The Pens and Poison Podcast

The Gothic and the Existential | Sasha Zeiger | The Pens and Poison Podcast EP 12

Welcome back to the Pens and Poison Podcast! This is not your ordinary literature podcast. Join me as I explore the state of humanities education, the publishing industry, and the literary world at large through a series of spicy interviews, hot takes, and literary ramblings. On today’s episode, we talk to Sasha Zeiger, a Philadelphia-based novelist and marketing strategist with a background in philosophy. We discuss everything gothic and existential, with a deep dive into Camus, de Beauvoir, and the writing that makes us human. Sasha is the self-published author of The Tower of Theo and is currently writing her second novel, a gothic historical murder mystery set in 1888 Philadelphia. Her work explores existentialism, moral ambiguity, and truth as subjectivity. Passionate about promoting public philosophical discourse, Sasha aims to make complex ideas accessible through fiction, essays, and conversations that invite readers to question who they are and why.

Can Literature Save Us from Bad Political Ideas? | Ricardo Lugo | The Pens and Poison Podcast EP 11

Welcome back to the Pens and Poison Podcast! This is not your ordinary literature podcast. Join me as I explore the state of humanities education, the publishing industry, and the literary world at large through a series of spicy interviews, hot takes, and literary ramblings. On today’s episode, we talk to Ricardo Lugo, the founder of Bibliotecando, a platform that explores literature and cultural criticism. We discuss the evolution of Lugo's platform, his favorite authors, the challenges of translation, and the intersection of literature with political realities. Our conversation explores the flaws of utopian ideals, the role of competition in human nature, and the importance of slowing down in a fast-paced world.

College, Writing, AI—Oh, My! | Peter Biles | The Pens and Poison Podcast EP 9

Welcome back to the Pens and Poison Podcast! This is not your ordinary literature podcast. Join me as I explore the state of humanities education, the publishing industry, and the literary world at large through a series of spicy interviews, hot takes, and literary ramblings. On today’s episode, I talked to Peter Biles, the author of the short story collection Last November. His writing has been featured in Plough, The Gospel Coalition, Dappled Things, and several others. He writes a Substack called Battle the Bard.

Education & Publishing | The Librarian of Celaeno | The Pens and Poison Podcast EP 8

Welcome back to the Pens and Poison Podcast! This is not your ordinary literature podcast. Join me as I explore the state of humanities education, the publishing industry, and the literary world at large through a series of spicy interviews, hot takes, and literary ramblings. On today’s episode, I talked to the Librarian of Celaeno, who writes the Substack The Library of Celaeno. Join us for an insightful conversation on education, publishing, and the state of reading as a whole.

Cancel Culture, Comedy, and Hot Literary Takes | Baz | The Pens and Poison Podcast EP 7

Welcome back to the Pens and Poison Podcast! This is not your ordinary literature podcast. Join me as I explore the state of humanities education, the publishing industry, and the literary world at large through a series of spicy interviews, hot takes, and literary ramblings. On today’s episode, I spoke to Baz, the founder of The Split Ticket Substack (not to be confused with the Split Ticket WAR Numbers site), a politics Substack read by more than 17,000 subscribers craving analysis that refuses to toe either party line. A former FAANG software engineer and self-confessed polling obsessive, Baz blends Bayesian stats, campaign history, and a healthy disdain for tribal punditry to reveal the structural forces really moving voters. Split Ticket publishes twice weekly “outside-the-echo-chamber” essays that puncture media narratives, challenge readers’ priors, and spark devil’s-advocate discussions across the spectrum.