In this episode, Anna Deem, a high school English teacher in Chicago, and I discuss how seasons of life change our reading habits, her love of poetry, and our definitive shared overrated book. We also discuss the influence of the Beat generation on her writing and end with some excellent recommendations for books she enjoys with her 4-year-old daughter.

Books mentioned in this episode:

What Betsy’s reading:

Dune by Frank Herbert

The Nix by Nathan Hill

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina

Books Highlighted by Anna:

The Stranger by Albert Camus

Native Son by Richard Wright

The Crown Ain’t Worth Much by Hanif Abdurraqib

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, Jr.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Just Kids: An Autobiography by Patti Smith

Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann

Howl by Alan Ginsberg

Other Books Mentioned in the Episode:

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.

Fast Times and Ridgemont High by Cameron Crowe (out of print)

The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman

Junky by William S. Burroughs

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Promises of Gold by José Olivarez

The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop edited by Kevin Coval, Quraysh Ali Lansana, and Nate Marshall

Selected Poems of Anne Sexton by Anne Sexton

The Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath

Very Good Hats by Emma Straub and Blanca Gómez

Dress-Up Day by Blanca Gómez

Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography by Wendy Loggia and Elisa Chavarri