Host Dr. Barbara Tucker welcomes Dr. Forrest Blackbourn for a lively exploration of one of his favorite novels, Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Their conversation traces the novel’s layered narrative, from the shadow of Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship to the Dominican diaspora in New Jersey. Blackbourn examines themes of fukú and zafa, hypermasculinity, race, and the reclamation of Blackness, while highlighting Díaz’s inventive footnotes and genre-bending style. Together, they consider why Oscar’s tragic story is also “wondrous,” and how literature helps students confront history, identity, and belonging across cultures and generations.

Barbara Tucker’s website:

www.barbaragrahamtucker.net

The show’s GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/manage/keep-our-nonprofit-podcast-alive

Dr. Jennifer Randall, Professor of English at Dalton State College, joins Barbara to provide insight into the value of the world’s foundational philosophical work, Plato’s Republic. Find out why this 2400-year-old book is relevant in today’s world. It’s a lively discussion!

Barbara Tucker’s website:

www.barbaragrahamtucker.net

The show’s GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/manage/keep-our-nonprofit-podcast-alive

Here Barbara lets her opinions be known about the writers she considers the guiding stars. Trigger warning: She may not like the popular ones!