Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch

Jaksot

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  The Seven Strings of the Lyre, by George Sand, and Craigellachie 13yo - Part 1 20.07.2026 1t 13min

  Michael and Ethan discuss The Seven Strings of the Lyre, by George Sand (also known as A Woman’s Version of the Faust Legend), while drinking Craigellachie 13yo Speyside Single Malt.. In this episode: The title of this play is annoying, not George Sand’s fault A lot about fan fiction GK Chesteron’s “A Defense of Penny Dreadfuls” Madame de Stael, by Maria Fairweather The point is not to win the argument, the point is to have the argument What’s a polite way of saying “knocked around like a hockey puck”? Narrowcasting: when we engage specifically with the “Half-Blood Prince” who marked up Michael’s copy That said, the notes are potentially extremely bad (or at least highly debateable) The ur-text Ethan is thinking of is the Nag Hammadi Library, whose original English translation was published in 1978 (so Ethan was at least 12 years wrong) Magnetism Next time Michael and Ethan will continue to discuss The Seven Strings of the Lyre, by George Sand! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  "The Little Mermaid," by Hans Christian Andersen, and Craigellachie 13yo 29.06.2026 1t 45min

  With special guests Kelsie, Hannah, and Jessica from the Reading Revisited podcast, Michael and Ethan discuss “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen, while drinking Craigellachie 13yo Speyside Single Malt.. In this episode: First and most important: NO SNITCHING There’s no rule that says you can’t mock husbands Talking about the end first Getting what you want vs. getting something better Devil’s Contract: The History of the Faustian Bargain, by Ed Simon Lowercase love vs. Uppercase Love Myths and the myths behind them Pride must suffer pain (mean) If the deal is today-only, walk away Potential uses for a mermaid’s tongue If you haven’t been reading fairy tales, they’re actually very nice Here’s one investigation into the alleged Einstein “read your children fairy tales” quote One version of the Children of Lir Andersen’s Fairy Tales as translated by Tiina Nunnelly There’s still no snitching Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss The Seven Strings of the Lyre, by George Sand! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Faust (film) by F. W. Murnau, and Tamdhu 12yo 15.06.2026 1t 29min

  Michael and Ethan discuss the 1926 silent film Faust by F. W. Murnau, while drinking Tamdhu 12yo Single Malt. In this episode: Quintessential film bro stuff Everything is political with a small p, but some things are political with a capital P (especially in cinema of the Weimar Republic) Faust is saved (spoilers) Silent film may be the only genre less subtle than the musical Ethan absolutely garbles a reference to Christopher Isherwood, partly by thinking he might be Herman Hesse. Isherwood was associated with Vedantic Hinduism and his novel Goodbye to Berlin was the basis for the musical Cabaret. Emil Jannings shade (deserved) Hitler’s Monsters, by Eric Kurlander In case it was unclear: Ethan didn’t want to be watching this film, even as he was watching this film All things are Star Trek (annoying) Michael makes an unacknowledged “jam” pun If you want to read along to our recurring unlistenable segment Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick, and Tamdhu 12yo, Part 2 11.05.2026 1t 27min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick, while drinking Tamdhu 12yo Single Malt.. In this episode: Caliban and the Witch, by Sylvia Federici Jack Faust is Goethe’s Faust and Marlowe’s Faust and a little bit Gounod’s Faust (which is also Goethe’s Faust) Faust goes from a disciple to Pontius Pilate in one paragraph What’s behind the door?????? (it doesn’t matter) The Star Trek-ification of Faust Faust decides he is God, something that always goes super well for everybody Interjections at random times from our special guest, Michael’s cat A fun triumvirate of epigraphs! (Including Jack the Ripper) Tap into Poetry Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss F.W. Murnau’s silent film, Faust! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.) In this episode: The End of History and the Last Man (wiki page) A theory of threads and tatters Spoilers for Office Space and Fight Club, I guess Then We Came to the End… of history? Jack Faust was published in 1997, but it makes more sense as a 2026 novel Turns out, reducing other humans to instruments of pleasure is extremely dehumanizing Leaf, by Niggle, by JRR Tolkien Ethan fails to call Michael out for using Latin, but here’s the phrase he uses (nerd) Fiction writers across the board agree: don’t try to make yourself God Speech from The Great Dictator Tap into Poetry Next time Michael and Ethan will continue discuss Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick, and Tamdhu 12yo, Part 1 28.04.2026 1t 19min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick, while drinking Tamdhu 12yo Single Malt.. In this episode: The End of History and the Last Man (wiki page) A theory of threads and tatters Spoilers for Office Space and Fight Club, I guess Then We Came to the End… of history? Jack Faust was published in 1997, but it makes more sense as a 2026 novel Turns out, reducing other humans to instruments of pleasure is extremely dehumanizing Leaf, by Niggle, by JRR Tolkien Ethan fails to call Michael out for using Latin, but here’s the phrase he uses (nerd) Fiction writers across the board agree: don’t try to make yourself God Speech from The Great Dictator Tap into Poetry Next time Michael and Ethan will continue discuss Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day, by Jonathan L Howard, and Tamdhu 12yo 15.04.2026 1t 31min

  Michael and Ethan discuss the short story “Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day,” by Jonathan Howard, while drinking Tamdhu 12yo Single Malt.. In this episode: Shout-out to Jamie from the Chanhassen Total Wine Very interesting Bluetooth headphone talk A short story is somewhere between a tweet and a novel, but closer to a tweet Putting the screws to Michael Faust both is and is not a necromancer Cabal both is and is not a D&D figure What is a homunculus? or, Ethan is Frankenstein(‘s monster)ed by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Fantasy Autism Hero Mr Spock is the Star Trek guy, not Dr Spock, a distinction you need and Ethan doesn’t Some remarks on “chatty” prose styles and TV writing Inevitable Lovecraft discussion, sorry Conclusion: TV writing predates TV A third-person narrator can have an opinion (and a D&D alignment) Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss Jack Faust, by Michael Swanwick! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Things That Are Also Faust 23.03.2026 1t 58min

  What makes a Faust story? Michael, Ethan, and special guests Josiah & Jacob discuss this ontological question and all things Faust in this special episode. In this episode: Michael begins confrontationally. Is this episode Faust? Is this podcast Faust? Ethan is NOT in Law School. Is capitalism Faust? The Bible is inevitable. Josiah brought it up. Totally. It was Josiah. He's very smart. The Josian Anti-Faust idea (C) 2026. Demon, Helen, Margaret - Where are the lines of demarcation between them? Two questions: 1) What are you willing to sacrifice [to get what you want; and is it your very soul]? 2) What do you worship? (Josiah came up with the smart thing again. (C) 2026.) What you worship you will sacrifice. Ethan cheats with Wikipedia. Vein. American Faust: do we win? (Sorry for the Beetlejuice summoning.) If it looks like an exchange but is a gift, it's grace. If it looks like a gift but is an exchange, it's vampi-- Faust. When you're having night terrors, fart in the Devil's face and confess the Apostles' Creed. Shout-out to Reading Revisited! Every time he comes on this podcast, Jacob makes it a different podcast and/or a deal we need to wiggle out of. There are other things in Detroit other than Eminem. Let it be known, we can be charitable to a garbage fire. The answer is a tautology. Or cake. Here's each work we discuss: Is it Faust? The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton: Is it Faust? The book of Job: Is it Faust? It's A Wonderful Life: Is it Anti-Faust? Is it Faust? Jesus tempted in the desert: Is it Faust? Is it Anti-Faust? Is Faust a fan-fiction of Jesus? Genesis 3: Is it the OG Faust? A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens: Is it Faust? Trust, by Hernan Diaz: Is it Faust? The Secret History, by Donna Tartt: Is it Faust? The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde: Is it Faust? "The Ballad of Reading Gaol," by Oscar Wilde: Is it Faust? Of One Blood, by Pauline Hopkins: Is it Faust? Hadestown, by Anaïs Mitchell: Is it Faust? Orpheus & Euridice: Is it [proto-]Faust? Dracula, by Bram Stoker: Is it Faust? Hades & Persephone: Is it Faust? Interview with the Vampire: Is it Faust? Underworld: Is it Faust? "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," by Charlie Daniels: Is it Faust? Robert Johnson: Is he Faust? O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Is it Faust? Oedipus: Is he Faust? Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke: Is it Faust? Devil's Advocate: Is it Faust? Beetlejuice: Is it Faust? Macbeth, by William Shakespeare: Is it Faust? The Waterboy: Is it Faust? Rick & Morty: Is it Faust? Doctor Who: Is it Faust? Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie: Is it Faust? Ghosts, S4E22-S5E1: Is it Faust? The Passenger, and Stella Maris, by Cormac McCarthy: Are they Faust? Previously featured on Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy: Is it Faust? Grimm's Fairy Tales, e.g. "The Devil's Sooty Brother," "Bearskin," "The Devil and His Grandmother," "The Gravemound," "The Peasant and the Devil," "Doctor Know-all," "The Spirit in the Bottle": Are they Faust? Irish Fairy Tales, and Russian Stories: Are they Faust? Luther throwing his inkwell at the Devil: Is it Faust? "The Little Mermaid," by Hans Christian Andersen: Is it Faust - WAIT, we'll talk about it later! "The Magic Thread": Is it Faust? Click: Is it Faust? The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare: Is it Faust? Breaking Bad: Is it Faust? Rapid(-ish) Fire: Fullmetal Alchemist "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," by Cage the Elephant Better Call Saul Melmoth the Wanderer, by Charles Maturin - WAIT, we might also talk about that later(?) It Follows The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Death Note "Button, Button," by Richard Matheson "The Monkey's Paw," by W.W. Jacobs The Third Man[, by Graham Greene] The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis That Hideous Strength, by C.S. Lewis The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis The Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe Hamlet, by William Shakespeare Love's Labours Lost, by William Shakespeare "Goblin Market," By Christina Rosetti Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones Paradise Lost, by John Milton The Tempest, by William Shakespeare "Calliope," by Neil Gaiman Ravelstein, by Saul Bellow Previously featured on Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch KPop Demon Hunters The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, by Laurence Sterne Previously featured on Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes Previously featured on Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley Liar, Liar Bruce Almighty Big Darby O'Gill and the Little People Phantom of the Opera[, by Gaston Leroux] "Alastor," by Percy Bysshe Shelley Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathanael Hawthorne Wittenberg, by David Davalos - DON'T BOTHER Stranger Things (especially Season 5) Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss “Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day,” by Jonathan L. Howard! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Opera de Lille's Gounod's Faust and Toki Suntory 09.03.2026 1t 38min

  Michael, Ethan, and special guest Josiah discuss Gounod’s opera Faust while drinking Suntory Toki Japanese whisky. In this episode: We watched Opera de Lille’s production of Gounod’s Faust This is a two-intermission opera Josiah’s favorite aria How sincere is Faust? (not a Romeo and Juliet discussion) Also not The Age of Innocence podcast However, it MIGHT be the “Tragedy of Marguerite” podcast Misinterpreting the plot to make it more interesting Did the devil make Faust do it, or did Faust make the devil do it? The Romantic Era in literature is from when Michael said to when Ethan said; the Romantic Era in music begins a couple decades before the date Ethan said Does Michael hate opera??? Next time Michael, Ethan, and Josiah (still/again!) will discuss the Gounod opera Faust! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  The Memory of Whiteness, by Kim Stanley Robinson, and Toki Suntory, Part 2 09.02.2026 1t 22min

  Michael, Ethan, and special guest Josiah discuss The Memory of Whiteness, by Kim Stanley Robinson while drinking Suntory Toki Japanese whisky. In this episode: The orchestra! Lots of tree stuff, also snake stuff and lizard stuff Curation vs collage vs other art stuff We GOTTA talk about the metadrama Vertumnus, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1591) (another trap for a date-pilled boy) At least two topological surnames All (or at least some) about Margaret College is the time when men become deterministic Margaret in this book is the scholars from Marlowe, Margaret from Goethe, Zeitblom from Mann, and also Horatio from Hamlet Two-thirds of this podcast think the book is an anime The score: 2 damned, 2 saved, 2 (????) (Enraging) Next time Michael, Ethan, and Josiah (still/again!) will discuss the Gounod opera Faust! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  The Memory of Whiteness, by Kim Stanley Robinson, and Toki Suntory, Part 1 26.01.2026 1t 10min

  Michael, Ethan, and special guest Josiah discuss The Memory of Whiteness, by Kim Stanley Robinson while drinking Suntory Toki Japanese whisky. In this episode: Accusations of cuckoo-bird-ery Is this book Faust? Is this book Alastor? Is Alastor Faust? Having a stroke, falling into a singularity: pretty much the same thing The Contexts of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Faust Translations, by Mathelinda Nabugodi Determinism leads to free will leads to determinism leads to free will, etc Have you ever heard of a piece of music starting with a prologue??? Ethan scoops Josiah, but at least he gives Josiah credit for it Lots of mountain stuff The music of the spheres? THAT’s provocative Ethan loses but is only called out for it the second time Nepenthe, the drug of forgetfulness Some extremely cool and not at all completely nerdy discussion of different types of genitive We are not doing any kind of linking or backgrounding of the punishment song. We’re all suffering together Note: Josiah did force the karaoke to go on MUCH longer, but the editors have cut it down purely for the sake of avoiding a copyright strike and for no other reason Next time Michael, Ethan, and Josiah will continue to discuss The Memory of Whiteness, by Kim Stanley Robinson! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  The Devil and Daniel Webster, by Stephen Vincent Benet, and Suntory Toki 12.01.2026 1t 33min

  Michael, Ethan, and special guest Jacob discuss the short story “The Devil and Tom Walker,” by Washington Irving, while drinking Suntory Toki Japanese whisky. In this episode: Is Michael the devil? What gives Benet the right? Pedestrian deals with the devil Faust scoreboard so far: 2 damned, 2 saved, 1 (?????) Honesty and deeper honesty God terms, devil terms, and Deadpool terms Rules, rules, we want more rules Hey hey we talk about the Monkees! (Also The Devil’s Advocate, The Simpsons, and, inevitably, Star Trek) “Little brothers should always let their older brothers go first.” - Book of Hezekiah 14:12 The Devil and Daniel Webster — 1941 film Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss The Memory of Whiteness, by Kim Stanley Robinson! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  The Devil and Tom Walker, by Washington Irving, and Suntory Toki 22.12.2025 1t 30min

  Michael, Ethan, and special guest Jacob discuss the short story “The Devil and Tom Walker,” by Washington Irving, while drinking Suntory Toki Japanese (gasp!) whisky. In this episode: A not-too-presumptuous new rule The Devil belongs in America American mythology creating arbitrary exclusions and inclusions… who would have thought? Landscape as character Making up theories out of whole cloth Everyone should know that shortcuts will go badly for them It’s a Wonderful Life as Reverse Faust Con men, flim-flam artists, and bunko Public Universal Friend’s wikipedia page is worth reading “Charity begins at home” SOUNDS very pious Lots and lots of playing Telephone, it’s fine There’s nothing unique about the postmodernists God’s Philosophers, by James Hannam Next time Michael, Ethan, and special guest Jacob will discuss the short story "The Devil and Daniel Webster," by Stephen Vincent Benet! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Fools that Will Laugh on Earth,” by Benji Inniger, from the Original Soundtrack to The Spiritual Tragedy of Doctor Faustus "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann, and Jura 10yo, Part 4 08.12.2025 1t 33min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend, by Thomas Mann, while drinking Jura 10yo single malt. In this episode: We do start off this episode very, very similarly to how we started at least Part 3, if not also Part 2… sorry REALLY REALLY REALLY helpful: A Reader’s Guide to Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus, by Tobias Boes The Devil Is in the Details: Neurological Diseases Presenting as Religious Hallucinations in Two Literary Works, by Matheus Kahakura Franco Pedro, Thiago Ferreira Simões De Souza, Francisco Manoel Branco Germiniani Thomas Mann knows so many things AND can get so deep in the weeds (at least seemingly) When your hobbyhorse comes riding up, sometimes you just have to mount it We do get into the weeds on theology and with Latin and stuff, but for once it’s like straight from the text The devil’s objective may be the subjective On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder Hitler’s Monsters, by Eric Kurlander No one said “thank you” Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss the short story “The Devil and Tom Walker,” by Washington Irving! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Fools that Will Laugh on Earth,” by Benji Inniger, from the Original Soundtrack to The Spiritual Tragedy of Doctor Faustus "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann, and Jura 10yo, Part 3 24.11.2025 1t 11min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend, by Thomas Mann, while drinking Jura 10yo single malt. In this episode: REALLY REALLY REALLY helpful: A Reader’s Guide to Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus, by Tobias Boes There are at least two ways to assassinate someone with a piano Michael lies about his dogs Notes of realism The Devil Is in the Details: Neurological Diseases Presenting as Religious Hallucinations in Two Literary Works Gothic frames! Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act 1 Next time Michael and Ethan will continue to discuss Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Fools that Will Laugh on Earth,” by Benji Inniger, from the Original Soundtrack to The Spiritual Tragedy of Doctor Faustus "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann, and Jura 10yo, Part 2 13.11.2025 1t 6min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend, by Thomas Mann, while drinking Jura 10yo single malt. In this episode: REALLY REALLY REALLY helpful: A Reader’s Guide to Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus, by Tobias Boes Lots of baffling passages in this one, sorry Musical forms in 1930s Germany were political (a thing that never happens today, obvs) Conservatives vs conservatives, another thing with absolutely no echoes now Ambiguity that goes both ways The Courage to be, by Paul Tillich Vampire? “Explicit” -Michael VAMPIRE “De Profundis”/Psalm 130 Icarus is symbloic of Faust Next time Michael and Ethan will continue to discuss Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Fools that Will Laugh on Earth,” by Benji Inniger, from the Original Soundtrack to The Spiritual Tragedy of Doctor Faustus "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann, and Jura 10yo, Part 1 29.10.2025 1t 10min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend, by Thomas Mann, while drinking Jura 10yo single malt. In this episode: All digressions and fallings-apart are intentionally reflective of the novel under discussion and are not us doing a bad job Talking about books by talking about other books (aka, this is actually us reading Tristram Shandy for at least the third time) The narrator that gets in his own way One or more frame stories AND several meta-layers Lots about time, WWII, Germany, time, Germans, Nazis, and time (but not a lot that’s fun to make sassy bullet points about) In Marlowe, Faust is damned; in Goethe, Faust is saved; in Mann, Faust is(.) Next time Michael and Ethan will continue to discuss Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Fools that Will Laugh on Earth,” by Benji Inniger, from the Original Soundtrack to The Spiritual Tragedy of Doctor Faustus "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Kids Edition 15.10.2025 10min

  This episode is kid-friendly, and recorded by kids! Wyatt, Samuel, and Isabell share two poems and a short spooky story to bring you some Halloween fun! In this episode: “The Witches’ Song,” from Macbeth by William Shakespeare - read by Wyatt (6) “Jack-o’-Lantern Song,” from The Topaz Story Book: Stories and Legends of Autumn, Hallowe’en, and Thanksgiving - read by Samuel (6) “Golden-Rod and Purple Aster,” by Flora J. Cooke (adapted), read by Isabell (10) We’re in the midst of our “Year of Faust”: Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.) Cover art by Sarah Lilienthal
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  "The Mystery of the Semi-Detached," by Edith Nesbit, read by Sarah Lilienthal 13.10.2025 10min

  Continuing the release of spooky stories and poems from classic literature, read by the hosts and friends, this episode: The story “The Mystery of the Semi-Detached,” by Edith Nesbit. A young man in love sees the worst thing he could ever imagine - but was it what it seemed? Can he save those who seem marked by death? We’re in the midst of our “Year of Faust”: Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Eerie Village” by Arcane Anthems. Used by permission "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  "The Kraken," by Alfred Lord Tennsyon, read by Michael G. Lilienthal 01.10.2025 3min

  For the month of October, we’ll occasionally release some spooky stories and poems of classic literature, read by the hosts and friends. This episode: The poem “The Kraken,” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Drawing on imagery of the Leviathan from Scripture and other legends and mysteries, Tennyson draws a picture of the mythical Kraken which will sleep at the ocean floor until the world ends in fire. We’re in the midst of our “Year of Faust”: Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Guardian Spirit” by Arcane Anthems. Used by permission "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)
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  Faust Parts 1 & 2, by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, and Balvenie 12yo, Part 2 29.09.2025 1t 23min

  Michael and Ethan discuss Faust, by Goethe, both part 1 and 2, while drinking Balvenie Doublewood 12yo single malt. In this episode: Dynamic in a pastoral way Baffling talk of forms, mothers, material, and reality (and keys?) The Apocalypse has been happening since 1789 This is roughly what Ethan is talking about regarding courtly love In case the references to “Walpurgis Night” are confusing, this probably won’t help at all Goethe as both Enlightenment poet and Romantic poet Since when has this podcast gone in straight lines? Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht There is no striving in Elysium after drinking the waters of Lethe The GK Chesterton quote that Ethan mangles: “The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man.” Next time Michael and Ethan will discuss Doctor Faustus, by Thomas Mann! Join the discussion! Go to the Contact page and put "Scotch Talk" in the Subject line. We'd love to hear from you! And submit your homework at the Michael & Ethan in a Room with Scotch page. Join us on GoodReads! Get on our Substack! Donate to our Patreon! MUSIC & SFX: “Fools that Will Laugh on Earth,” by Benji Inniger, from the Original Soundtrack to The Spiritual Tragedy of Doctor Faustus "Kessy Swings Endless - (ID 349)" by Lobo Loco. Used by permission. "The Grim Reaper - II Presto" by Aitua. Used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. "Thinking It Over" by Lee Rosevere. Used under an Attribution License. (Links to books & products are affiliate links.)