Exegesis of a Library of America volume containing Alice Adams, The Magnificent Ambersons, and rarely seen political writings.

Friends--the sitcom, that is--Antonioni's Blow-Up, late period Yardbirds.

Wrapping up last week's conversation on A Hard Day's Night, diving into three things that Fleming witnesses many times each day that terrify him, and Billie Holiday at the Starbucks and what on earth is going on with that.

Herman Melville's poetry. “'Storms are formed behind the storm we feel.' That line has always felt to me like it has transitioned the power of the sea to the sky overhead and, from there, to our own breasts, where the weather systems of our emotions are always more complex than rain today, sunshine tomorrow.”

Fleming talks about Andrew Luck and how no one should have been remotely surprised by his retirement, the concept of "manhood," gender, ballet, and A Hard Day's Night (the film).

The 1984 Red Sox, one of the strangest statistical teams in modern baseball history; Scream Factory's outstanding Univeral Horrors Collection and the eye-popping madness of 1934's The Black Cat; Miles Davis and his "blue clusters."

Conversational film focus on great pictures from 1954 that invert our expectations: Godzilla, An Inspector Calls, Johnny Guitar, Them!, Drive a Crooked Road

Discussing the debut records by the Stone Roses and Joy Division, the nutso sequel to Robinson Crusoe in which Friday is murdered and our boy ends up in Russia, and the brilliant conceit that is the 1944 film noir, D.O.A.

On the recently unearthed live recording of Stan Getz at NYC's Village Gate in 1961.

Talking about Herman Melville, pioneering 1940s movie producer Joan Harrison, and Wild Honey, the Beach Boys' rhythm and blues infused, nature pop, lo-fi masterpiece.

Digging into the middle two stories--"Anaerobic Mud" and "Smoked Mackerel Productions"--of Buried on the Beaches: Cape Stories for Hooked Hearts and Driftwood Souls.

How the home run is negatively impacting baseball and what to do about it.

On Downtown discussing Chris Sale, Mookie Betts, WAR, Mike Trout, funny quirks about the game gleaned from baseball-reference.

An author's relationship with painting.

King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and the perfect Fourth of July album.

Great works to read for the Fourth of July.

Musings with Franklin--an entirely new kind of novel, told entirely in conversation--and some chatter about Fourth of July-related literature.

What Orson Welles and the Beatles and all truly great artists have in common.

Discussing the first three stories in the book: "The Cape Path," "Potlatch," "Chix and Quarters."

The dance of the movies and jazz.

On Howard Hawks's The Thing and its pertinence in the echo chamber age.

Who has real friends in 2019? Anyone? Do you? Also, an examination of the only two kinds of non-evil people: trench people and convalescent people.

Discussion of Russian hockey, the new film The Russian Five, and breaking down the Stanley Cup Finals.

Solo guitar gig in Rockport, MA.

Talking about Fleming's first book, the weird, the human, the funny, the tragic, Dark March: Stories for When the Rest of the World is Asleep, on its anniversary.