Best Fairy Tale Analysis Podcasts (2025)

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S1E4 - Iron John: The Journey from Boy to Man 36:52

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3h ago36:52

36:52

In this episode of Story Medicine, we explore "Iron John" from the Grimm Brothers' collection - a tale about masculine rite of passage, initiation, service, and the integration of wildness with cultivation. A boy frees a wild man from a cage, leaves home on the wild man's shoulders, and enters the world to learn what poverty means. Through stages o…

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S1E2 - The Handless Maiden: Medicine for Transformation Through Loss 23:06

4d ago23:06

23:06

In this episode of Story Medicine, we explore "The Handless Maiden" from the Grimm Brothers' collection - a profound tale about loss, agency, and what can grow back through grief. A young woman loses her hands because of her father's bargain with the devil. She walks away from everything familiar, receives silver hands from a king who loves her, bu…

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S1E3 - Anansi and the Box of Stories: Medicine for Trickster Wisdom 24:08

4d ago24:08

24:08

In this episode of Story Medicine, we explore "Anansi and the Box of Stories" from the living oral tradition of the Ashanti and Akan peoples of West Africa - a tale about how cleverness and wisdom can achieve what strength and power cannot. Anansi the Spider wants to bring stories to the people of earth, but they belong to Nyame, the Sky God. To ea…

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S1E1 - Introduction 3:13

5d ago3:13

3:13

Welcome to Story Medicine In this introduction, Joe Summerfield shares what Story Medicine is all about: why stories have been such a constant companion throughout human history - and why we're instinctively drawn to them across all cultures and times. Stories are more than entertainment. They're encoded with the cumulative wisdom of all who have c…

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Episode 468: The Five-Second-Rule for Poison 1:01:01

9d ago1:01:01

1:01:01

This week on WTFolklore, we read Vukub-Cakix, a Mayan tale that purports to be about "Twin Hero-Wizards". We purport they are neither. Suggested talking points: Make N' Shake, Forgive Me For the Blow Dart (and the Strangling...), Nobody Eats Plums, We Are Famous Doctors Trust Us, Licensed to Stethoscope, It Sounds Like Overkill Because It Is, Mount…

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Episode 467: Two Birds, One Stone, and Also One is a Cat 1:00:27

16d ago1:00:27

1:00:27

It's back to business-as-usual this week on WTFolklore as we re-calibrate our fairy tale senses with some good ol' fashion eastern european fare, The Glass Mountain, which stars a guy dressed as Hugh Jackman, who is dressed as Jack Black, who is dressed as a school boy. Suggested talking points: A Farquaad Wandering Amongst the Furries, Schrödinger…

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Episode 466: Thanks for the Sandwiches, My Whole Family Died 51:16

23d ago51:16

51:16

DISCLAIMER: Gordie lost about half of his audio recording this week, so we had to improvise. See if you can guess the parts that got re-recorded! Spooklore 2025 draws to a close this week, and we have another WTFolklore-exclusive, custom made Cryptid tale for you! Join us as we venture to the most terrifying location in North America...New Jersey..…

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Episode 465: Bed Bath & Unnamed Dread 50:13

1M ago50:13

50:13

Spooklore 2025 continues this week, with a bit of a twist. Rather than continually avoiding every instance of a "This is a THING, and here are it's SCARY FEATURES" type stories, Carman has elected to assemble her own folktale about one such THING, The Santa Compaña. So enjoy this custom-made spooky story! Suggested talking points: Spooktralizer Pri…

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Episode 464: The Joann Fabrics Power Vacuum 57:49

1M ago57:49

57:49

Spooklore begins in earnest this week, as we read what may well be the earliest-recorded Found Footage ghost story, The Haunting of Athenodorus, or as we elected to call it, "Ghost Hunters: Ancient Athens Edition". Suggested talking points: A Barbershop Quartet of Air Horns, A Gas Station for Mimes, Eldritch Horny, The Clanking of the Whimbus, Haun…

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Episode 463: The Legend of Pork City 1:14:13

30d ago1:14:13

1:14:13

By What the Folklore

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Episode 462: Give us Uppies, or Give us Death! 49:15

2M ago49:15

49:15

This week we return to our good friend Carl Sandburg for a Rootabega-adjacent story, The Haystack Cricket, and How Things Are Different Up in the Moon Towns. If you like random sounds strung together with no evident rhyme or reason, buddy look no further than a Carl Sandburg story... Suggested talking points: A Lamp Shaped Like a Scary Arm, A Leath…

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Episode 461: So Now You're a 12-Headed Dragon: A User's Guide (with T. Kingfisher) 1:44:56

2M ago1:44:56

1:44:56

We are joined this week by very special guest T. Kingfisher! We had to call in back-up to wade our way through Princess Miranda and Prince Hero, a Polish tale featuring everyone's favorite creep, Koschei the Deathless. It also features a hero (named Hero) who makes some staggeringly questionable inventory-management choices on his quest. Suggested …

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Episode 460: David Blaine Eats 40 Cows 1:02:23

2M ago1:02:23

1:02:23

After talking about some crucial current events (read: Stuart Little Lore), we dive into The Little Purse with Two Half-Pennies, a Romanian tale with some stunning revelations about Project Birdfall's humble beginnings. Suggested talking points: An Awkward Starbucks Date with Spiderman, Skateboarding up the Wrong Tree, Geriatrics Anonymous, Chief C…

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Episode 459: Freaky Friday'd with a Corpse 53:39

3M ago53:39

53:39

This week on What the Folklore, we read FOUR different explanations for where the heck all these god-dang mosquitos came from. As is our want, we take a more...buffet approach to the answer. Suggested talking points: Label Maker x Spooktralizer Slash Fic, Panera Bread Crime Aura, Wandering Around with a Mosquito Sack and a Grude, Petty Revenge Rave…

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Episode 458: All Cherry Men are Weird Guys, But Not Every Weird Guy is a Cherry Man 46:34

3M ago46:34

46:34

This week on What the Folklore, we read two different stories, The Eye Juggler and Gobbleknoll, which inadvertently creates our most Body Horror-oreinted episode yet! It's Spooklore Summer, baby! Suggested talking points: An Artificial World of Body Parts and Holes, Flirting for Free Cream, An Organic "Guess Who?" Board, A Spider in a Wig, Buffalo …

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Episode 457: I’m Not Constipated, I’m WISHING 53:52

4M ago53:52

53:52

This week on What the Folklore, we read The Nodding Tiger, a Chinese story that introduces us to the humble beginnings of a beloved friend. Suggested talking points: Modular Lego Road, Trained on Gas Station Roller Food, A Robust Evening Wood-Market, These are Man-Catchin' Nets, The Only Son That's Ever Mattered, The Definitive Temp-Tiger Timeline …

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Episode 456: Skateboarded Too Close to the Sun 1:04:06

4M ago1:04:06

1:04:06

This week on What the Folklore, we read the Spanish tale The Bird of Truth, which has some serious texture pop-in issues. Either that, or the protagonist is legally blind and shy about it. Suggested talking points: Grizelda's Bar and Grill, Back to the Chaos Mines, Like Moses, but Way More Gucci, Pigeons in Leather, Serious Boy Business, Every Liza…

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Who Says Solutions Can't Cause More Problems? 1:03:40

4M ago1:03:40

1:03:40

This week on What the Folklore, we're reading Ligur the Water Giant, an obscure German-language tale with a wizard that rivals even the mighty Gaznak! Suggested talking points: A Bowl of Loose Toppings, We've Done a LOT to Vampires, Queen Oprah, Briefly At War with Whales (and Wales), A True Graduate of Princess Academy, Eagle-Surfing, WTFolklore D…

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SWA101: Narration and Point of View (ESB) 1:26:16

4M ago1:26:16

1:26:16

This week in "Star Wars Appreciation 101," Julia and Fern tackle The Empire Strikes Back from a certain point of view (sorry, we had to!). This episode covers narration and POV in literature and film, including how we identify a scene's point-of-view character or characters and what that can teach us. Other points of interest: What is narration, an…

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454: Unstoppable Business Glacier of Success 44:13

5M ago44:13

44:13

This week on WTFolklore, we head back to our old stomping ground of France for Blanche and Vermeille. You can tell it's a riveting tale, because we spend a good chunk of the episode discussing things you could wear instead of pants. Suggested talking points: Sneaking Agenda Into the Prose, 2,370,563 Ziplines to France, Hot Egg, A True Thing About P…

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Episode 453: Hell Dad is Real Sad 1:28:28

5M ago1:28:28

1:28:28

I'll be honest, it's a doozy of a story this week. We are subjected to the whimsical mind of Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, AKA Lord Dunsany, who delivers us to The Fortress Unvanquishable Save for Sacnoth, AKA The Fortress of Doom. Get your High-Fantasy britches on for this one, folks. Suggested talking points: Lying Will Save Your Life, 2999 …

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Episode 452: Goose at Heart 1:08:55

5M ago1:08:55

1:08:55

It's a Tale of Two Tales, this week on WTFolklore, again! Again! This time, at least, there's some connective thematic tissue. First up is A Man That Was Married to a Goose, followed up by Uinigumasuittuq and the Origin of Living Beings Suggested talking points: Google-Fingers Activated, Diabolical (Citation Needed), Nary a Grass in Sight, Roolette…

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Episode 451: The Department of Vibes 58:55

5M ago58:55

58:55

It's a Tale of Two Tales, this week on WTFolklore, again! First up is The Snake Who Became the King's Son-in-Law, followed up by God's Godson Suggested talking points: Get Out Your Smile Calipers, The Foley Files, Idioms Better Watch Out, The Wheel of Cake, My Guns are My Sword, Buff Baby Battle If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors,…

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Episode 450: I Don't Even Like Murder 54:35

5M ago54:35

54:35

It's a Tale of Two Tales, this week on WTFolklore, as we read both The Tale of the Silver Saucer and the Crystal Apple and The Tale of the Silver Saucer and the Trasnparent Apple. But not before we spend much too much time discussing World Milk Day, which is apparently a thing. Suggested talking points: #MotherEarthUdders, The Raddest Vitamin on th…

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Episode 449: A Wish Too Dumb for the Monkey's Paw 1:08:38

6M ago1:08:38

1:08:38

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Story of the Black Cow, and as with most things, we try to contort it into a Willy Wonka-esque shape. Suggested talking points: Zipline Magnate, The Ratio of Ghosts to Guys, Legally a Cake, The 352-Day Calendar, Milk From the Heart, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Premium+, Somewhere In the Churro Family If you'd li…

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Episode 448: All Bangers LLC 53:45

6M ago53:45

53:45

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Legend of Coatlicue & Coyolxauhqui, which are two Aztec names we can absolutely pronounce without mangling them! We learn a lot about the Moon, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and a surprising revelation about Dr. Seuss. Thanks, Mesoamerica! Suggested talking points: A Whisper of Citrus, The Crime of Sustenance, Ze…

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Episode 447: Interrupting the Raven Orgy 1:05:46

7M ago1:05:46

1:05:46

Well, hey there, stranger! Been a minute, hasn't it? We're back, and already up to our old antics again as we read The Three Citrons: The Story of Prince That Climbed a Glass Hill, as you may be able to surmise from this week's episode title. Suggested talking points: A Court-Mandated Month of Minutes, The Chosen Treeman, An Expensive Way To Feel B…

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Final Folktale 06 1:14:20

8M ago1:14:20

1:14:20

Alright, gang. It's time to finally talk fantasy again, with the tragic tale of Clive Rosefield, and...oh, hold up. Did I miss a digit in the title?By What the Folklore

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Episode 446: Extraordinarily Beautiful, Extraordinarily Rude, Extraordinarily Eight Years Old 1:03:28

8M ago1:03:28

1:03:28

After the "celebration" that was reading d'Aulnoy for a month, it's time to get back to basics. And by "basics", I mean Hans Christian Andersen. This week we read The Flea and The Professor. Suggested talking points: Surrounded By Strangers and Smelling Flamingos, Parachuting into Poverty, Magic'd WAY Too Hard, The Fun Husband-Leash™, Living That P…

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Episode 445: Probably Fairies Did It (The Princess Mayblossom, Part IV) 1:29:44

8M ago1:29:44

1:29:44

This week we finally claw our way to the end of The Princess Mayblossom, and learn much more about Lucky Charms lore than anyone could've anticipated. Suggested talking points: I No Longer Side With The Children, Lucky Charms Creation Myth, Figuring Things Out is for Peasants, Cue Tears (Again), A Life On Emotional Cocaine, Live by the Well Die by …

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Episode 444: Classic Girl-Smells-Boy Story (The Princess Mayblossom, Part III) 1:02:15

8M ago1:02:15

1:02:15

This week we conclude our reading of The Princess Mayblossom! W..wait? We don't? WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T?? Suggested talking points: You WILL Learn the Pain of Existence, The Copypastas of Yore, An 8-Madrid Woman At Most, 3 Hours Of Silence Well Spent, Royalty Playpen Simulator, Chapeau 2.0, Land-Pirates Never Took Off If you'd like to support Ca…

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Episode 443: Breaking Punzel Protocol (The Princess Mayblossom, Part II) 1:28:53

9M ago1:28:53

1:28:53

We resume our reading of The Princess Mayblossom this week, down one man from the last. d'Aulnoy just takes and takes and takes from us, doesn't she? Suggested talking points: Big Merlin and Lil' Merlin, Indoor Daughter and Outdoor Daughter, Lions: Are They Real?, The Weeping Five, Comfort Diamonds, Loin-Hunger Vs. Regular-Hunger, Elephantvator, I …

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442: Dungeons and d'Aulnoys (The Princess Mayblossom, Part I) 1:34:22

9M ago1:34:22

1:34:22

Ten Years. Ten Years of doing this, and d'Aulnoy is STILL punking us... Suggested talking points: Entering The Eraser-Free Zone, NURSE TOURNAMENT!, This Didn't Take Long To Get Weird, All The King's Leeches, Constantly Leaking Chastity, The Biggest Punzel Money Can Buy, If you'd like to support Carman's artistic endeavors, visit: https://www.patreo…

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Episode 441: Get Out Of Here, Wife, It's Karate Time! 53:58

9M ago53:58

53:58

This week on WTFolklore we read two versions of The Wedding of Mrs. Fox, one of which was considered a favorite by Jacob Grimm. One features dick jokes, the other does not. Guess which one was his favorite. Suggested talking points: LEGO Comes For Us All, That's A Lot of Bepis, Is A House a Chef (When It's On Fire)?, An Easy Giggle, A Mickey Mouse …

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Episode 440: Abs Shaped Like a QR Code 57:07

9M ago57:07

57:07

This week on WTFolklore we read the Ukrainian tale, Oh: The Tsar of the Forest, and are legitimately shocked at how resilient it's canon proves to be, despite our best efforts to deviate from it. Suggested talking points: The Foretold Hose-Pipe, An Eternal Greasy Handprint, The World is Buffering, A Modern O, Babies Made of Things Babies Aren't Mad…

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Episode 439: The Episode With Ten Minutes of Uninterrupted Silence 51:56

10M ago51:56

51:56

EDITORS NOTE: THERE IS A 10 MINUTE STRETCH OF INTENTIONALLY UNEDITED SILENCE FROM 9:09-19:09 This week on WTFolklore, after a very good joke that is worth everyone's valuable time, we read The Immortal Rooster, which is actually, secretly, a much funnier ending to The Hobbit. Suggested talking points: Art World Tea, Reverse-Vampire Rooster, How is …

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Episode 438: Good Morning, It's Time For Crime 49:31

10M ago49:31

49:31

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Tale of Ming, a relic of significant cultural importance to China. We have perhaps...different takeaways than the original author intended. Suggested talking points: The Year is 2136, Cursed with Good Luck, Baby-Play Polycule, All These Flesh Boys With Their Flesh Births, This Is Our Bulbasaur, Crab Shrimp Nervo…

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Episode 437: Chili-Dog Delivered Via Gun 48:05

10M ago48:05

48:05

This week on WTFolklore, we read The Snow Daughter and the Fire Son, AKA the story of the first two X-Men, Heatmiser and Snowmiser, a tale that begins, middles, and ends in tragedy for inexplicable reasons. Suggested talking points: Motorcycles Everywhere, The Integrity of the Dog, Distant, Diegetic Battle Music, Of Mice and Mons, But Like Where's …

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Episode 436: Bedtime Stories For Sleep Paralysis Demons 53:58

11M ago53:58

53:58

This week on WTFolklore, to make up for missing you on Christmas Eve, and to kick off 2025 in style, we're in for a "Rootabaganing". In layman's terms, that means we're reading both How Five Rusty Rats Helped Find a New Village and The Potato-Faced Blind Man Who Lost the Diamond Rabbit on his Gold Accordion, two stories from the...unique mind of Ca…

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Episode 435: Graffiti Kills Wizards and Saves Lives 1:00:36

11M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

This week on WTFolklore we read The Stones of Plouhinec, a "seasonal" story from "France" (but not THAT France...) Suggested talking points: We're Not Going to MegaFrance, Put Fear Into the Egg, Tangentially Seasonal, Bee Soup, Faith-Based Graffiti, Eavesdropping on Magic, Innocent Until Proven Wizard If you'd like to support Carman's artistic ende…

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Episode 434: Men Are Like Failed Potatoes 46:18

12M ago46:18

46:18

This week on WTFolklore we read the Irish tale How The Wise Women Got Their Farm of Land Rent-Free from Lord Kilmaine, a title whose brevity matches the alleged wit of it's main characters. Suggested talking points: You Got Trucker In Your Soul, A Pilgrim-Themed Corner, Women Who Want Money for Sandwiches, Potato Drunk, Joggromancy, Winking Women o…

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Episode 433: Ancient Chinese Among Us 53:46

12M ago53:46

53:46

Here we go again...By What the Folklore

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Episode 432: THAT DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION AT ALL (What the Rose Did to the Cypress, Part III) 42:28

12M ago42:28

42:28

This week we conclude the twisting, turning road that is What the Rose Did to the Cypress, with and even the story is sick of itself by the end. Suggested talking points: No Secrets When There's Breadsticks on the Line, Final Butt Diamond, Taking Baths With Strange Deer, Marriage In Exchange For Advice, Run-Of-The-Mill Sludge Prince, Miscellaneous …

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Episode 431: Livin' on Deer Time (What the Rose Did to the Cypress, Part II) 43:50

1y ago43:50

43:50

This week we continue our puzzling journey into What the Rose Did to the Cypress, but we take a bit of a detour away from riddle-solving in order to gather snacks, learn nothing, and kill hundreds of thousands of men. Suggested talking points: A Human Hand Clap, Backseat Riddlers, Men of a Indeterminate Age, An Alternate Pant-Leg of Time, This is D…

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Episode 430: The Proper Channels (Which is Warfare) {What the Rose Did to the Cypress, Part 1} 44:30

1y ago44:30

44:30

This week we begin our journey into What the Rose Did to the Cypress, a story featuring a riddle so enticing, even knowing it exists drives men to their (countless) deaths. Suggested talking points: Magnet Highway, The Folklore Ice Bucket Challenge, Horticultural Beef, The Sordid Inner-Lives of Garden Folk, I'm Tired of Hunting this Town, Ctrl+F "F…

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Episode 429: RateMyBaby.com 57:32

1y ago57:32

57:32

Spooklore 2024 draws to a close with a reading of The Story of a Mother, which is not so much a spooky story but a terribly depressing one, from resident sad-sack, Hans Christian Andersen. Turns out, the true horror was videogames from 1993 this whole time! Suggested talking points: The Hamburglar's Living Conditions, A Cave with Amenities, Microwa…

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Episode 428: Please Bloodborne My Daughter 37:00

1y ago37:00

37:00

Spooklore 2024 continues with a reading of The Legend of the Pineapple, a story that either pushes fruit to new spooky echelons, or is a big coincidence. It's impossible to tell which. Suggested talking points: Spooky By Implication, Painfully Competent, Cooking is a Myth, Waiting to Magically Become Not Terrible, Porridge Was an Ask Too Far, The S…

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SWA101: Plot (ANH) 1:04:29

1y ago1:04:29

1:04:29

This week in "Star Wars Appreciation 101," Julia and Fern try not to lose the plot while watching Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Analyzing the film’s structure, conflicts, and (weird) pacing, they make some surprising discoveries about the story we think we know. Spoiler Alert: However long you think the Death Star sequence is, no it’s not. On t…

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Episode 427: The Wolf-to-Corgi Pipeline 51:37

1y ago51:37

51:37

Spooklore 2024 continues with a reading of Men-Wolves, a three-act story about a Witch who just can't get her one spell to work right. Suggested talking points: Ol' Gloomy NotJohn, Got the Wolf Quivers, Magic Pants Feelings, Tobias Fünke's Furry OC, Like Sailor Moon if Sailor Moon Sucked, You've Got Wolf Starring Tom Hanks If you'd like to support …

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Episode 426: Behaving to Death 45:45

1y ago45:45

45:45

Spooklore 2024 begins with readings of both The Book of Magic and The Willful Child, two tales selected for their strong connective tissue to one another, and certainly not for their brevity! Suggested talking points: Bonesblood City Magicbook, Pandering to the Spooktralizer, Dracula and Buddies, A Greater Concentration of Diabolicalness, Fill Your…