In the last couple of weeks I’ve been recording and editing the first episodes of the new series Beyond a Joke. In this series, I’m asking guests to bring an object that has made them laugh. Using this object we discuss what makes us laugh, what arts practice can learn about the structures of humor and jokes and so far, quite a lot about where the ‘serious’ and the ‘ridiculous’ overlap and intersect. So far, I’ve had two amazing conversations with Anna Jackson about Snoopy and Jonny Potts about ‘Нос Nos | The Nose’ by Nikolai Gogol. Both of these episodes will be available in the next few weeks. Episodes for this series come out every two weeks.
In other news, Better off Read is shifting to a new home at Substack.
My main aim in moving to Substack is to build a bit of community around the podcast.
You will still be able to listen Better off Read for free but you are also now able to contribute financially if you’re able. I would love to make the podcast sustainable financially on an ongoing basis. An important principle of the podcast is that I pay all guests. Your money makes it possible for me to make the podcast for everyone.
Subscribe to Better off Read’s Substack
Thanks as always for listening and I look forward to being in touch.
Ep 50 Louise Wallace: Bad Things by Louise Wallace
Ep 49 Rhydian Thomas: Milk Island by Rhydian Thomas
Ep 48 Pip Adam talks to Maria McMillan
Ep 47 Oryx and Crake Series 3 - Antonia Bale
Ep 46 Oryx and Crake Series 2 - Bill Nelson
Ep 45 Oryx and Crake Series 1 - Danyl McLauchlan
A Short Announcement: The ORYX AND CRAKE series
Ep 44 Murray Hewitt and Pip Adam Talk
Episode 43: Pip Adam My Favourite Cindy - Bobby and Cindi
Ep 42 Danyl Mclauchlan: Time Travel by James Gleick
Ep 41 Rachel O'Neill: The Argonauts
Ep 40 Louise Wallace, Francis Cooke and Pip Adam talk about Starling
Ep 39 Helen Lehndorf: Sketchbooks by Derek Jarman
Ep 38 Lee Posna: Arboretum by Lee Posna
Ep 37 Sugar Magnolia Wilson and Pip Adam talk about Chasing Great: The Richie McCaw Biopic
Ep 36 Nick Ascroft and Pip Adam talk about Throwback: The Music of 2007
Ep 35 Emma Hislop and Pip Adam talk about The Mare by Mary Gaitskill
Ep 34 Sorority: Readings from some of Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s finest women of colour
Ep 33 Randell Cottage
Ep 32 Brannavan Gnanalingam: A Briefcase, Two Pies, and a Penthouse
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