Hope you like Kathleen Turner, because in this long delayed episode I’m clearly doing my best rendition of her. Apologies for the gap in the episodes. Fortunately, we’re back in style. This week we discuss a book that has a complicated history. It would be easier if this were a more straightforward case of racism. Along the way we discuss the Wilder Award’s name change, whether people care more about animal cruelty or corporeal punishment, and the names of Kate’s blisters.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Source Notes:

– Here’s the Wendy McClure thread about the Wilder Award that I referenced.

– Run on sentences across pages are the WORST!!

– I was dead right about the cormorans, by the way. And this is indeed a legitimate fishing method.

– It seems so strange to me that the guy who did You Can Write Chinese, which looks like this:

– Is the same guy who did the art in this:

– And here’s what we’re talking about in terms of the skin color. This book can have both this one moment:

– And then this the next:

But have the colors of the skin tones been changed since it’s original publication? We don’t know.

– Man, I struck out on finding any of the videos I mentioned. No Shari Lewis. No Sesame Street. And I couldn’t even find the clip from Louie.

– Everything I say is a lie. Space Ghost rules!

– David L. Ulin wrote a very interesting piece for the L.A. Times called The Story About Ping and the Invention of Nostalgia.

– If you’re curious about The Good Place podcast, just come right here.