Reading in the Age of Monsters 001: Introductions, and Mark Fisher

Reading in the Time of Monsters

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Reading in the Age of Monsters 001: Introductions, and Mark Fisher

Peter Berard

Jan 13, 2023

This is the first episode of Reading in the Age of Monsters podcast, a book criticism podcast. Let’s do some criticism that doesn’t suck. Mark Fisher wrote some criticism that didn’t suck, analyzing the culture of late capitalism with acuity. But his work and his image have been absorbed into a sphere of online discourse that fetishizes the depression, helplessness, and passivity Fisher knew well and lamented.

I admit to amateurishness in the recording. It might get better, but I admit it is not the highest priority. I had a smoother first version, actually, but recorded it without turning my mic on, like a dummy.

Find more of my work at Melendy Avenue Review.

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Reading in the Time of Monsters

The old world is dying; the new one cannot be born; now is the time of monsters. What better time to read, and read seriously? Every pedant on the internet thinks they're a critic because they have cultural preferences and their various streaming and social media services encourage them to state these preferences in little boxes. But some of us think criticism is something more. We know that criticism implies a way of being- a rejection of complacence, a dedication to searching high, low, and in between for insight and perspective, a constant development of the critical toolkit. Not only does that way of being point towards a better existence, but it also makes for criticism that's more fun to read. That's the gambit of this podcast- that there's an audience for something other than same-same mediocrity and parasocial agreement-clubs.

There should be one free episode a month. There will be another for people who become Citizens by subscribing at the Citizen (or Chieftain!) level at Melendy Avenue Review. MAR includes numerous text reviews a month, various life updates and guest posts, cute cat pictures, etc.

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