, and thinker, this episode will be of great interest to fans of NYRB's books, or to anyone interested in the industry as a whole.  This episode's music is "Arcane Rambler" from the forthcoming Budos Band album. You can also follow Open Letter and Chad on Twitter and Instagram (OL, Chad) for book and baseball talk. If you don’t already subscribe to the Three Percent Podcast you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and other places. Or you can always subscribe by adding our feed directly into your favorite podcast app: http://threepercent.libsyn.com/rss

Chad and Brian go it alone through Kronauer's "night of amok" as he attempt to murder Solovyei for his myriad crimes. Then they enter into part four of the book, "Taiga," which is a collection of "narracts" set some seven hundred (or a thousand?) years in the future. Hannko is recreating the feminist post-exotic texts from before, along with her dad's crazy ramblings; Kronauer is living in oil, suffering the thousand-plus year punishment Solovyei promised him. Plus, Chad had another Volodine inspired dream . . . as did Brian! As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live on Wednesday, March 5. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood, and for more thoughts on Volodine and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps people to discover the podcast. This

To supplement NYRB month on Three Percent, Chad and Anthony talked to Nick During, publicist for New York Review Books, about the marketing of Anniversaries by Uwe Johnson, the struggles to get attention for reprints, Henry Green's eternal rediscovery, and much more. (Including Nick's ratings of the impact of various conferences and awards on readership.) This episode's music is "Tall Man, Skinny Lady" by Ty Segall. You can also follow Open Letter and Chad on Twitter and Instagram (OL, Chad) for book and baseball talk. If you don’t already subscribe to the Three Percent Podcast you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and other places. Or you can always subscribe by adding our feed directly into your favorite podcast app: http://threepercent.libsyn.com/rss

After a brief foray into Baseball Prospectus 2019 and Power Ball by Rob Neyer, Chad and Tom get down to business, analyzing Chad's statistically-based, very lukewarm take on translation production in 2018. They come up with innumerable, very rational reasons for the dip in translations that tend to revolve around ideas of "market correction." This is probably the most level-headed—and insightful—conversation they've had in a bit. There's also a bit of singularity anti-capitalism talk, a pitch for reading Marie-Claire Blais, and much more! This week's music is "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" by Los Campesinos! As always, feel free to send any and all comments or questions to: threepercentpodcast@gmail.com. Also, if there are articles you’d like us to read and analyze (or just make fun of), send those along as well. And if you like the podcast, tell a friend and rate us or leave a review on iTunes! You can also follow Open Letter, Riffraff, and Chad and on Twitter and Instagram (OL, Riffraff, Chad) for boo

With just Chad and Brian on this week's episode, the show turns almost full superhero. We get Chad's weirdly specific—and unnerving—Volodine-influenced dream. We get to see Samiya Schmidt transform into a raging version of Captain Marvel/Banshee. We get to see Kronauer assume his role as the one chosen to take down Solovyei. Brian and Chad also talk about the influence of language and ideologies on the characters, "cock's language" and "to rut," and speculate about just who is dreaming the dreamer. As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live on Wednesday, March 5. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood, and for more thoughts on Volodine and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps people to discover the podcast. This season's music is all from M

Tobias Carroll (Transitory, Reel) joins Chad and Brian to talk about the latest installment of Radiant Terminus. These three chapters get wild, as Schulhoff (who mysteriously disappeared shortly after his marriage to Hannko, Solovyei's daughter) returns and tries to get Ilyushenko to kill him. And then the never-ending train finds Radiant Terminus and Solovyei launches a poetic attack . . . They also talk about the numbers in the book, angels, Chad's dreams of suing the government, and much more. As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live on Wednesday, February 20. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, Brian Wood, and Tobias Carroll for more thoughts on Volodine and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps people to discover the podcast. This season's music

After an update about Chad's computer files and subscriptions, Tom talks about Amazon leaving NYC and they both get into a long discussion about translator Molly Ringwald (who you might also recognize from Riverdale). Chad tries to order a book from IndieBound (where do these books process from?) and then they talk a bit about Nirliit, Thunder Bay, and Brockmire. This week's music is "Staring at the Sun" by Wooden Shjips. As always, feel free to send any and all comments or questions to: threepercentpodcast@gmail.com. Also, if there are articles you’d like us to read and analyze (or just make fun of), send those along as well. And if you like the podcast, tell a friend and rate us or leave a review on iTunes! You can also follow Open Letter, Riffraff, and Chad and on Twitter and Instagram (OL, Riffraff, Chad) for book and baseball talk. If you don’t already subscribe to the Three Percent Podcast you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and other places. Or you can always subscribe by adding our feed directly int

Rhett McNeil joins Chad Post and pinch-hitter Kaija Straumanis to talk about the first half of part two of Radiant Terminus, "Ode to the Camps." From recounting Chad's latest Volodine-inflected dream to a discussion of the ways various ideologies (fairy tales, anarcho-capitalism, Marxism-Leninism) play out in the novel, to the connection between these ideologies and male violence and the way in which the characters are almost like shadows in the novel, this is a wide-ranging, very dialed in episode. As always, there is laughter and a lengthy recap, but it also goes very deep into the novel and Volodine's overall game. As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live on Wednesday, February 20. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, Brian Wood, Kaija Straumanis, and Rhett McNeil, for more thoughts on Volodine and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Revi

At the top of this episode, Tom explains why he and Chad fell off the biweekly schedule for a bit, but then they come back strong, talking about Winter Institute, the Independent Publishers Caucus, minimum wage, this wild New Yorker article that doesn't quite do enough, but makes Chad angry, and Hanif Abdurraqib's Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest. And Tom talks about baseball. Because, of course. As always, feel free to send any and all comments or questions to: threepercentpodcast@gmail.com. Also, if there are articles you’d like us to read and analyze (or just make fun of), send those along as well. And if you like the podcast, tell a friend and rate us or leave a review on iTunes! You can also follow Open Letter, Riffraff, and Chad and on Twitter and Instagram (OL, Riffraff, Chad) for book and baseball talk. If you don’t already subscribe to the Three Percent Podcast you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and other places. Or you can always subscribe by adding our feed directly into your

From Tarkovsky to Jessica Jones, this week's episode covers a lot of ground. Anthony and Chad are joined by Hailey Dezort to walk through the first three chapters of Antoine Volodine's Radiant Terminus. There's a lot to unpack, from the plant names, to the nature of men, to horrible fathers, to the humor found in Gramma Ugdul talking to the core of a failed nuclear reactor. Given how plotted this novel is, you can definitely follow along, even if you haven't read the section yet. Also, we get to find out who Hailey thinks Khrili Gompo is, and we officially changed this season's contest: Whoever sends in the best drawing of one of the imaginary plants found in Radiant Terminus will receive copies of both of his previous published Open Letter titles AND all forthcoming ones. If you want to get one of these t-shirts, email Open Letter and let us know! As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live the e

We’re back! . . . And a few days late. Chad explains why on the podcast itself, but suffice it to say that last week was a bit, um, stressful. But Brian and Chad finally got together to talk about Antoine Volodine in general, post-exoticism, Brian Evenson’s introduction to Radiant Terminus, similarities between Evenson’s writing and Volodine’s, this season's game (SEND US YOUR DREAMS!), Volodine's essay in The New Inquiry, and much more. As always, you can watch these episodes live on our YouTube channel the day before they’re released in podcast form. The next episode will be recorded live on Wednesday, January 30th at 11am Eastern. You can also get 30% off Radiant Terminus, or any other Volodine book, by using the code VOLODINE at checkout from the Open Letter website. (Offer is only good until midnight Eastern on 1/31.) Feel free to comment on this episode—or on the book in general—either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts on P

As part of this month's ongoing series of posts about literature from Spain, I talked to author, translator, and publisher Jonathan Dunne, whose Small Stations Press has produced more translations of Galician literature into English than anyone else. On this bonus episode of the Three Percent Podcast, we talk about how to pronounce "Galician," how he got into translating and publishing these works, the challenges of running a small press, the importance of voice and flow over individual words, why translating poetry is easier than translating long novels, and much more. Jonathan also recommends a number of Galician authors and books, all of which can be found on the Small Stations website.  This week's music is "Here to Fall" by Yo La Tengo. You can also follow Open Letter and Chad on Twitter and Instagram (OL, Chad) for book and baseball talk. If you don’t already subscribe to the Three Percent Podcast you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and other places. Or you can always subscribe by adding our feed dire

Getting back on schedule for the new year, Chad and Tom convene to talk about two articles: "7 Publishing Insights Revealed by Last Year's Top 100 Bestselling Books," and "Virginia Woolf? Snob! Richard Wright? Sexist! Dostoyevsky? Anti-Semite!" They also talk a bit about YA books and the precipitous decline in reading as people age, terrible Instagram poetry, and the difficulties in getting books from a particular publisher.  They also recommend a few titles: Scar by Sara Mesa Tentacle by Rita Indiana All That Is Evident Is Suspect: Readings from the Oulipo, 1963-2018 by Daniel Levin Becker and Ian Monk This week's music is Los Campesinos! cover of "Frontwards" by Pavement. As always, feel free to send any and all comments or questions to: threepercentpodcast@gmail.com. Also, if there are articles you’d like us to read and analyze (or just make fun of), send those along as well. And if you like the podcast, tell a friend and rate us or leave a review on iTunes! You can also follow Open Letter, Riffraff, and 

It's all over! After eleven weeks of Pessoa, Chad and Brian have finished The Book of Disquiet. And to celebrate, they each wrote some jacket copy and blurbs and went hard at trying to get BINGO for someone. They also preview the next season of TMR and come up with a very marketable Pessoa-themed product idea . . .  As always, you can find the video for this episode on our YouTube channel, where we livestream the episodes. Stay tuned for more details about the schedule for Season 7: Radiant Terminus by Antoine Volodine. Feel free to comment on this episode—or on the book in general—either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts on Pessoa and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps people to discover the podcast. This season's opening music is "E Às Vezes Dou Por Mim" by contemporary fado

After a long conversation about a rather strange Rochester gathering of arts organizations, Chad and Tom get down to business: recommending their favorite books of 2018. Except, rather than just make a list, they decide which of their friends or relatives should receive each of these titles. Then they talk about a couple movies, heists, and NXIVM. A (hopefully) complete list of the recommended titles: The Shift by Russell Carleton Seasonal Associate by Heike Geissler Ivory Pearl by Jean-Patrick Manchette Lost Empress by Sergio De La Pava The Largesse of the Sea Maiden by Denis Johnson The Overstory by Richard Powers Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval CoDex 1962 by Sjón Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux Tell Them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants by Mathias Énard This week's music is "Young Lady, You're Scaring Me" by Ron Gallo. As always, feel free to send any and all comments or questions to: threepercentpodcast@gmail.com. Also, if there are articles you’d like us to read and analyze (or just make fun of), send t

Probably the most controversial Two Month Review to date, so buckle up! Are there unhinged rants? You bet! Questions regarding the marketing and "completeness" of the New Directions edition? Yep! A long discussion about the differences in voice between the both excellent Margaret Jull Costa and Richard Zenith translations? That too! It's a jam packed penultimate episode that's not to be missed. As always, you can find the video for this episode on our YouTube channel, where we livestream the episodes. Next week's podcast will cover sections 359-393 (pages 388-421 in the U.S. edition). Stay tuned for more details about the exact time. Feel free to comment on this episode—or on the book in general—either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts on Pessoa and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really

This week David Smith—former Open Letter intern and current grad student at the University of Iowa—joins Chad and Brian to debate poetry vs. prose, separating the p.o.v. of Pessoa's heteronyms from his own personal viewpoint, Soares's morality and metaphysics, how to judge the quality of a translation, and much more. As a bonus, Brian shares his first ever work of erasure poetry! As always, you can find the video for this episode on our YouTube channel, where we livestream the episodes. Next week's podcast will cover sections 359-393 (pages 388-421 in the U.S. edition). Stay tuned for more details about the exact time. Feel free to comment on this episode—or on the book in general—either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts on Pessoa and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And be sure to leave us a review on iTunes. It really helps people t

This week, Kevin Williams of Talonbooks out of Vancouver, British Columbia joins Tom and Chad to talk about the state of publishing in Canada. He recaps his career in the book business—as a bookseller, distributor, agent, and publisher—and provides a lot of insight into the Canadian funding structures, the not-so-great state of the bookstore scene, the difficulties of breaking out a book, and the struggle to get American readers and reviewers to pay attention to Canadian writers.  If you're not already familiar with Talonbooks, you can check them out online, and Kevin recommends The Weight of Snow, a forthcoming title by Quebec author Christian Guay-Poliquin. (Meanwhile, Tom recommends the new Énard, and Chad is still on about Rodrigo Fresán's forthcoming The Dreamed Part.) This week's music is  As always, feel free to send any and all comments or questions to: threepercentpodcast@gmail.com. Also, if there are articles you’d like us to read and analyze (or just make fun of), send those along as well. And if

Chad and Brian fly solo this week, filling in dozens of TMR Bingo squares, and trying to come up with "rules for writers" based on this particular section of The Book of Disquiet. It's a pretty imprecise set of rules, but whatever, in the words of Pessoa, "perfection is inhuman." They also talk a bit about a "Mount Rushmore of American Literature," whether or not listicles can hit a saturation point in which they're all useless, and much more. As always, you can find the video for this episode on our YouTube channel, where we livestream the episodes. Next week's podcast will cover sections 316-358 (pages 337-387 in the U.S. edition). Stay tuned for more details about the exact time. Feel free to comment on this episode—or on the book in general—either on this post, or at the official GoodReads Group. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for more thoughts on Pessoa and literature in general, and for information about upcoming guests. You can find all the Two Month Review posts by clicking here. And