6.21 The Comfort of the End of the World
A couple of weeks ago, I accidentally read a post-apocalyptic book and watched a post-apocalyptic movie in the same week, and I decided I needed to talk about them.
6.04 Station Eleven
It took me three years before I felt ready to read a book about a pandemic. After much recommendation, from both during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and afterwards, I read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
6.02 Taylor Swift’s Literary World
With Taylor Swift currently on her epic Eras Tour, I thought it was a great opportunity to revisit Swift’s oeuvre.
5.13 The Snake Pit, 1946
Have you ever stumbled upon a book that brought so much more to your life than you first expected? That’s what happened to me with The Snake Pit, a 1946 novel I found in a second-hand bookstore in Vancouver.
5.09 Beauty and the Beast: In the Eye of the Beholder
Beauties and Beasts have been falling in love all throughout mythology and folklore, but what makes Disney’s 1991 adaptation such a fan-favourite?
5.06 Anatomy of a 90s Literary Teen Movie Adaptation
But what makes these teen flix based on classic lit so special? Why was there such a boom in this genre in the 90s? This episode we’re looking at the anatomy of a 90s literary teen movie adaptation.
5.3 Sleeping Beauty: Waking From the Dream
This week I’m reviving an old series on the podcast and talking about everyone’s favourite finger-pricking princess: Sleeping Beauty.
5.1 Why You Should Be Critical of the Things You Love
Welcome to season 5 of The Community Library! I’m your host, Angourie Rice, and I am so delighted to see returning listeners, and overjoyed to see new listeners, too! This episode is exactly what it says on the tin: a few reasons why I think it’s important to be critical of the media you love.
4.19 Green Light: Gatsby and Lorde
Lorde’s song Green Light is not about the infamous green light featured in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby … So then why do so many people think it is? In this week’s audio essay, I analyse and compare the green lights in both Green Light and The Great Gatsby. I try to understand why, like Gatsby, artists and audiences keep coming back to the green light.
4.7 "But That's the Point"
Why do I hate the phrase “But that’s the point?” In this short essay-style episode, I unpack the anatomy of this phrase, its use, and why it should forever be banned. Not to be dramatic.
4.4 What do Shakespeare and Taylor Swift Have in Common?
What’s a 400-year-old poem got to do with a 2012 breakup song? Well, more than you might think … This week I critically analyse and compare Shakespeare’s Sonnet 35 and Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble. I discuss iambic pentameter, double standards, and the importance of analysing our pop culture.
3.21 Reading Like Marilyn Monroe for a Month
Turns out books, not diamonds, are a girl’s best friend. Marilyn Monroe: actress, singer, blonde bombshell, and … avid reader. In 1999, Marilyn Monroe’s personal library was auctioned, and in 2010 the list of books was published online.
3.7 Cinderella: Glass Ceilings and Slippers
This is the second episode in a series on fairy tales and Disney Princesses. This week I’m talking all about that day-dreaming, dainty-footed Cinderella! I discuss the ancient history of the Cinderella story, why dreams are more powerful than hopes, and if Cinderella is actually our unsung feminist heroine.
3.6 Snow White: Grimm Beginnings
This is the first episode in a series on fairy tales and Disney Princesses. This week I’m talking about everyone’s favourite unpaid housekeeper, Snow White. I discuss the history of the Walt Disney Company, Snow White’s positive attitude, and why the Evil Queen might not be as evil as you think. This whole episode is basically a feminist rant, so buckle up, kids!
3.3 I Read 22 Sonnets in 22 Days
Welcome back to The Community Library! Since Melbourne is still in lockdown, and I have nothing better to do, I decided to read one Shakespearean sonnet every day for twenty-two days. And then … I wrote my own.
3.1 Choosing Between What is Right and What is Easy: Discussing J. K. Rowling
In light of J. K. Rowling’s recent transphobic comments, this week I’m tackling a big question: can we separate the art from the artist?
2.5 "Totally Buggin'!" Jane Austen's Emma and Clueless (pt. 2)
Welcome back to part 2 of my discussion of Jane Austen’s Emma and the 1995 modern film adaptation Clueless. In this episode I talk about privilege and class, the issue of Josh being Cher’s ex-step-brother, and why Elton is actually the WORST.
2.4 "Ugh, As If!" Jane Austen's Emma and Clueless (pt. 1)
This week I’m talking about one of my favourite novels and one of my favourite movies: Emma by Jane Austen, and Clueless (1995). I talk about why Emma/Cher is so likable, how high society is just like high school, and why Cher and Josh are more compatible than Emma and Mr Knightley.
1.9 What Taylor Swift and Robert Browning Have in Common
I’m very excited to bring you this week’s episode, which is all about pop/country icon Taylor Swift and mid-19th-century poet Robert Browning. In this episode I discuss the parallels between Browning’s 1842 poem My Last Duchess and Swift’s 2014 hit Blank Space.