A podcast in which we discuss high-craft works of popular culture.
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#UpperMiddleBrow
To say a work is highbrow or “literary” might suggest it is rarified, difficult, or unrelatable. To call it “lowbrow” might suggest its entertaining, but lurid and lacking craft. At Upper Middlebrow, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose.
In energetic and rambly episodes, Jesse and Chris surf the tidal waters of the upper-middlebrow, choosing pieces of highly entertaining work, with high craft.
Find out what we’re reading/watching next.
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Episode 106: “The Wages of Spin,” or John Steinbeck’s In Dubious Battle
Chris and Jesse devour Steinbeck’s 1936 novel In Dubious Battle, which follows a group of communist agitators who try to establish a strike in California’s Torgas Valley. The lads agree that Steinbeck’s novel boasts incredible sensory detail and beautiful prose, and they go digging into just what, exactly, Steinbeck wanted to say in this short,…
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Episode 104: ‘Everything but the Squeal,’ or Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
Upton Sinclair spent about seven months in the Chicago stockyards, dressed as worker, making notes about poor working conditions, corrupt bosses, unsanitary conditions, and inhumane slaughter. And in his debut novel, he tried to include nearly everything he saw. Sinclair’s 1906 novel contains a litany of outrages. Its publication brought about some important reforms. But,…
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Episode 104: “Get Me The Graduate II!” or Larry Peerce’s 1969 Film Goodbye, Columbus
The lads follow up Phillip Roth’s 1959 eponymous novel with Larry Peerce’s 1969 film version. The film was the 10th highest grossing film of 1969, which is quite an achievement, given the other films that surfaced that year, and Peerce deploys his significant powers in delivering a commercial success. Jesse and Chris discuss the nature…
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The Hosts
Chris and Jesse create and interrogate different kinds of content. They are writers, radio producers, and fair-to-middling surfers.
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