DeepSummary
Mike Ingram and Tom McAllister welcomed writer and editor Michael Tager as a guest to discuss Mindy Kaling's essay collection 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?'. Tager talked about why he chose this book, which he read during a period when he was exploring memoirs and essay collections by comedians like Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler. He found Kaling's book stood out in an engaging way compared to the others.
The hosts and guest analyzed various aspects of the book, including its humor, depth, cultural references, and some outdated jokes that haven't aged well. They discussed Kaling's writing style, her ability to connect with readers through relatable experiences and observational humor, and how the book aligns with the conventions of the celebrity essay genre.
Towards the end, they engaged in the traditional 'lightning round' of questions, where Tager shared some personal insights and opinions on topics ranging from books he has pretended to read to writers he would hypothetically want to fight. The conversation touched on the evolving format of the podcast, with the hosts announcing an upcoming thematic 'season' focused on the marriage plot in literature.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Mindy Kaling's essay collection 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?' stands out among celebrity memoirs for its humor, relatability, and Kaling's skillful writing.
- The hosts announced plans to shift the podcast's format to a thematic 'season' focused on exploring the marriage plot in literature.
- The practice of pretending to have read certain literary works is common, even among avid readers and writers.
- Pop culture and its intersections with literature deserve more serious analysis and engagement beyond just humor and observational writing.
- Balancing humor and depth in personal essays and memoir writing can be challenging, but Kaling navigates this balance relatively well.
- The 'lightning round' segment offers insights into the guests' personalities, reading habits, and unique perspectives on literature and pop culture.
- Podcast formats and structures can evolve over time to keep content fresh and engaging for both hosts and listeners.
- Analyzing celebrity memoirs through a literary lens can reveal interesting insights into the writing process, genre conventions, and cultural relevance.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Just write about something that you are interested in and good at.“ by Tom McAllister
- “Fight. Tough love for literature.“ by Tom McAllister
- “I pretend to hate Jane Eyre more than I actually hate Jane Eyre, and I pretend to know a little bit more about Moby Dick than I do, but I don't think I've ever actually pretended to read anything.“ by Michael Tager
- “So I don't see very much except in essays, which is probably the kind of writing I read the most. You know, even in articles, I don't really see a ton of writing about it in a serious, thoughtful, or not serious and thoughtful, you know, like fiction.“ by Michael Tager
- “I would like to go back and fight Hemingway, and I bet he could throw down, but not in the way that he presents himself. And I also think he would beat me up, but I get a couple good hits in, and then he would vaguely respect me, which I wouldn't really want, but then wouldn't care about.“ by Michael Tager
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Episode Information
Book Fight
Mike Ingram and Tom McAllister
1/29/24
We welcome writer and editor Michael Tager (Mason Jar Press; Pop Culture Poetry: The Definitive Collection ) to talk about Mindy Kaling's essay collection Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Tager read Kaling's book during a period when he was reading a lot of memoirs and essay collections by comedians, including books by Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler. He talks about what made Kaling's stand out, and how his usual reading habits were interrupted by fatherhood.
You can learn more about Tager's writing and editing projects, including his forthcoming book, at his website: http://www.michaelbtager.com/
If you like our podcast, and would like more of it in your life, please consider subscribing to our Patreon, where $5 a month gets you two monthly bonus episodes, plus access to our entire back catalog: https://www.patreon.com/BookFight
Thanks for listening!