Host Greta Johnsen starts a month-long miniseries for the 87% club with an interview with author Veronica Roth. She’s written more than a dozen books, most notably the Divergent series.Her latest book is called Seek the Traitor’s Son (print | audio), a book that she approached very differently from her other projects. Here’s what she says about it in the acknowledgements:

“I started writing this book almost six years ago with no intention of publishing it. I had it in my head that a book that made all the pleasure centers of my brain fire at once just couldn’t be a serious project. But when I told two of my friends about it, they pointed out that there was no reason that should be the case. The world is too dark, and life is too short, to spend it resisting things that bring you joy. So why not write a big, romantic, indulgent, genre-straddling story?” 

This conversation perfectly embodies many of the questions that define the 87 percent club -- What if work was also fun? What if I could stop caring about what other people think? How can I turn down those critical voices in my head?

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The July GRETAGRAM book club selection is Paige Lewis' Canon, a nonbinary hero's journey that has all the elements of an epic: Good Guys vs. Bad Guys, a fickle god, and, of course, a talking whale!

Host Greta Johnsen discusses the book with Molly McGhee, the author of Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind. They discuss structure, narrative presence, earnestness, and the futility of glory.

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

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Host Greta Johnsen talks with City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran and Margaret Willison, the newest member of the Culture Study newsletter and podcast team.

They play the extremely low-stakes game Burden or Delight with three of the biggest pop culture touchstones of the summer: The World Cup, Taylor Swift’s wedding, and Christopher Nolan’s newest blockbuster, The Odyssey. (Did Margaret make a quiz based on her rigorous examination of every possible photo of confirmed attendees? YES. Yes she did.) 

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Host Greta Johnsen talks with Sarah Wilson about her new book, I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World. As the title suggests, Sarah's book explores the idea of sysrem collapse, a metacrisis we're already experiencing through climate crises, political upheaval, cultural isolationism, and fossil fuel consumption.

This book isn't necessarily easy to read -- after all, it presents a pretty grim future for our current way of life. But Sarah also points out that many of the systems that are currently collapsing have been oppressing us from the beginning. And to that end, this book is an invitation to consider what to prioritize as humanity moves forward.

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode is about public television, classic literature, and an extremely charismatic Jack Russell Terrier.

Yes, we are talking about Wishbone, the iconic children’s PBS show that aired from 1995 to 1998. 

It was about Wishbone the dog, who imagined himself as the star of many canonical texts such as The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, Oliver Twist, and Cyrano de Bergerac. The shoe aired for 50 episodes, and won 5 Daytime Emmys. 

There’s a new documentary out about the show -- it’s called What’s the Story, Wishbone?. Host Greta Johnsen talks to two of the documentary’s producers, who also worked on the original show --  Betty Buckley, who also produced Wishbone, and Larry Brantley, who played the voice of Wishbone himself.

As the documentary explores, the show wasn’t easy to make. The adaptations were ambitious, the production schedule was intense, and nothing like it had really been made before. But at the same time, there’s a tangible sense of curiosity and joy. 

And of course, a charming dog in pantaloons is always a delight. 

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Greta Johnsen talks to author and poet Paige Lewis. Their novel Canon is the GRETAGRAM book club selection for July. Canon is difficult to describe -- it pays homage to many classic epics and is deeply rooted in the Bible, But it’s also extremely irreverent, funny, and weird. Ultimately, it’s a nonbinary hero’s journey with Good Guys and Bad Guys and a wonderful talking whale. 

Greta and Paige talk about OCD, the nature of evil, the sensationalism of violence, and FUN ANIMAL FACTS!

There are three ways you can participate in book club:

• Listen to this spoiler-free conversation with Paige, then read the book, then sit back and relax!
• Do the first two things above, but leave Greta a voicemail with your thoughts by Monday, July 27! Just record yourself on your smartphone and email the tile to greta m johnsen at gmail dot com.
• Listen to the podcast, read the book, and come to the Zoom discussion on Sunday, August 2 at noon Central Time! Email Greta for the link.

UPCOMING BOOK CLUB BOOKS:

• August: Land, Maggie O’Farrell (out now)
• September: Pool House, Mary H.K. Choi (out now) 
• October: Exit Party, Emily St. John Mandel (out Sept. 14) 
• November:  Ply, Hernan Diaz (out Sept. 29)
• December: The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, Deesha Philyaw (out Sept. 29)

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Show art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The June GRETAGRAM book club selection is Julia Langbeing’s Dear Monica Lewinsky, a novel that explores sainthood, desire, the legacy of Monica Lewinsky, and the history of horny nuns. 

Host Greta Johnsen discusses the book with Gwen Kirby, the author of the wonderful short story collection Shit Cassandra Saw. Together, we unpack what makes this book SO GOOD, from tone to topic to setting to structure.

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the first Friday of the month, which means it’s time for a new book to read! This month’s selection is Julia Langbein’s phenomenal novel Dear Monica Lewinsky, and Julia is today's guest on the show.

The book is about Jean, whose life was derailed the summer after her sophomore year in college. When she travels to France to study medieval religious history, she meets a charismatic professor and decides to pursue an affair with him. The repercussions of that choice echo through her life, and she’s still haunted as an adult. 

When she realizes her summer abroad was the same summer the Monica Lewinsky story broke in the United States, Jean prays to Monica, asking for forgiveness. That’s when a vision of Monica Lewinsky appears to Jean, and she’s able to relive her summer in France. 

When Tom Perrotta blurbed Julia’s first novel American Mermaid, he said, “It probably shouldn’t work, but it succeeds brilliantly, thanks to Julia Langbein’s tonal control and wicked sense of humor,” and the same can be said for Dear Monica Lewinsky. 

This book may be hard to describe, but it’s a joy to read, and it’s also a searing examination of female desire and the prices we pay to pursue it.

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It’s the last Friday of May, which means it’s time to discuss T Kira Madden’s novel Whidbey!

Host Greta Johnsen talks to self-professed T Kira stan Kristen Arnett, the author of several novels. (Her most recent book, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, is especially wonderful!)

They unpack what makes this complex novel so readable: nuanced themes, compelling characters, tangible sense of place, and propulsive plot.

TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with themes of child sexual abuse, which we discuss. 

SPOILER ALERT: This episode includes spoilers for the book. If you haven’y read it yet a nd you don’t want to know what happens, listen to the spoiler-free author interview here. 

For more information on the GRETAGRAM book club, sign up for Greta's newsletter, GRETAGRAM!

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Greta Johnsen talks to two of her favorite readers -- MJ Franklin, an editor at the New York Times Book Review and host of The Book Review Book Club podcast, and Traci Thomas, who hosts the wonderfully bookish podcast The Stacks.

Even though the three of them have WILDLY different reading tastes, they also have an abundance of respect for each other, so these conversations are always a treat. Here’s a list of each of their recommendations: 

Greta’s picks: 

The Children, Melissa Albert (June 2)

Land, Maggie O’Farrell (June 2)

Etna, Paul Yoon August 4

Traci’s picks:

Crossroads: A Memoir in Baseball and Life, Dusty Baker (June 9)

The Great Wherever, Shannon Sanders (July 7) 

Seasons of Fury: Four Families and the Rise of Islamophobia in America, Rozina Ali (August 25)

MJ’s picks:

Country People, Daniel Mason (July 7)

Fixer Chao, Han Ong (July 14)

The Mortons, Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (July 21)

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WXPN morning host and assistant music director Kristen Kurtis offers host Greta Johnsen three songs to enjoy this summer, and they are all BOPS: 

•  Zinadeplhia, “River”
• Parlor Greens, “Eat Your Greens”
• Allison Russell, “Cold April” ft. Kara Jackson, Denitia, and Explore! Pop Choir

SHOW CREDITS

Creator and host: Greta Johnsen

Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg

Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal

Tile art: Mac Maclean

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.