Let's Talk About Text with Scott Okamoto, Blake Chastain & Friends

This got posted to YouTube last week but not in this feed! My (Blake's) bad! Chaz & Chrissy, the hosts of the podcast James Dobson's Bastard Kids (neé the Excommunication Station) join the show! We go long, in more ways than one, on regional food talk and books. Check out James Dobson's Bastard Kids wherever you listen to podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WYfTqA... Follow them on Instagram:   / jamesdobsonsbastardkids   Books Discussed: Blake: Houses of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips Chaz: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo Chrissy: Circe by Madeline Miller Scott: Mr. Taffle's Pants of Insanity by Daniel Eric Finkel (not on bookshop.org, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Taffles-Pants-...) All other books found on our bookshop.org episode page: https://bookshop.org/lists/ep-15-picks 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:28 Casual Banter and Podcasting Insights 01:08 Guest Introduction: Chrissy & Chaz from James Dobson's Bastard Children Podcast 02:04 Regional Discussions: Sports and Food 06:10 Debate on Regional Sandwiches 16:47 Reading Habits and Preferences 22:52 Book Recommendations and Reviews 41:03 The Book That Made Me Cry 41:53 Discovering a Love for Reading 42:30 The Story of Johnny Got His Gun 44:56 The Impact of the Book 46:37 Dalton Trumbo's Legacy 48:33 Reading a Powerful Passage 53:24 Chrissy's Favorite Book: Circe by Madeline Miller 56:37 The Story of Circe 01:06:37 Themes of Motherhood and Independence 01:13:10 Scott's Book Recommendation 01:18:20 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts

This week, Scott & Blake are joined by Azeem Khan & Nazia Islam, both of whom are librarians--and that's just the start of how cool they are. Azeem vouches for Chicago's culinary scene on Devon Ave and helps Blake earn a W in the fake-regional-food-beef-that-maybe-won't-always-be-so-fake. (Look, Blake is writing this and lives in the Chicago area and it's under siege by the federal government b/c Trump has been big mad for a decade that this city rejected him after he launched his political career here from his eyesore of a skyscraper that people flip off with regularity. Give me this.) Book picks (purchase them at bookshop.org to support us!): Scott: The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson Nazia: James Baldwin in Turkey by Sedat Pekay and James Baldwin's Turkish Decade: Erotics of Exicle by Magdalena J. Zaborowska Azeem: Piranesi by Susannah Clarke; The Home Recording Handbook by Martin Newell; Weathercraft by Jim Woodring Blake: Things Become Other Things: A Walking Memoir by Craig Mod Check out Nazia's podcast, Embracing Mystery! Check out Azeem's music at Bandcamp: Whalesound

In this episode, we're joined by David Morris and Mick Silva from the podcast, Publishing Disrupted! (These show notes will be updated with book links later.) 00:00 Welcome Back! 00:53 Discussing Regional Cuisines 01:23 Introducing Our Guests 02:06 Insights on the Publishing Industry 09:51 The State of Reading Today 13:29 Amazon Book Categories 20:41 Books We're Reading 32:18 The Mystery of a Bestselling Book 32:54 Evangelicalism and Capitalism 33:32 Hope and Skepticism 33:53 Comedic Takes on Religion 34:27 Current Reading List 35:31 Exploring American Religious History 38:09 The Roots of American Individualism 45:35 Midwestern Identity and Tradition 48:59 Photography and Media Critique 54:28 The Impact of Big Tech 01:01:43 The Importance of Reading 01:03:08 Publishing Industry Insights

In this episode, Scott & Blake chat (no guests joined the table today) about K-Pop, sandworms, and of course, books. Books discussed: Illusive by Virginia Duan (Scott) Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert (Blake) Supergods by Grant Morrison (Blake - a bonus pick) All books can be purchased from our bookshop page here. And of course you can find our books here. Have a question, comment, or want to come on the show? Send us a message at talkabouttextpod@gmail.com

In this episode, Scott & Blake sit down with Ashley Newell and Emily Autenrieth. In the first section, Ashley shares about her love of the romance genre and the books she’s been reading. Afterwards Emily shares about her experiences as owner of A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, CA, including what it means for bookstores to be part of communities and how she runs book events. Also, Blake mixes up Jefferson Airplane and Fleetwood Mac and embarrasses himself. You can support A Seat at the Table books via their bookshop.org page if you’re not in the area! Books discussed: Left of Forever by Sarah Dewitt (Ashley) Triple Sec by TJ Alexander (Ashley) The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Emily) Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon (Emily) Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders (Emily) Unbound: A Woman’s Guide to Power by Kasia Urbaniak (Emily) Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age by Ada Palmer Somebody to Love? A Rock-and-Roll Memoir by Grace Slick

This episode is just Scott & Blake. They talk about Blake's travels, jazz, and books. It's laid back. Come hang out. Books mentioned: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (Scott): https://bookshop.org/a/112048/9780679731146 Chew Volume 1: Taster's Choice (Blake) Chew is not available on bookshop.org, so here is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Chew-Tasters-Choice-John-Layman/dp/1607061597 Support us by buying books from our bookshop.org page: https://bookshop.org/shop/talkabouttext Subscribe to our newsletter while you're at it: https://talkabouttext.substack.com/ 00:00 Introduction to Let's Talk About Text 00:28 Catching Up with Scott 01:05 French Culinary Adventures 05:03 The Beauty of the Riviera 07:31 Jazz and Personal Stories 28:46 Catching Up and Tangents 29:34 The Professor's Dilemma 32:23 The Joy of Discussing Books 40:16 Writing Routines and Challenges 45:24 Book Recommendations and Reflections 56:30 Wrapping Up and Listener Invitation

In this episode, Blake is out and Scott Okamoto is joined by Marla Taviano to discuss books, reading, baseball, and more! Scott's book: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor Marla's book: Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami Find all previous picks - and support our show - by buying from our bookshop.org page! 00:00 Introduction to Let's Talk About Text 00:33 Meet Marla Aviano: A Prolific Reader 02:51 The Joy of Physical Books vs. E-Readers 03:58 Audiobooks: A Different Experience 05:10 School and Reading: A Love-Hate Relationship 05:57 Discovering a Favorite Book 14:06 Haruki Murakami: Novelist as a Vocation 30:32 Expressing Passion and Authenticity 31:34 Breaking Free from Evangelical Christianity 33:27 The Power of Simple Language in Writing 35:24 The Impact of Great Teachers 36:00 Exploring Flannery O'Connor's Work 38:37 The Beauty and Heartbreak of Gloria Naylor's Writing 43:41 The Joy of Reading and Writing 51:37 Finding Passion in Unexpected Places 56:42 Marla's Writing Journey and Future Goals 59:58 Conclusion and Podcast Invitation

We're back from a short break and a day late due to some travel snafus! In this episode, Scott & Blake talk to Dave Lester and Zach Malm from the excellent podcast, Veterans of Culture Wars! We talk about Hemingway, tiki culture, memoirs, and the greatest five-part trilogy in the sci-fi canon. As always you can find the links to the books discussed on our bookshop.org page here. Follow Zach and Dave on Bluesky. Buy Scott & Blake's books!

In this episode, guests Priska & Avalon join Blake & Scott to talk about the death & dying & grief genre of memoirs and romantasy. The conversation was so lively that we didn’t even get around to talking about 4 books! You can find the books discussed here on our bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/lists/episode-7-picks Check out Priska & Scott’s podcast, Horny Chapel: https://dauntless.fm/podcast/the-horny-chapel

On this episode, Scott & Blake are joined by their better halves - our spouses! This is the first time Geri (Scott's spouse), and Emily (Blake's spouse) have ever been on a podcast, and we had a lot of fun. Books discussed - which can be found on our bookshop.org page here: John Byrne's Man of Steel (Blake) A Million Junes by Emily Henry (Geri) The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn (Scott) Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It by Kamal Ravikant (Emily) For our closing question, we asked if gifting books to one another has ever factored into our relationships. Thanks for listening! Video versions to YouTube are a little delayed. Let us know what you think of the show by dropping us a line at talkabouttextpod@gmail.com and by rating & reviewing the show.

LA represents this week as we're joined by Scott's friends, Timo Chen & Goh Nakamura, both of whom are composers and musicians. They all joined from Scott's house, and had instruments at hand. You'll hear some examples of speed picking and the episode closes out with a jam session! This episode definitely has a musical theme, and several books are mentioned - including musical instruction books - but here are the 'official' picks for each of us: Speed Picking by Frank Gambale (out of print - available on Scribd) [Timo's Pick] Miles, The Autobiography by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe [Goh's Pick] Sex, Drums, Rock'n' Roll! The Hardest Hitting Man in Show Business by Kenny Aronoff [Scott's Pick] The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan [Blake's Pick] Find the links to all the other books on this episode's bookshop.org list here. This is a really fun episode. Video will be posted later to YouTube.

This week, Scott & Blake are joined by Betsy Tomszak of Books with Betsy & Chicago-based freelance arts & culture journalist Emily McClanathan. (Chicago is well-represented in this episode.) Books discussed (buy them from our bookshop.org page): I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (translated by Ros Schwartz) [Emily] Stories are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind by Annalee Newitz [Blake] Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet [Betsy] All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr [Scott] Follow us on YouTube - we're now publishing video! We're learning. Buy Scott's book, Asian American Apostate. Buy Blake's book, Exvangelical & Beyond.

In this episode - the second one we recorded, but the third one we're releasing (we weren't math majors, take it easy) - Scott & Blake talk to Nate Nakao & Gail M, co-hosts of the Full Mutuality podcast and part of Dauntless Media Collective alongside Scott's excellent shows Chapel Probation & The Horny Chapel. Books discussed: The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. by Peniel E. Joseph (Gail) Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (Nate) Changes on the Fly: Hockey Through the Voices of South Asian Canadians by Courtney Szto Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart by Nicholas Carr (Blake) Brothers by Alex Van Halen (Scott) Pick up these books from our bookshop.org page and support the show! Subscribe to our newsletter/pledge support to the show here. Follow the show on YouTube (video podcast coming soon!). - More links! Follow Nate's hockey podcast, Asians in Hockey Buy Scott's book, Asian American Apostate Buy Blake's book, Exvangelical & Beyond

This week, Scott & Blake are joined by Meghan Crozier & Cortland Coffey from the Thereafter podcast. Books discussed: Becky Chambers' Wayfarer series and Monk & Robot books (Cortland) Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfield (Meghan) Norwegian Wood by Haruki Marukami (Blake) Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn (Scott) Support the show by purchasing these books from our bookshop.org page. Send us a message: talkabouttextpod@gmail.com.

In this first episode, Scott & Blake are joined by Tori Williams-Douglass & Justin Gentry, hosts of Go Home Bible, You're Drunk. Scott leads us off with a satirical reading of IKDG, Justin & Tori discuss classic and recent fantasy, and Blake explores magic. Support the show by using the bookshop.org affiliate links below! Opening question: What sort of reader were you as a kid? Books discussed: Scott: I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris (not available for purchase, also don't read it) Justin: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercombie Tori: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Blake: The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic by Alan Moore & Steve Moore Closing question: Do you read in print, on ereaders, or via audiobooks? Send us a message: talkabouttextpod@gmail.com

Introducing an all-new show from Scott Okamoto & Blake Chastain: Let's Talk About Text! Join Scott & Blake each week as they are joined by a rotating panel of guests that discuss what they're reading. It's as simple as that. This episode is just Blake & Scott chatting, though. Be sure to subscribe! You can also follow on YouTube and Substack. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkAboutTextPod Substack: https://talkabouttext.substack.com/