Well, this has been a long hiatus for the podcast, but I am back with what should be required reading for every American. Find out why escaped slave Frederick Douglass is not only an American hero, but one of our greatest literary treasures. Some of this podcast may make you squirm, but if art doesn't challenge you, is it really art?

The Catcher in the Rye is probably the most read piece of literature other than The Great Gatsby that I have featured on my podcast. And people have A LOT of opinions about this one. Tune in to hear mine. Spoiler alert: I love this kid.

Witches! Ghosts! Murders! Is it a new Netflix series? No, it's the Scottish play by William Shakespeare. Find out why you can't say Macbeth in a theater, why King James I hated witches, and why the word "filthy" means so much more than you think it does. Everyone likes to talk Shakespeare, so listen in and be the smartest person at your next party. You can be the one to give this sage advice: Once you're in a river of blood, don't turn back!

Welcome to Season Two of Cocktail Party Takeaways, where we begin with Franz Kafka's masterpiece of yucky, The Metamorphosis. There are plenty of takeaways in this episode, including mini-lessons on existentialism, surrealism, Freudianism, and expressionism. I also share my dread fear of cockroaches, and I share some insights into why writers write. Don't worry, there's some sex and some Jesus too. 

So, is this really a story to make you believe in God? Only one way to find out! Listen as a seasoned English teacher continues to escort you through Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Learn about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, bildungsromans, the hero's journey, and why stories are essential to our humanity. This episode marks the end of Season One of Cocktail Party Takeaways. Come back in the fall for more great literature and clever observations to make you sound extra smart at your next party. 

In my most personal podcast episode to date, I examine my deep connection to Yann Martel's Life of Pi. This novel has it all: It is a grand adventure tale filled with thrills, unexpected twists, and hidden meanings, and it contains an enduring message about how faith, belief, and storytelling are at the heart of our humanity. 

It's likely you haven't heard of this short story by Joyce Carol Oates, but it is a staple of high school English classes. And Oates, author of more than 50 books, has said it is the literary endeavor she is most known for. Grab a cocktail and let a seasoned English teacher take you through this devastatingly moving and creepy tale. It is full of takeaway symbolism and hidden meanings that will make you sound smart at your next social gathering. 

One of the most read and studied short stories of all time, Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is a brutal and beautiful tale, set in the piney woods of America's Deep South. Let a seasoned English teacher take you through the grotesque and the grace of this masterpiece. Then you'll be the one at the party who can explain this famous line: "She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”