Witch, Please

Episode CW: discussion of intimate partner abuse

To record this episode, Hannah and Marcelle sat in a bed together for two hours with a singularly chill-less cat and had wildly divergent opinions about a book, sort of at one another, while the cat purred way too loudly.

Does that make it sound fun? TRUST US IT IS. If nothing else, we can promise the horniest episode we’ve ever delivered, as we sit down to talk about Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On and hash out the differences between fan fiction, intertext, and adaptation; the gayness of various cover designs; and why traditional narrative forms are so deeply satisfying.

Hang around for a new #trywitches challenge and an enthusiastic installment of #witchpleasetellme. Take it away, Todd!

Download this episode about some other book that totally isn’t Harry Potter

Credit: the exciting plot summary music is “Epic” from bensound.com. Also Hannah sings like two seconds of “The Bare Necessities” at some point.

Good evening witches and magicians and wizards of all ages! Welcome to this evening’s musical performance of Witch, Please!

This fornight has Marcelle “in the field” interviewing Konstantine Kurelias and Amanda Brace, two staff members of the Winspear Centre, about the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s enchanting production of The Music of Harry Potter! As a special treat, you’ll also hear Marcelle debrief the performance with longtime friend and basically brother Stephen Tchir—a Master of Music and member of the band The Provincial Archive.

As always, don’t forget to listen all the way through for our latest #trywitches tournament challenge and the answer to this episode’s #witchpleasetellme question!

Download this spell-bindingly symphonic episode

Credits:
In this episode you’ll hear a LOT of music, including tracks from Kesha’s new album Rainbow, which is streaming for free on Spotify; Christopher O’Riley’s piano cover of Radiohead’s “Airbag”; selections from the many Harry Potter tunes (all of which can be found on YoutTube but, honestly, do petition your local Symphony Orchestra to perform the music if they can!); and a few classical classics that are 100% in the public domain we swear. AND we enthusiastically recommend that you check out the books of N.K. Jemisin for more life-changing fantasy.

Good gravy it’s after 4am. xoxo

Hey witches! We’re popping into your feed on a Friday to drop the newest episode of Hannah’s new podcast, Secret Feminist Agenda! We thought this conversation about witchcraft and embracing your inner Hagrid would be particularly up your alley. Enjoy!

This week I’m joined by authors/witches extraordinaire Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman to talk about their forthcoming book Basic Witches (preorder it here!). If you’re in the New York area, you can head to the launch at The Astoria Bookshop on August 29th! If you think Jaya and Jess sound dope as heck (which they are, why not check out some of the other stuff they’ve written?

• Jess references this piece about cultivating ugliness, which is part of her “Role Monsters” series (go read all of them, they’re all great)
• Want some more Jess? Of course you do. Here it is.
• This book isn’t Jaya’s first witch-rodeo (first coven meeting? first midnight gathering?) either, as this great Kitchen Witch piece demonstrates
• Actually, while you’re at it, check out all of Jaya’s work for The Toast (including her brilliant collaborations with Matt Lubchansky) and then go read her new stuff on Elle.com 

The podcast theme song is “Mesh Shirt” by Mom Jeans off their album “Chub Rub.” Listen to the whole album here or learn more about them here.

Jaya and Jess’s theme song is “Witch” by The Bird and the Bee. Go listen to it.