Three Percent Podcast

We've reached the end of 2666 and Chad, Katie, and Brian convene to talk about how amazing the ending is, publishers protecting authors, love and family, the book being a "love letter to literature," the circular nature of the book, and James Joyce. This week's music is "Swoonn" by The Chemical Brothers. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. We'll be back soon with season 17. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four, Last Words on Earth, and Wolfskin. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Chad and Brian talk about more vampires, about semen, about senseless scene after senseless scene, about WWII, about masterpieces and mediocre writing, about publisher laments, and about other things. This week's music is "Damn These Vampires" by The Mountain Goats. (The Jordan Lake Sessions version, specifically.) If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, which will go through the end of the book. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four, Last Words on Earth, and Wolfskin. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

We're in the home stretch, as Archimboldi appears at last. Chad, Katie, and Brian discuss his origin story, vampires, seaweed, the nature of time, various echoes appearing in this final section, what Bolaño might be saying about himself as a writer through Hans Reiter, and masturbation. Here's a link to the blog post Katie references in this episode. This week's music is "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" by Concrete Blonde. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, which will go through page 806. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four and Last Words on Earth.  You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-ded

Chad and Brian tackle the braided narratives that close out "The Part About the Crimes," discussing Michel Butor's thoughts about detective novels (from Passing Time) and the "rules" laid out in 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them against 2666. Some interesting observations about what the core "mystery" of the book really is, questions about the chronology of the four parts so far, and some speculation about what's to come. And some My Little Pony talk. Just because. Also, this week's episode is sponsored by the Wisdom App, a social audio platform where you can listen to experts talking about a wide range of topics. You can download the app and follow Chad at chadwpost, and this Wednesday, December 15th at 7pm Eastern, he will give a talk about getting started in publishing. This week's music is "End of the Night" by A Place to Bury Strangers. (Not sure there's a better title + band name more fitting for "The Part About the Crimes.") If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube alo

Brian's back to talk about dead baby jokes, repetition, the power of reading, snuff films, matriarchal lineage, and much more. Chad didn't sleep before this episode, which explains some of the wackiness. This week's music is "World Gone Deaf" by Bill Baird. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four and Last Words on Earth.  You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Chad, Brian, and Katie dive into "The Part About the Crimes," talking about the fact that the Penitent gets more detective time than all of the murdered women, about the seer, about ventriloquism, about Lalo Cura, and about the existence of Ciudad Juárez in 2666.  This week's music is "Highlights of 100" by Kiwi Jr. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, "Klaus Haas." Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four and Last Words on Earth.  You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

After Chad, Katie, and Brian finish recapping the end of "The Part About Fate"—including the Twin Peaks reference, representations of violence, the apocryphal Robert Rodriguez porno, blindness and impaired sight, and much more—they're joined by Dr. Andrew Martino, a massive Bolaño fan who raises more questions and observations as the group read heads into "The Part About the Crimes." This week's music is "Three and a Half Feet High and Rising" by El Ten Eleven. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation—and see Chad looking mighty uncomfortable in a tie—you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, "The Next Dead Woman." Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four and Last Words on Earth.  You can als

In the first chunk of this week's episode, Brian, Chad, and Katie break down the first half of "The Part About Fate" and look specifically at Kessler's speech in the diner, the areas of exploitative capitalism, femicide and how it's everywhere, the idea of a system that kills, and much more. (They literally run out of time.) Then, Chad and Katie are joined by Natasha Wimmer to discuss her translation, how she came to Bolaño, what she's learned about translating over the years, and how she approached this particular section of the novel. This week's music is "91" by Bleachers. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation—and see Chad looking mighty uncomfortable in a tie—you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, "DANGER, MONEY, FOOD, STARS, USEFULNESS." Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better book

This two-part episode opens with Katie, Brian, and Chad talking about madness, the pursuit of knowledge, what great authors "struggle against," and much more. Then, Chad and Katie are joined by Emily Hall (The Longcut) to discuss the art works on the covers of the three-volume edition of 2666, along with Duchamp, Amalfitano's "readymade," and more. Here are links to a number of the artworks that Emily references throughout the discussion: Cy Twombly. Academy (1955) Albertus Seba's Wunderkammer Frederick Ruysch's Wunderkammer Marcel Duchamp. Readymade malheureux (Unhappy Readymade, 1919) This week's music is "Walking at a Downtown Pace" by Parquet Courts. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation—and see Chad looking mighty uncomfortable in a tie—you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, "DANGER, MONEY, FOOD, STARS, USEFULNESS." Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests.

One of the brainiest TMRs to date, this episode talks a lot about doubles and mirrors in 2666, religious iconography, coincidence vs. fate, disappearances and vanishing, the creeping horror found in this novel, the abyss and the void, musicals, and much more. Brian, Chad, and Katie cover the entirely of "The Part About the Critics" and will do all of "The Part About Amalfitano" next episode. Enjoy! This week's music is from Kunzite. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation—and see Chad looking mighty uncomfortable in a tie—you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, "El Cerdo." Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie's translations, especially Four by Four and Last Words on Earth.  You can also support this podcast and all of Open L

This week's episode opens with 'Professor Post" poking a bit of fun at academics, then dives headfirst into the first 75 pages of 2666. Brian, Katie, and Chad talk about the representation of Liz Norton, of the voids that exist in 2666, the religious experience of becoming obsessed with an author, violence, made up books, the covers of the U.S., UK, and Spanish editions, "ennui" vs. "boredom," Rodrigo Fresán's appearance, and much much more. Also, stay tuned for a bonus section in which Nick Buzanski of Books Are Magic talks about the hype surrounded 2666 from a bookseller's perspective. And click here if you want to see the videos he and Chad talk about. This week's music is "Hug from a Dinosaur" by Torres. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation—and see Chad looking mighty uncomfortable in a tie—you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. And tune in next Thursday at 9am ET for the next episode, "El Cerdo." Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information

Season 16 is here! At long last, Bolaño's 2666 takes center stage, and Chad and Brian are joined by translator and Bolaño enthusiast, Katie Whittemore. In this opening episode, they discuss the myth-making of Bolaño's biography, they talk about sudden fame, the grind of the artist, and of the way that everything is read as genius once someone is declared a genius. They talk about Last Words on Earth by Javier Serena and Katie Whittemore, and they preview 2666 talking about the "black holes" of the novel (which ties into Bolaño's "Infrarealist Manifesto") and discussing the not-quite-bestselling Caitlyn Reads 2666.  This week's music is "Airplane Rider" by Air Miami. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. And all of Katie

Chad and Brian recap the wild end to Vernon Subutex, debate whether it was predictable or not, whether Despentes earned it or not, and what to make of the proto-history chapter that rounds out the trilogy. And, in classic TMR fashion, the episode ends abruptly when Chad's wifi suddenly dies. (Technical difficulties for the win.) This week's music is a new cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Covering what's probably the most disturbing section of Vernon Subutex, this is an intense, fairly dark episode of the Two Month Review. They discuss how the most evil character is a manager/agent, about how men are everywhere, ready to ruin things, and much more. On the upside, Chad and Brian recorded early in the morning, so their voices have some extra depth . . . If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Wednesday, July 14th, ask questions, make comments, and correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Chad almost had to do this episode solo, but all of you were spared that catastrophe by Kaija Straumanis and David Smith (whose delay makes for some funny moments). The talk about what you would do for $100 million dollars, what most terrifies them, fear in general, Max as Lex Luthor, and much more. This week's music is from the Velvet Underground and, ugh, Korn. Sorry. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Thursday, July 8th, ask questions, make comments, and correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Following up on last week's catastrophic technical difficulties, Brian recaps some of his conversation with Frank Wynne before he and Chad dive into volume three of Despentes's Vernon Subutex. They talk about hippies, Dan Deacon, cults, Cultish, Vernon's purity, and much more. This week's music is "The Crystal Cat" by Dan Deacon. (Click here to see one of his "convergences.") If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Thursday, June 24th, ask questions, make comments, and correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Chad and Brian get into some fun and vengeful parts of Vernon Subutex 2 this week, talking about Gaëll, the proliferation of diereses in this section, getting revenge, Vernon's magical music, and more. This week's music is "The Modern World" by The Jam. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Thursday, June 10th, ask questions, make comments, and correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester.

Kaija Straumanis pinch hits this week to talk about Céleste, about spray painting insults, the best forms of revenge, how to upend a system, and whether of not a good dad can be an alcoholic. This episode is a great prelude to one of the major plot points of the trilogy, so listen to this and get ready for next week . . . This week's music is "They'll Never" by Stef Chura. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Thursday, June 3rd, ask questions, make comments, and correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Rochester. The larg

In this special episode, Chad talks with Rachel Cordasco about a new Three Percent project focusing on translators as curators. Over the course of the next month, we'll be posting a number of different types of posts—excerpts, profiles, readings, shorter podcasts, movie clips—using the five works of Italian science fiction Rachel selected as the starting point.  In case it gets lost in the podcast, here are the five books in Rachel Cordasco's "Italian Science-Fiction Collection": Cancerqueen by Tommaso Landolfi (tr Raymond Rosenthal)(1971) Storie naturali (1966, as by Damiano Malabaila) and Vizio di forma  (1971) selections from both in The Sixth Day and Other Tales (tr Raymond Rosenthal, 1990) full translations of these & all Levi titles in Complete Works of Primo Levi (2015), w/ the two collections above tr Jenny McPhee Nexhuman by Francesco Verso (tr Sally McCorry) (2015) Creative Surgery by Clelia Farris (tr Rachel Cordasco and Jennifer Delare) (2020) Bug by Giacomo Sartori (tr Frederika Randall) (2

Derek Maine returns for his second appearance this season to talk about Alex Bleach's tapes, Vodka Satana's death, how the system is rigged, horrible men, the complications of passing judgement, Motörhead, mushroom powder, and much more. This is a pretty key episode, as the trilogy veers into detective novel territory, and the conflict with Dopalet becomes more well defined. If you'd prefer to watch the conversation, you can find it on YouTube along with all our past episodes. You can join us on Thursday, May 20th, ask questions, make comments, and correct inaccurate statements. Here's where you can find the complete reading schedule. This week's music is "Eat the Rich" by Motörhead. Follow Open Letter, Chad Post, and Brian Wood for random thoughts and information about upcoming guests. Be sure to order Brian's book, Joytime Killbox, which is available at better bookstores everywhere thanks to BOA Editions. You can also support this podcast and all of Open Letter's activities by making a tax-deductible dona