790 Madness and Myth (with Natasha Joukovsky) | My Last Book with Kimberly Lau

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

History, Arts, Books

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2026

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What happens when an abnormally average man is suddenly on a path to greatness, as his picks in the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament start panning out? Will he predict a perfect bracket, capturing the billion-dollar prize? And what will this mean for the women in his life--including the Cassandra who saw it coming? In this episode, Jacke talks to novelist Natasha Joukovsky about March Madness, Greek myths, the mediocrities who roam the streets of Washington, D.C., and her new book Medium Rare, which combines all of the above. PLUS Kimberly Lau (Specters of the Marvelous: Race and the Development of the European Fairy Tale) stops by to discuss her choice for the last book she will ever read. AND Jacke finds some inner truth on a train platform. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglomerate Network and Lit Hub Radio.
0:09.0	Hello, do you ever wish you could step away from the noise of the world for a little while?
0:13.8	Stories from the Village of Nothing Much takes you there. Each episode invites you into the village,
0:19.9	a soothing place where life moves gently.
0:22.7	From the Inn on the Lake to the downtown bookshop, from the farmer's market to a cabin in the
0:27.4	woods, you'll hear warm, family-friendly stories designed to help you slow down, breathe easier,
0:33.8	and feel at home. It's a bit like a grown-up version of Mr. Rogers' neighborhood,
0:38.6	gentle, thoughtful, and full of everyday magic. From the creator of the internationally
0:43.4	beloved podcast, Nothing Much Happens. This series expands the village into a rich, ongoing world.
0:50.4	It's not about falling asleep. It's about comfort, calm, and the joy of a good story.
0:56.7	If you're new, try episode 84, all-animal edition.
1:00.3	It's a delightful introduction to the village's gentle pace and whimsy.
1:04.8	You can listen to stories from the village of Nothing Much wherever you get your podcasts.
1:26.7	Music nothing much wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, a mediocre man on a quest for greatness, thanks to the NCAA men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, a perfect bracket, correctly guessing the results of 63 games with a billion dollar prize hanging in the balance. Is this Icarus flying toward the
1:47.6	sun? And will his wax wings melt? I talked to novelist Natasha Jukovsky about madness and
1:56.0	myth, writing novels, and the abnormally intensely average men of Washington, D.C.
2:02.8	Plus, we'll hear about an epiphany I had while everyone else ran for the train,
2:08.3	speaking of intensely average men of Washington, D.C., and we hear from Kimberly Lau,
2:14.6	expert in European fairy tales, who stops by to discuss her choice for the last
2:20.0	book she will ever read. Will it be a fairy tale? Spoiler alert, maybe and maybe not. That's all coming up
2:28.7	today on the history of literature.
2:46.2	Okay, here we go. Welcome to the podcast. I'm Jack Wilson. I'm very glad you're here.
	...

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