Remember High School English class? Chances are you were assigned the classics: Shakespeare, The Scarlet Letter, maybe a Hemingway novel thrown in for good measure. Today on Word of Mouth—a debate on the required reading list.
And, Sam Lipsyte joins us to talk about his collection of short stories now out in paper back, The Fun Parts.
Also today, this week marks the one year anniversary of Pope Francis’ election. We consider what his papacy has meant to the image of the Catholic Church.
Listen to the full show and click Read More for individual segments!
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction: A Debate on Required Reading Lists
- Natasha Vargas-Cooper is a freelance journalist who writes for Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times and The Awl among others. Her essay “Why We Should Stop Teaching Novels To High School Students” appeared in Bookforum earlier this year.
- Nick Ripatrazone is a staff writer at The Millions, the author of several books, and a public school English teacher in New Jersey. He wrote an essay in response to Natasha’s, titled: “The Fictional Lives Of High School Teachers.”
- See more here, and weigh in on the debate on our Facebook page.
Sean Hurley - The Rats
- Producer Sean Hurley reminisces about 'The Rats' that roamed his High School.
Sam Lipsyte - The Fun Parts
- A conversation with author Sam Lipsyte about his very funny collection of short stories, The Fun Parts, now out in paperback. You can also check out Sam's best-selling novel, The Ask.
Papal Gossip
Il Mio Papa may look like a typical gossip rag, but its focus is really on one person: Pope Francis. But before the magazine there was a blog about the Pope, with over 5 million visitors. Rocco Palmo is the man behind Whispers in the Loggia, an insider's take on the Vatican.
