Backlisted Podcast: Season 3 Prequel - New Books, Old Books, and Wilderness Vigils

Backlisted Season 3 and 10th Anniversary

• 🎙️ The podcast "Backlisted" is launching its third season, coinciding with its tenth anniversary year.
• 💡 This episode serves as a prequel and recap before the new season officially begins next week.
• 🎉 The hosts express gratitude for nearly a decade of podcasting and hint at special plans for the anniversary.

Featured Books and Discussions

• 📚 "Enlightenment" by Sarah Perry is discussed as a novel exploring the complex challenge of religious faith, featuring a journalist fascinated by astronomy and a young goddaughter from a strict religious household. It's praised for its blend of contemporary fiction with historical subplots and its handling of faith and science.
• 🎶 Paul Clayton's "Whailing and Sailing Songs from the Days of Moby Dick" is presented as a 68-year-old, still-sealed LP that inspired discussions on folk music, Herman Melville, and Bob Dylan's influences.
• 🕵️ George Markstein's thriller "The Cooler" is highlighted as a rediscovered gem, a gripping Cold War-era novel that served as inspiration for the TV series "The Prisoner" and is now republished.
• 🇺🇦 "I Will Die in a Foreign Land" by Kalani Pickhart is explored as a novel set during the 2014 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, weaving together multiple perspectives and historical events to provide context for the ongoing conflict.
• 📖 Sam Leith's "The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading" is lauded as an important work examining the history of children's literature and its connection to the evolving concept of childhood, featuring essays on various authors and themes.

Personal Reflections and Experiences

• 🌲 John shares his experience of a four-day wilderness vigil in Dartmoor, involving solitude, no food, and minimal shelter, reflecting on the profound impact of disconnecting from daily distractions.
• 🎶 Nikki recounts attending a concert by The Lemon Twigs, who paid tribute to Liverpool legends by playing songs by Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Beatles.

Upcoming Backlisted Episodes

• 🗓️ The podcast announces upcoming episodes featuring "Her First American" by Lorrie Sagal, "The Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler (with a live recording event), "Nico Songs They Never Play on the Radio" by James Young, and a special Halloween episode.