Concavity Show

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbt2QjzmrwakXQtH08WZ6-rSaeEVcSknI

Episode 87 - Jonathan Lethem, author of A Different Kind of Tension & The Fortress of Solitude

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0500

For Episode 87, Matt and Dave are joined by the Jonathan Lethem, who has a new short story collection out on September 23rd, A Different Kind of Tension. We discuss it, many of his novels and his non-fiction writing, his committment to craft, teaching, bookselling, and much more.

You can order his new book here, or at your friendly local bookseller.

Visit Jonathan's website.

Visit Jonathan's Instagram.

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 86 - Matt Bucher, author of The Summer Layoff

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In Episode 86, Matt Bucher not only co-hosts, but guests as the author of interest, whose new novel, a follow-up to The Belan Deck, has just recently released. Matt's latest book is a Marksonian treatise on the marking, measuring, and allocation of time, and is sure to delight listeners of our show.

You can purchase Matt's excellent sophomore release here:

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble

Alienated Majesty Bookstore (Austin, TX)

Book People (Austin, TX)

Matt's Websites:

mattbucher.com

simpleranger.net

buchrtumblr.com

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 85 - Camille Bordas, author of The Material & How to Behave in a Crowd

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In Episode 85, we're joined by Camille Bordas, whose recent novel The Material explores what a fictionalized MFA program in stand-up comedy might look like. It's funny (as you might imagine) and philosophical, exploring some of the great cultural questions of our (and just about any other) time.

You can find out more about Camille on her website, where eight of her New Yorker short stories are linked.

Her English language novels are both available on bookshop.org.

Camille's Chicago piece we mention on the 2024 Democratic National Convention is here.

Camille is on Instagram a little bit here.

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 84 - Sergio De La Pava, author of Every Arc Bends Its Radian

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:01:00 -0600

In Episode 84, the incredible Sergio De La Pava joins Dave and Matt to talk about his latest novel, Every Arc Bends Its Radian, out now from Simon & Schuster. We also discuss David Lynch and his recent passing, deep sea life, and haunted hotels, among many other things.

You can find Sergio's website here.

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 83 - 2024 Year in Review

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0600

Join Matt and Dave as they look back at the best of their year in reading during 2024, each with a list of ten(ish) books they found compelling and noteworthy.

Dave's top 10:

Dayspring by Anthony Oliveira
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
Coexistence by Billy-Rae Belcourt
What Remains of Elsie Jane by Chelsea Wakelyn
Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park
Assembly by Natasha Brown

Matt's top 10:

SUNDAY by Olivier Schrauwen

Blood of the Virgin by Sammy Harkham

The Horse by Willy Vlautin

Caged by Brandon Lamson

The Book of Losman by KE Semmel

Avid Reader by Robert Gottlieb

You'll Like it Here by Ashton Politanoff

A Primer for Forgetting by Lewis Hyde

The Notebook by Roland Allen

Al rio / To the River by Zoe Leonard

Stay tuned for the Patreon bonus episode in two weeks that covers all other things we liked this year in pop-culture.

As always, this episode comes with a playlist of our favorite songs of 2024:

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/concavity-show-best-of-2024/pl.u-pMylAeRi4KoErM

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5fVLMtsQSVBCLQUbDxhUFM?si=FaHzQsz8ThCZLMtAWO81tg

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 82 - Lauren Elkin, author of Scaffolding

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 15:50:59 -0600

In this episode, Matt speaks with Lauren Elkin about her new novel, Scaffolding. They discuss Lacan, marriage, and why Paris is so damn literary, among other things.

Lauren Elkin is a French and American writer and translator, most recently the author of the novel Scaffolding (FSG), a New York Times Editor's Choice which the Observer called both "erudite" and "horny."

Previous books include Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art, No. 91/92: Notes on a Parisian Commute, and Flâneuse: Women Walk the City, which was a finalist for the 2018 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and a Notable Books of 2017, a Radio 4 Book of the Week, and a best book of 2016 by the Guardian, the Financial Times, the New Statesman, and the Observer. Her writings on books, art, and culture have appeared in a variety of publications including the London Review of Books, the New York Times, Granta, Harper’s, Le Monde, the Times Literary Supplement, Les Inrockuptibles, and Frieze, and her essay "This is the Beginning of Writing," published in the Sewanee Review, was awarded notable distinction in the Best American Essays of 2019, edited by Rebecca Solnit.

Her website is: https://www.laurenelkin.com/

You can find her on BlueSky here: https://bsky.app/profile/laurenelkin.bsky.social

The Spotify playlist she created for the novel is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3saYDj2BSKyCFWGXsUhCTZ?si=f7a471a0e77e45bc

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

When We Cease to Understand the World

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 81 - Benjamín Labatut, Author of The MANIAC and When We Cease to Understand the World

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

We're delighted to present our conversation with the remarkable Benjamín Labatut for Episode 81, in which we primarily discuss his 2023 non-fiction novel The MANIAC, its primary figure John von Neumann, the madness and magic of fiction, and the limits and future of science and the human mind.

Run, don't walk to buy Benjamín's two English-language books:

The MANIAC

Extra special thanks to Cameron Waller of Penguin Random House Canada (@cameronsbookshelf) for (a) putting us onto Benjamín's work in a personal way, and (b) making this conversation with Benjamín possible.

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 80 - Jessica Anthony, author of The Most

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 11:15:42 -0500

For episode 80, we welcome Jessica Anthony back to the show. She has long been one of our favorite writers and she returns this month with a new novel titled The Most (out July 30 from Little Brown).

Jessica Anthony is the author of three books of fiction, most recently the novel Enter the Aardvark, a finalist for the New England Book Award in Fiction. Her debut, The Convalescent, won the inaugural McSweeney’s Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award in 2004. A recipient of the Creative Capital Award in Literature, Anthony wrote The Most while guarding the Mária Valéria Bridge in Štúrovo, Slovakia. She lives in Portland, Maine.

Preorder the book on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-most-jessica-anthony/20862156?ean=9780316576376

You can see some of the upcoming events for the novel here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/jessica-anthony/

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 79 - Matt Lowell of Lo Moon

Thu, 23 May 2024 03:07:00 -0500

In this episode, Matt Bucher interviews Matt Lowell of the band Lo Moon.

They discuss the genesis of Lo Moon's new hit song, "Water." Lowell shares how he discovered David Foster Wallace's writing and he also breaks down his collaborative writing process. Later, he digs into some of his literary influences and the two Matts discuss Salinger, Fitzgerald, Knausgaard, and more.

You can order the new album on vinyl here: https://www.lomoonofficial.com/ and there you can learn more about Lo Moon’s 2024 tour schedule here: https://lomoon.komi.io/.

Check out their private fan community, Raincoat Chronicles.

You can keep up with Lo Moon on X: https://twitter.com/lomoon

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 78 - Don Hough, author of The Funeral Girl and All the Best

Wed, 15 May 2024 03:25:00 -0500

In this episode, Matt interviews Don Hough. Don is the author of a collection of short stories titled The Funeral Girl, a collection of essays called The Exact Right Word, and a new correspondence collection called All the Best. They discuss how The Funeral Girl is influenced by David Foster Wallace’s work, how Don discovered DFW, James Cameron’s Titanic, Labute’s In the Company of Men, Alexander Theroux, Jonathan Franzen, Taylor Swift, and much much more.

You can follow Don on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DHSayer

His blog is here: http://donhoughauthor.blogspot.com

And be sure to order his books:

The Funeral Girl: https://www.amazon.com/Funeral-Girl-Don-Hough/dp/1541008553

All The Best: https://www.amazon.com/All-Best-Correspondence-Don-Hough/dp/B0D251Q6NK

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 77 - Adam Levin, author of The Instructions, Bar Mitzvah Edition

Mon, 06 May 2024 03:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Dave and Matt sit down with Adam Levin to discuss the publication of the Bar Mitzvah edition of that great novel, The Instructions. They discuss growing up in the land of Bar Mitzvahs, the writing process, and what happens to Gurion, among other things.

Adam Levin's website is: https://www.adamlevinadamlevin.com/

You can order the new edition of the book direct from McSweeney's here: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/the-instructions-bar-mitzvah-edition?taxon_id=1

And here's a friends-and-family discount code for 25% off: mazeltov The Material is the new novel from Camille Bordas.

Adam Levin is the author of the novels The Instructions, Bubblegum, and Mount Chicago, as well as the story collection, Hot Pink. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and Playboy. He has been a New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award winner, a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and a National Jewish Book Award finalist. He lives in Chicago.

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 76 - 2023 Year in Review, featuring Ben "Felonies!" Diamond

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0600

It's our favorite annual episode on the show, when we get to look back at the best of our year in reading with someone else who has read cool stuff. This time it's with Ben Diamond, a very keen listener and patron from London, who for three years running has sent us an annual best of his year recording, always full of interesting books, shows, music, and films. We had an awesome conversation with Ben that we hope you'll enjoy.

Stay tuned for the Patreon bonus episode in two weeks that covers all other things we liked this year in pop-culture.

As always, this episode comes with a playlist of our favorite songs of 2023:

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/best-of-2023/pl.u-yZyVDNACYq2akv

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Uq1526MP5mLBVI4zM0e5j?si=59d0bc52f08e41aa

Quick reference Top Fives

Ben:

1. The Instructions by Adam Levin

2. Something Happened by Joseph Heller

3. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

4. Porn: An Oral History by Polly Barton

5. Anything that Moves by Jamie Stewart

Dave:

1. THE MANIAC by Benjamín Labatut

2. The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen

3. The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

4. Magnetic Fields by Ron Loewinsohn

5. The Passenger & Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy

Matt:

1. Dayswork by Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel 2. Chaotic Good by Lee Klein 3. Diana: My Graphic Obsession by Sivan Piatigorsky-Roth 4. The Deluge by Stephen Markley 5. America Fantastica by Tim O'Brien

Contact Ben Diamond: ben.diamond@gmail.com

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 75 - Diego Báez, Author of Yaguareté White

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0600

In Episode 75 we welcome poet Diego Báez back onto the show, to discuss his fantastic forthcoming book of poetry, Yaguareté White, which releases from University of Arizona Press on February 20, 2024.

You can pre-order it directly from the publisher

or from Bookshop.org

Follow Diego on Twitter

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 74 - David Lipsky, author of The Parrot and the Igloo

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:51:09 -0500

In this episode with speak with bestselling writer and journalist David Lipsky. To David Foster Wallace fans, Lipsky is, of course, familiar as the author of Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself which was the basis of the 2015 film The End of the Tour.

David Lipsky is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Magazine Writing, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, and many others. He contributes to NPR's All Things Considered, and is the recipient of a Lambert Fellowship, a Media Award from GLAAD, and a National Magazine Award. He's the author of the novel The Art Fair; a collection, Three Thousand Dollars; and the bestselling nonfiction book Absolutely American, which was a Time magazine Best Book of the Year.

His new book, The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial is out now from Norton. The book examines the roots of climate change in popular thought, reaching back to the invention of electricity and the global impacts of technology. Lipsky profiles the scientists and characters who have taken up climate science and those who work to deny the effects of carbon and warming.

The New York Times described the book, saying Lipsky "spins top-flight climate literature into cliffhanger entertainment."

The extensive notes to the book, which he mentions in this episode, can be found at https://www.theparrotandtheigloo.com/

(Thank you to Kory Hill for technical assistance.)

BONUS: DFW vs Martin Amis: Every Tennis Match is a Ghost Story

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 02:04:00 -0500

In this bonus episode, we have a special audio production from British literary scholar Saul Leslie and American writer Wendy Liu.

What do you think David Foster Wallace was really like in a tennis match? You are invited to listen to a tennis commentary of a fictional match played between David Foster Wallace and Martin Amis. This audio piece was part of DFW2023, held in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was written and presented by Saul Leslie, and features commentary by fictional Wimbledon champion and writer Elsa Canetti (voiced by Wendy Liu), and a guest 'courtside' appearance from literary academic Beci Carver. Hopefully this gives you a sense of what it would be like if Amis and Wallace really did play against one another. As for who is ultimately triumphant, you’ll have to listen to find out!

Be sure to check out this pamphlet for more details about the tennis match and the audio production.

Follow Saul:

Email - sileslie@liverpool.ac.uk.

Twitter - @postpost_its

Follow Wendy:

Twitter - @dellsystem

Website - https://dellsystem.me/

Episode 73 - Matt Bucher, author of The Belan Deck

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 01:00:00 -0500

In Episode 73, Dave welcomes special guest Matt Bucher on the show to discuss his debut novel, The Belan Deck.

Buy Matt's book here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-belan-deck-matt-bucher/19943822?ean=9798888623428

Biblioklept review: https://biblioklept.org/2023/06/02/matt-buchers-the-belan-deck-is-an-unexpectedly-moving-argument-for-humanity-and-serious-triviality/

The Belan Deck on Goodreads (featuring reviews by many of our amazing listeners, like Phillip Freedenberg, Jack Waters, and Richie Speiser): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128126023-the-belan-deck

Erick Eckel review: https://erikeckel.com/2023/06/18/the-belan-deck-hints-of-microserfs-in-an-ai-age/

Jay Innis Murray review/interview: https://www.thevisionarycompany.net/blog/the-afterlife-of-anecdotes-a-review-of-the-belan-deck-by-matt-bucher

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 72 - Sheila Liming, author of Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 01:00:00 -0500

In Episode 72, we welcome friend of the show, Edith Wharton scholar, accordion/bagpiper extraordinaire, and prolific writer, Sheila Liming on to talk about her new book Hanging Out, delving into the myriad ways that unstructured hang time is a radical, life-affirming act that resists capitalist commodification.

The New York Times article on Sheila and the book: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/style/sheila-liming-hanging-out-interview.html

Sheila on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/seeshespeak

Buy the book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717263/hanging-out-by-sheila-liming/ and here https://bookshop.org/p/books/hanging-out-the-radical-power-of-killing-time-sheila-liming/18462992?ean=9781685890056

Information about the 2023 DFW Conference in Gettysburg, June 22-24: https://dfwsociety.org/conference/

Contact Matt and Dave:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Here is the David Foster Wallace & Richard Powers Q&A we mention.

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 71 - Year in Review 2022 with Evan Stephens Hall of Pinegrove

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 01:00:00 -0600

In this episode, we talk with prolific reader and accomplished musician Evan Stephens Hall from the band Pinegrove. We discuss his top books of the year and go through a few of our own favorite reading experiences from 2022.

And here is the reading poriton of that event that begins with DFW talking about the “brick” in his pocket.

The Pinegrove songs featured in this episode are Alaska and Habitat.

Thank you to Rough Trade Records, Pinegrove and Evan Stephens Hall for permission.

Here are our Concavity Show Best Songs of 2022 playlists:

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/best-of-2022/pl.u-EdAVv5dCaMJB7j

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1BwuTDJq2LoU8ZzdSDXSK5?si=052f5d25ed514b43

Evan, top books mentioned:

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines (Gaines stamp!)

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

Public Library by Ali Smith (and Autumn!)

Breaking and Entering by Joy WIlliams

Leave Society by Tao Lin

Dave, top books mentioned:

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyaasi

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Autoportrait by Jesse Ball

Liberation Day by George Saunders

Matt, top books read this year:

Robert Crews by Thomas Berger

Literary Alchemist by Steve Paul

We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper

Airport Music by Mark Tardi

Zol by REYoung

Evan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evanstephenshall/

Pinegrove website: https://pinegroveband.com/

Contact Dave & Matt:

Email - concavityshow@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 70 - Peyton Thomas, author of Both Sides Now

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:07:14 -0600

In episode 70, we talk to our friend Peyton Thomas, a DFW, Louisa May Alcott, and American Girl doll enthusiast. His recent YA novel, Both Sides Now, was published in 2021, and his writing has appeared in Vanity Fair, Pitchfork, and Billboard, and many other places.

Peyton is currently at work on his second novel, a contemporary interpretation of Little Women. You can read more about this forthcoming book in Oprah Daily. Peyton also hosts a podcast about Little Women called Jo's Boys.

Peyton's website - https://peytonthomas.ca/

Buy Both Sides Now - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652876/both-sides-now-by-peyton-thomas/

Jo's Boys Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jos-boys-a-little-women-podcast/id1610742792

Peyton's Pitchfork reviews - https://pitchfork.com/staff/peyton-thomas/albumreviews/

Peyton on Twitter - https://twitter.com/peytonology

Infinite Jest Fanfiction on Archive of Our Own - https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Infinite%20Jest%20-%20David%20Foster%20Wallace/works

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 69 - Michael O’Connell, editor of Conversations with George Saunders

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:44:31 -0500

In Episode 69, we talk to our friend Mike O'Connell about his recent collection from University of Mississippi Press, Conversations with George Saunders, and discuss Mike's background, the origins of the collection, particulars of the interviews in the book, the trajectory and flavor of Saunders' literary career, and where it all might go.

Buy the Conversations book here - https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/C/Conversations-with-George-Saunders

Buy George's brand new book, Liberation Day here - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564990/liberation-day-by-george-saunders/

You can find Michael online in these places:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/moc

Academia.edu - https://sienaheights.academia.edu/MichaelOConnell

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/books_in_2022/

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 68 - Adam Levin, author of Mount Chicago

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 08:22:51 -0500

In Adam's second appearance on the show, we discuss his brand new novel, Mount Chicago, which follows a handful of characters living in the shadow of a "terrestrial anomaly" that befalls Chicago's downtown. Both hilarious and tragic, the book shows off Levin's great versatility as a storyteller, metafictionist, humorist, and, maybe to some extent, autobiographer. We also talk about birds (again).

Buy Adam's new book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/695826/mount-chicago-by-adam-levin/ or here: https://bookshop.org/books/mount-chicago/9780385548243

Adam's website: https://www.adamlevinadamlevin.com/

Seminary Co-op Virtual Event on August 10th (registration required) - https://www.semcoop.com/event/adam-levin-mount-chicago

"A Lot of Things Have Happened" by Adam Levin - The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/27/a-lot-of-things-have-happened

Recent New York Times piece on Mount Chicago - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/books/summer-books-writers.html

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 67 - Christian TeBordo, author of The Apology (and DFW22 Conference Recap)

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 12:47:39 -0500

In Episode 67, we welcome Christian TeBordo back to the show to discuss his new novel, The Apology, as well as get a rundown of the recent David Foster Wallace conference in Austin, with overall reflections from Matt.

Christian on Twitter - https://twitter.com/xtebordo

Buy The Apology here - https://www.astrophilpress.com/the-apology

Contact Dave & Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 66 - Dario Diofebi, author of Paradise, Nevada

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:48:59 -0500

In Episode 66, we welcome Dario Diofebi, the mind behind one of our favorite books of 2021, Paradise, Nevada, from Bloomsbury Publishing.

You can buy the book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/paradise-nevada-9781635576207/

Stay tuned for the bonus episode, dropping about two weeks from this launch. Check out our Patreon for access details: https://www.patreon.com/concavityshow

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 65 - Kyle Beachy, author of The Most Fun Thing

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:19:45 -0600

In Episode 65, we bear witness to the glorious return of Kyle Beachy to the show, to discuss his new book on skateboarding (and marriage, architecture, literature, etc.), The Most Fun Thing: Dispatches from a Skateboard Life, out now from Grand Central Publishing!

You can buy the book from your friendly local book store, or online, here: https://bookshop.org/books/the-most-fun-thing-dispatches-from-a-skateboard-life-9781549166969/9781538754115

Find Kyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kylebeachy

And here: https://twitter.com/TheMostFunThing

Kyle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themostfunthing/?hl=en

Kyle's Podcast, Vent City: https://soundcloud.com/ventcity

Read and check out more or Kyle's writing, interviews, and videos here: https://linktr.ee/kbeachy

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 64 - 2021 Year in Review

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 13:39:09 -0600

In Episode 64, we recount our year in reading, noting our highlights along the way. Stay tuned for Film, TV, and Music in the Patreon bonus episode!

Apple Music Year End Playlist - https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/concavity-show-best-of-2021/pl.u-r2yBJmEIPj5rYl

Spotify Year End Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39OGzFZKMCQGSoZIQGudL6?si=366545dd4e93492d

Show Notes:

Robyn O'Neil Cards - https://www.robynoneil.com/cardsandstickers

Rob Rahmier's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rdeezy84/

Jacob Rahier's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jrahmier/

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 63 -Deb Olin Unferth

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 13:11:36 -0600

In Episode 63, Matt and Dave talk to Deb Olin Unferth—author of the fantastic novels Barn 8 and Vacation, short story collections Wait Till You See Me Dance and Minor Robberies, and the memoir Revolution—about her writing, research, and creative writing teaching.

Contact Deb about Pen-City - pencitywriters@gmail.com

Deb's Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/debolinunferth

Deb's Shipman Agency page - https://www.theshipmanagency.com/deb-olin-unferth

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deb_Olin_Unferth

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 62 - Phillip Freedenberg & Jeff Walton

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:06:55 -0500

In Episode 62, Dave and Matt talk to the author and illustrator of the cryptic meganovel sensation, America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic, out now from Corona/Samizdat Press.

Audio recording featuring thunder!

Show Notes:

Buy the book: 20€ + Shipping, Send email to (rick.harsch@gmail.com), pay through PayPal (same email address)

Leaf by Leaf video review by Chris Via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2HKsvOU5mM

Everyone Who Reads It Must Converse preview interview w/ Phill and Jeff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6AP66P9bBQ

Off the Wall Novels video review by Daniel Backer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBA4s8Vv_lM

Cactus book official page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultofthecactusboots/?hl=en

Phill's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eraserheaddad/?hl=en

Jeff's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matter_interacting/?hl=en

Corona/samizdat Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corona_samizdat/?hl=en

Dave and Matt on 30 Mins +/- w/ Maestro and the Doc – https://m.soundcloud.com/user-404883881/episode-15-30-minutes-with-the-maestro-and-the-doc-final-epsidoe

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 61 - Steve Erickson (feat. Matt Luter & Mike Miley)

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:46:06 -0500

In Episode 61, we welcome the highly celebrated, multi award-winning American writer Steve Erickson, author of Shadowbahn, Tours of the Black Clock, These Dreams of You, and a host of other novels and non-fiction.

To help celebrate the release of Conversations with Steve Erickson, out now from University of Mississippi Press, we're joined by the book's editors, familiar faces on the show, Matt Luter and Mike Miley, who talk with Steve about the book itself, his body of work, his latest online piece "American Stutter," music, film, and lots more.

Stay tuned for the Patreon bonus episode in two weeks, where Matt and Dave talk to Steve about his favorite novels of all-time.

Show Notes:

Conversations with Steve Erickson: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/C/Conversations-with-Steve-Erickson

Literary Conversations Series: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Series/L/Literary-Conversations-Series

"American Stutter" by Steve Erickson (from Journal of the Plague Years): https://www.journaloftheplagueyears.ink/long-player-special-edition

Steve Erickson Official Website: https://www.steveerickson.org/

Steve Erickson Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Erickson

Matt Luter Website: https://matthewluter.com/

Matt Luter Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewjluter

Mike Miley Website: https://www.mikemiley.com/

Mike Miley Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikecmiley

Housekeeping:

Matt's appearance on the Beyond the Zero podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5v3OcB0IPDcvzpydFH8x2s?si=Ap5clHZESWCmJskwwUzZNg&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1&nd=1

David Jensen's Society 6 store: https://society6.com/infinitejensen

David Jensen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/infinitejensen?lang=en

David Jensen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infinitejensen/?hl=en

Howling Fanbot on Twitter: https://twitter.com/howlingfanbot?lang=en

DFW Amsterdam Conference 2021: https://www.dfwsociety.org/dfw2021/

DFW Masterclass with Allard den Dulk: https://www.nica-institute.com/event-masterclass-metamodernism-new-sincerity-post-critique-25-years-after-wallaces-infinite-jest/

DFW Austin Conference 2022: http://www.dfwsociety.org/dfw22/

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 60 - Brandon Hobson

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 10:51:12 -0500

In Episode 60, Dave and Matt are joined by National Book Award Finalist, Brandon Hobson, to discuss his brand new novel, The Removed, as well as his other tremendous fiction.

Notable links:

Order The Removed - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-removed-brandon-hobson?variant=32126575837218

Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (Heartdrum imprint) - htthttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/healer-of-the-water-monster-brian-young?variant=32269101989922

Brandon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandon.hobson.7/?hl=en

Brandon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/bwhobson

The Mother and the Whore (La Maman et la Putain) film - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_and_the_Whore

*Sorry for the barking dog near the end and a couple of Zoom glitch sounds.

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 59 - Introducing....Concavity Show

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 12:20:55 -0500

In Episode 59, Dave and Matt make a special announcement about the podcast, and outline a host of exciting changes!

There is also a Jessica Anthony Enter the Aardvark giveaway contest, so hang in til the end. You have until the end of July 15th to email us your entry!

Check out our Patreon page with a fresh $5 per month tier, offering an exciting new reward: https://www.patreon.com/concavityshow

We now have a Threadless merch store! Get your Concavity Show wares here: https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

(Note that at time of episode launch, some products are not quite formatting the logo image correctly [notebooks, mugs, stickers, magnets], but we're working through this with their support people)

*Due to some technical issues, you'll notice a shift in audio sound around the 14:20 mark, so sorry for the jarring change. You'll get used to it in no time!

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Threadless Merch Store - https://concavityshow.threadless.com/

Episode 58 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Chris Via of Leaf by Leaf

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 13:38:10 -0600

In Episode 58, Dave and Matt are joined by YouTube creator Chris Via of the Leaf by Leaf book review/discussion channel. A special surprise guest also makes an appearance that was about impossible to seamlessly edit out!

We discuss Chris' excellent book channel's origins, primary preoccupations, Chris' recent re-read of Infinite Jest, the joy of reading, and a host of other great books and authors.

Show Notes:

Leaf by Leaf Homepage: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZAGMLh7Gh38MjmHeHDTnzw

Chris' Infinite Jest video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOcMmriW0xQ&t=2403s

Leaf by Leaf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leafbyleaf_official/?hl=en

Leaf by Leaf Twitter - https://twitter.com/leafbyleafvlog?lang=en

Growing Sentences with David Foster Wallace - https://kottke.org/09/03/growing-sentences-with-david-foster-wallace

Contact Matt and Dave:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 57.3 - 2020 Year in Review (Feat. Grace Chipperfield) - Part 3

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 09:29:38 -0600

In the third and final installment of our 2020 Year in Review episode, Dr. Grace Chipperfield joins us to talk about her Ph.D. thesis on Wallace, and the music and board/video games that stood out this year.

Show Notes:

TGC's Best of 2020 Music Playlist:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/54cVYaPoAuOOCRFygJjYH9?si=_JT7ZtK6Su63rd_2DOMYoQ

Apple - https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/best-of-2020/pl.u-zPyLLE5tZxBPNl

Grace's Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qHeOMoSBTHdMRV9nM5VQP?si=1tFzStCITkuS80d6v_g3og

Aidan Knight "Veni Vidi Vici" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmw64PXdJ9g

Contact Grace: grace.chipperfield@flinders.edu.au

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 57.2 - 2020 Year in Review (Feat. Chris Ayers) - Part 2

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 02:19:04 -0600

In Part 2 of our 2020 Year in Review, we talk to old friend of the show, Chris Ayers, our resident film and TV specialist, about the year in screen-based entertainment.

Part 3 with Grace Chipperfield coming soon!

Find Chris' amazing Wallace-related and design work here:

Poor Yorick - https://pooryorickentertainment.tumblr.com/

Professional - http://www.chrisayerscreative.com/

Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/cwayers/shop/?collections=999954

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrisayerscreative/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/chrisAcreative

Connect with Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 57.1 - 2020 Year in Review (Feat. Matt Luter) - Part 1

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 19:14:09 -0600

Given our Year of Collective Quarantine, we had so much to talk about w/r/t our literary and pop-cultural consumption, that we have a three-parter for our 2020 recap.

In Part 1 here, we talk to old friend and recurring guest of the show, Matt Luter, about his productive year in reading, and ours. We hope you find a slew of new books to add to your stack.

Part 2 coming in January.

Happy New Year to our wonderful listeners, and ode to a much better 2021!

Find Matt Luter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewjluter

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 56 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Jessica Anthony, author of Enter the Aardvark and The Convalescent

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 13:23:14 -0500

In Episode 56, we have the great pleasure of talking to Jessica Anthony about her exceptional new book, Enter the Aardvark, as well as our classic favorite, The Convalescent, which you've no doubt heard us mention over the years. Jess unpacks for us her views on the imaginate power of fiction, 19th century British taxidermy, and some of the most expensive luxury goods on the planet.

Show Notes:

André Breton “Manifesto of Surrealism - http://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil330/MANIFESTO%20OF%20SURREALISM.pdf

Zadie Smith – “Fascinated to Presume: In Defense of Fiction” - https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/10/24/zadie-smith-in-defense-of-fiction/

Buy Enter the Aardvark (Little, Brown) - https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/jessica-anthony/enter-the-aardvark/9780316536134/

Buy The Convalescent (McSweeney's) - https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/the-convalescent

Jessica on Instagram - @entertheanthony

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 55 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Christian TeBordo, author of Ghost Engine and Toughlahoma

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 18:11:44 -0500

In Episode 55, we're joined by writer Christian TeBordo, author of the recent short story collection Ghost Engine, and novel Toughlahoma. He's the director of the creative writing program at Roosevelt University in Chicago, and a colleague and friend of recent guests Adam Levin and Kyle Beachy.

You can buy his excellent books here:

Ghost Engine - bookshop.org/books/ghost-engine-stories/9781732366732

Toughlahoma - bookshop.org/books/toughlahoma/9780986086908

You can read some of his short fiction here:

"The Star Thrower-Thrower" https://www.alwayscrashing.com/current/2018/3/26/the-star-thrower-thrower

"How We Lived on Mainstreet" https://vol1brooklyn.com/2018/12/02/sunday-stories-how-we-lived-on-main-street/

Christian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/xtebordo

Connect with The Great Concavity here:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 54 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Martina Testa

Tue, 26 May 2020 17:46:22 -0500

In Episode 54, we talk to Martina Testa, Editor at Edizioni SUR, and one of Wallace's Italian translators and interpreters. The conversation explores her background with discovering Wallace's writing, getting contracts to translate his work, the Italian fervour surrounding him, and her friendship with Wallace.

You can find Martina online in these places:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinatesta

Edizioni SUR Website - https://www.edizionisur.it/chi-siamo/

Connect with The Great Concavity here:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 53 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Adam Levin, author of Bubblegum and The Instructions

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 15:25:10 -0500

In Episode 53, we're joined by the writer Adam Levin, author of The Instructions, Hot Pink, and the incredible forthcoming novel Bubblegum, which releases April 14, 2020. In our conversation, we talk a good deal about the new novel, Adam's experience reading/thinking about Wallace, swearing, parrots, swearing & parrots, metafiction, and other fun topics.

Show notes:

Adam's website: https://www.adamlevinadamlevin.com/

Order Bubblegum - https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385544962

Guernica excerpt of Bubblegum - https://www.guernicamag.com/bubblegum/?fbclid=IwAR39CVIwDGSW9KZm7rrzGA7DaMEAG4sLpf7lxjHVZq4wEvtYZpo2LJW7s58

Order The Instructions - https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/the-instructions

Order Hot Pink - https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/hot-pink?taxon_id=1

"Kid Positive" The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/02/kid-positive

"Kid Positive" interview, The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/books/this-week-in-fiction/adam-levin-03-02-20

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 52 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Jon Baskin

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 16:55:22 -0500

In Episode 52, we talk to Jon Baskin, author of the exciting new book Ordinary Unhappiness: The Therapeutic Fiction of David Foster Wallace. Topics of exploration in the conversation include Freud, Wittgenstein, and hating Ben Lerner (or not).

You can find out more details and buy Jon's book here, through Stanford University Press: https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=29316

Jon’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/BaskinJon

The Point Twitter and website: https://twitter.com/the_point_mag & https://t.co/QV9prYnta5?amp=1

On The Hatred of Literature - https://thepointmag.com/letter/on-the-hatred-of-literature/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 51 - 2019 Year in Review (feat. Mike Miley)

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 05:44:13 -0600

In Episode 51, we bring on our resident film expert and Episode 38 guest Mike Miley to talk about our year in books, movies, music, TV, and games.

Show Notes:

Link to Jeff Tweedy & George Saunders interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWlKCB1JCG0

2019 Playlist (iTunes): https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/the-great-concavitys-best-of-2019/pl.u-yZyVVY3tYq2akv

2019 Playlist (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6blJyhTb9QdKFB1qdyc9ug

Mike's Book: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/T/Truth-and-Consequences

Mike's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikecmiley?lang=en

Approaches to Teaching Wallace: https://www.mla.org/Publications/Bookstore/Approaches-to-Teaching-World-Literature/Approaches-to-Teaching-the-Works-of-David-Foster-Wallace

Contact Dave & Matt

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 50 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Michael McGowan & Martin Brick

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:48:32 -0600

In Episode 50, we talk to Michael McGowan and Martin Brick, the editors of David Foster Wallace and Religion: Essays on Faith and Fiction, out now from Bloomsbury Academic: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/david-foster-wallace-and-religion-9781501345289/

Contact our guests:

Michael McGowan: prof.mcgowan@gmail.com

Martin Brick: brickm@ohiodominican.edu

Contact Dave & Matt

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 49.2 - Discussing David Foster Wallace & Don DeLillo’s Letters

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 19:20:47 -0600

This is the second and final episode covering Wallace and DeLillo's correspondence, housed at the Ransom Center Archive in Austin, Texas.

Show notes:

1996 Leonard Lopate interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ4AeIRKbfw https://www.wnyc.org/story/56878-david-foster-wallace/

1996 David Streitfeld piece: https://craigfehrman.com/2010/05/05/details-1996-profile-of-david-foster-wallace/

Robyn O'Neil's show at The Modern, WE, THE MASSES: https://www.themodern.org/exhibition/upcoming/robyn-oneil-we-the-masses-/5115

Robyn O'Neil pop-up shop at The Modern: https://shop.themodern.org/collections/robyn-oneil

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 49.1 - Discussing David Foster Wallace & Don DeLillo's Letters

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 20:16:38 -0500

After a very busy summer, Dave and Matt reconvene to discuss the Wallace/DeLillo correspondence housed at the Ransom Center in Austin, Texas. This will be the first instalment of a several-part episode, as there's a lot here to cover!

Five Dials, David Foster Wallace Memorial - https://fivedials.com/files/fivedials_no10.pdf

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 48 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Yonina Hoffman

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 10:51:41 -0500

In Episode 48, we're joined by Yonina Hoffman. Yonina is PhD student at the Ohio State University. Her work centers around, you guessed it, David Foster Wallace.

In this discussion, we cover a range of topics around DFW's work and Yonina's dissertation. We discuss voice, narrative, voice, humor and other issues that track across Wallace's career. Yonina has also presented on Updike and New Sincerity so we ask her about that.

You can find Yonina on Twitter: @yonina. She also has this nifty website: http://www.yoninahoffman.com/

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 47 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Jim Gauer, author of Novel Explosives

Fri, 10 May 2019 12:07:44 -0500

In Episode 47, we're joined by Jim Gauer, author of the excellent Novel Explosives, a book you've no doubt heard us mention in recent conversations. Jim is a mathematician, published poet, and self-described as the world's only Marxist venture capitalist.

In this discussion, we cover a range of topics around Jim's book, it's relation to Wallace's sensibilities and Infinite Jest, the dangers of hyper-capitalism, the anxiety of influence, lethality enhancement, and a host of others.

Jim's book can be purchased through your local bookstore (which he most encourages), with the backup plan of online sales (though he implores you to avoid giving Jeff Bezos more money to fuel his space colony dystopia, if possible) - http://zerogrampress.com/2016/10/08/novel-explosives/

Links discussed:

Jim's interview with Michael Silverblatt on Bookworm: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/bookworm/jim-gauer-novel-explosives

Jim's interview on Eye 94: https://www.mixcloud.com/lumpenradio/eye-94-4-15-2018-jim-gauer/

Jim's Paris Review poetry: https://www.theparisreview.org/poetry/2778/will-this-thought-do-jim-gauer

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 46 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Marshall Boswell

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 17:43:01 -0500

In Episode 46 we talk to Rhodes College professor and O.G. Wallace scholar Marshall Boswell about his new book The Wallace Effect: David Foster Wallace and the Contemporary Literary Imagination, out now from Bloomsbury Press!

As usual, we bash Franzen a bit, get some overview of the central novels addressed in Marshall's book, and discuss the recent trend of "Wallace Snark" online.

Contact Dave and Matt:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Episode 45 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Kyle Beachy

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:19:10 -0500

In Episode 45, we get to talk to Kyle Beachy, Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Roosevelt U in Chicago, and author of the novel The Slide. In it, we discuss his extensive teaching of Wallace's work to creative writing students, his novel and writing on skateboarding, and get some great book recommendations from him (Kyle being one of the most well-read people Matt knows, which is saying a lot).

Things we said we'd link to:

Growing Sentences with David Foster Wallace - https://kottke.org/09/03/growing-sentences-with-david-foster-wallace

Kyle's "The Deep Seams: A Search for Fun in David Foster Wallace's Peoria" - http://theclassical.org/articles/the-deep-seams

Dave's skate video part (from around 2002) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4BV-tbwMk

Kyle Beachy's (apparently outdated) website - http://kylebeachy.com/

Kyle Beachy Twitter - https://twitter.com/kylebeachy

Kyle Beachy Tumblr - http://themostfunthing.tumblr.com/

James Dahl Memorial Harry Ransom Donation - https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/utgiving/online/nlogon/?menu1=HR**

The Great Concavity on Twitter - https://twitter.com/ConcavityShow

The Great Concavity on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/

Email us - concavityshow@gmail.com

Episode 44 - 2018 Year in Review

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:10:47 -0600

In this episode, Dave and Matt talk about their favorite literary and pop-cultural artifacts from the past year. This episode offers a contest as well, associated with the following music playlist. Good luck!

TGC's Favorite Music of 2018 (iTunes) - https://itunes.apple.com/ca/playlist/the-great-concavitys-favorite-songs-of-2018/pl.u-pMyll2jh4KoErM

TGC's Favorite Music of 2018 (Spotify) - https://open.spotify.com/user/concavityshow/playlist/6Gkdv29x9bpXIIzmmlWolO?si=V2aBBNKASm-70W12xwfn0g

Show Notes:

*Correctional note* - When Matt was talking about Robert Coover in Marfa, he meant Robert Creeley.

Dante Society - https://www.dantesociety.org/

The Great Concavity on Twitter - https://twitter.com/ConcavityShow

The Great Concavity on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/?hl=en

Email us - concavityshow@gmail.com

Episode 43 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Bo Butler

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 13:49:21 -0600

In Episode 43 we meet our nemesis Bo Butler of Pynchon in Public for the inevitable postmodern fiction podcast throwdown. Join us as we discuss the history of our beefing over literary turf and all related topics!

Episode 42 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Esther J. Cepeda

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 13:44:47 -0600

In Episode 42 we talk to Chicago-based journalist and teacher Esther J. Cepeda about her love of Wallace, annual Infinite Jest reads, and other related literature and pop culture. A huge thank you to our Patrons as well on #ThankYouPatrons day today!

Show notes:

Esther's favourite cards - Art of Play - https://www.artofplay.com/collections/playing-cards

Esther's Twitter - https://twitter.com/estherjcepeda

Great Concavity on Twitter - https://twitter.com/ConcavityShow

Great Concavity on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow/?hl=en

Email us - concavityshow@gmail.com

https://thesmartset.com/article08181401/

Episode 41 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Tim Personn

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 11:02:32 -0500

In Episode 41, we talk to Dr. Tim Personn (in person!) from the University of Victoria about his recently-defended dissertation, "Fictions of Proximity: The Wallace Nexus in Contemporary Literature." Buckle up for a philosophical discussion, as Tim takes us on a ride through the work of Wittgenstein, Derrida, and other thinkers whose work informed Wallace's fiction and influence on the modern literary landscape. Other topics include tacos, seeing Parquet Courts live, and potential future podcast beefs!

Show Notes:

Shazia Hafiz Ramji's book Port of Being - https://invisiblepublishing.com/product/port-of-being/

Kieran Setiya's Midlife - http://www.ksetiya.net/midlife.html

Tim's website - timpersonn.com

Post 45 "The Dave Show" - http://post45.research.yale.edu/2011/11/the-dave-show/

Medium/Just Words "How David Lipsky Captures the Spirit of David Foster Wallace" - https://medium.com/just-words/the-dave-show-5f07c1f83a86

Tim's Twitter - https://twitter.com/timpersonn

Contact The Great Concavity:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConcavityShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/concavityshow
Email: concavityshow@gmail.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/concavityshow

Episode 40 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Greg Carlisle

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 10:14:16 -0500

In Episode 40, we welcome Greg Carlisle, author of the Infinite Jest commentary, Elegant Complexity, and Nature's Nightmare, an analysis of Wallace's Oblivion collection.

Greg's books here: http://www.sideshowmediagroup.com/books/

Contact Greg: g.carlisle@moreheadstate.edu

Episode 39 - 2018 ISU David Foster Wallace Conference Review (feat. Matt Luter)

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:03:30 -0500

We're joined by repeat guest Matt Luter to talk about all the fun Dave missed out on at the recent Illinois State University Wallace conference, held June 7-9, 2018. Topics covered include panel recaps, anagram alter egos, karaoke highlights, and all other manner of conference scoops. Almost as good as having been there!

Episode 38 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Mike Miley

Sun, 06 May 2018 17:19:00 -0500

In Episode 38 we talk again with Mike Miley, Vice President of the International David Foster Wallace Society and quiz kid extraordinaire. Topics include film, game shows, Oliver Stone, JFK assassination scoops, and hanging out with Michael Silverblatt.

Show Notes:

Smart Set – “Reading Wallace Reading”

Medium – “Caught in the Bandana Trap”

https://medium.com/just-words/caught-in-the-9fa2c864b76d

Medium – “The Eye of Sauron”

https://medium.com/just-words/the-eye-of-sauron-d454ed83377a

Critique – “…And Starring David Foster Wallace as Himself: Performance and Persona in The Pale King”

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00111619.2015.1028611?needAccess=true

Mike’s Twitter: twitter.com/MikeCMiley

Episode 37 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with Andrea Laurencell Sheridan & Diego Báez

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 19:12:03 -0500

In Episode 37 we welcome the Diversity Committee Coordinators from the International David Foster Wallace Society to talk about issues of representation in the writing of Wallace, and within the Wallace community itself.

Relevant links:

Diversity Announcement - https://www.dfwsociety.org/2017/05/27/introducing-the-diversity-committee/

Diversity Blog Posts - https://www.dfwsociety.org/category/diversity/

Sean Gandert's “A Short Meditation on the Whiteness of David Foster Wallace’s Writing” - https://www.dfwsociety.org/2017/07/15/a-short-meditation-on-the-whiteness-of-david-foster-wallaces-writing/

“Cat Person” by Kristen Roupenian, from The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/11/cat-person

Andrea’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/nmn80418

Diego’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/diego_baez

As always, you can reach Dave and Matt via email at Concavityshow@gmail.com and on Twitter and Instagram @ConcavityShow

Episode 36 - Discussing David Foster Wallace with William Beutler and Bill Lattanzi

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 02:56:13 -0600

In Episode 36 we have not one, but two special guests(!), both experts in the cartography of Infinite Jest's Boston (and beyond). William Beutler is the creative mind behind the staggeringly glorious Infinite Map (among other things), and Bill Lattanzi has led a series of walking tours in the Boston area tracing the locations of Wallace's opus, so you can see the emerging theme of the episode here.

List of links to pertinent discussion points in the episode:

Infinite Atlas: http://infiniteatlas.com/

LA Review of Books article by Bill L: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/messing-maps-walking-david-foster-wallaces-boston/ Bloomington-Normal City website: David Foster Wallace tour: http://www.visitbn.org/visit/6171/david-foster-wallace/ Bloomington-Normal DFW sites map: http://www.visitbn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/David-Foster-Wallace-Map-1.pdf Engl 3001: "Walking Infinite Jest" at Boston College: http://www.walkinginfinitejest.com/ Infinite Atlas shop: https://shop.beutlerink.com/ ENTER CODE "CONCAVITY" FOR 20% DISCOUNT ON ALL PRODUCTS! Infinite Map: https://shop.beutlerink.com/products/infinite-map Great Seal of O.N.A.N.: https://shop.beutlerink.com/collections/posters/products/great-seal-of-o-n-a-n O.N.A.N. Stickers: https://shop.beutlerink.com/products/seal-of-onan-sticker Infinite Jest tote bag: https://shop.beutlerink.com/collections/other/products/hfb-tote-bag Granada House website: https://granadahouse.org/ ("An Ex-Resident's Story" by Wallace: https://granadahouse.org/testimonials/an-ex-residents-story/) Madras Press Fogle Novella: https://gumroad.com/l/advancedtax Aaron Swartz's Infinite Jest ending explanation: http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/ijend Bill Lattanzi's Twitter: https://twitter.com/blattanzi William Beutler's Twitter: https://twitter.com/WilliamBeutler Bill Lattanzi's WBUR piece on Derek Walcott: http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2017/03/20/remembering-poet-derek-walcott-bill-lattanzi William Beutler's podcast, Enter the Void: Website: http://enterthevoid.fm/ & Twitter: https://twitter.com/enterthepod?lang=en William Beutler's other podcast, KubrickCast: Website: http://kubrickcast.com/ & Twitter: https://twitter.com/KubrickCast

Matt and Dave can be reached at the following places: Email: concavityshow@gmail.com Twitter: @concavityshow Instagram: @concavityshow Matt Twitter: @mattbucher Dave Twitter: @dave__laird

Episode 35 - 2017 Year in Review

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 15:46:00 -0600

In this episode, we stray a bit off our usual Wallacian course (but not too far) to discuss our literary and pop-culture highlights from the last solar revolution.

Links we said we'd share:

Robyn O'Neil's 20 Years of Drawings: https://www.archonprojects.com/shop/robyn-oneil-20-years-of-drawings

Me Reading Stuff podcast by Robyn O'Neil: https://www.robynoneil.com/me-reading-stuff

George Saunders' "Sea Oak": http://www.barcelonareview.com/20/e_gs.htm

The Great Concavity's Best Music of 2017 playlists:

Bottom's Dream Twitter page: https://twitter.com/BottomsMeme

In post-production, Dave realizes he'd mentioned we'd discuss video games we liked this year, but we forgot to do this, so games we played and liked include:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Nintendo Switch)
Shovel Knight (Nintendo Switch, etc.)
Cuphead (Xbox One)
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Overwatch (PS4)
Nuclear Throne (PS4)
Crawl (PS4, etc.)
Darkest Dungeon (PS4, etc.)
Nidhogg 2 (PS4)

Episode 34 - Discussing OzWallace with Nick Maniatis and Tony Mcmahon

Sun, 17 Dec 2017 23:24:33 -0600

In this episode we're joined by friends Nick and Tony to discuss Australia's first ever David Foster Wallace conference, which was held in Melbourne during September 1-3, 2017. Following a discussion of the conference proceedings, join auxillary Concavityite Nick Maniatis as he interviews a host of presenters live from the conference weekend. Huge thanks go to Nick for towing his microphone around and getting all the juicy details for those of us who couldn't attend, and to Tony for organizing the conference!

Nick Maniatis' DFW website, The Howling Fantods: http://www.thehowlingfantods.com/dfw/ (with day-by-day conference recaps)

Conference Abstracts and presenter bios: https://tinyurl.com/y9n8hu79

Conference Schedule: https://tinyurl.com/yc5mjclc

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OzWallace2017/

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Samatha Wallace's new podcast, Circulating Spaces: https://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/Circulating_Spaces/podcasts/

TGC listener Scarlett Sims defeating Austin Rogers on Jeopardy!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nck0RW1AbFU

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