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This week, Fresta is solo hosting again, and is joined by M A C ⭐️ to talk about his short story “John the Rock”, published on Rare Candy. They also discuss Denis Johnson’s short story collection, Jesus’ Son, music, drugs and degeneracy and much more. Music: Heroin by Heavy Body Follow Mac on Substack: https://substack.com/@bigmacmccarthy Follow Mac on X: https://x.com/polished_steel Listen to Mac’s music here: https://heavybody.bandcamp.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Sini goes to the pub with writer and literary critic Isaac Beach to talk about a range of things. Everything from the state of literature, the Ausnaissance on Substack, Australian literary criticism, who he could beat in a fight, as well as his piece on the recent Miles Franklin Award winner, Fierceland by Omar Musa. Check out Isaac’s writing here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

Fresta is joined by returning guest Ryan Simón (EIC of American Vulgaria and Ristuko) to discuss comedian Louis C.K.’s debut novel, Ingram, a picaresque of surprising literary quality. This episode, like the rambling narrative of Louis’ novel, covers many topics, from trans karaoke to Kmart and Southern Gothic. A great conversation! Check out American Vulgaria here: https://americanvulgaria.substack.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

Felix McNamara joins us to discuss his epic poem, Atrocities, which is assembled from the discursive rubble of the 21st century to build something new. We talk about a lot of different topics orbiting and intersecting the poem, including Fukuyama’s End of History, liberal aesthetics or lack thereof, the limits of nostalgia, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Norm McDonald as mythic figures. We also discuss some highlights from our recent reading night in Melbourne. Buy Atrocities here: https://www.hyperideanpress.com/shop/p/atrocities-by-felix-mcnamara or here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Atrocities-Felix-McNamara/dp/1918783020/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ysCbUoi5mPPuTIkTl_mtArE0K14oGKbEVsuL0Jin9jw.3TLgN54aO4aWSOe9YQH_KdFILVNOlwMYH_z7gRnxKZE&dib_tag=se&qid=1787974685&refinements=p_27%3AFelix+McNamara&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Felix+McNamara or here: https://verdur.in/store/atrocities-by-felix-mcnamara/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we’re talking about D.H. Lawrence’s The Fox, a brilliant, taut novella about two women in post-war England trying to make a go of it on a farm, who are menaced by a fox and a soldier returned from combat. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we’re joined by Lewis Woolston, author of the short story collections The Last Free Man, Remembering the Dead, and the topic of our discussion in this episode—The Everlasting. We chat about short story writing, the process, forming a collection, place and literature, religion, and the marginal versus the mainstream in current literary culture. A great discussion with one of Australia’s best. Purchase The Everlasting here: https://tinyurl.com/3h2b4uus This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we discuss the recently departed Australian author, David Malouf. Specifically, his book Remembering Babylon, a strange novel that starts out with a castaway British boy being raised by Aboriginal Australians, and unfurls into something much more mysterious and enigmatic. We talk about historical fiction, how Australian racial history has been Americanised, as well as how colonial history in Australia is often framed (spoiler alert: too often, it is boring!). As mentioned in this episode, Fresta is selling some records on ebay if you want to take a look: https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/bukhgalter?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=sYVxtJU5TYu&sssrc=4675625&ssuid=sYVxtJU5TYu&stype=1&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Also referenced in this episode, Jack Norman’s (THINGOL on Substack) new short story, which also touches on similar themes to Malouf’s work: https://theboroughpoetry.com/2026/06/21/moonlight-upon-our-given-fates/ Paid subscribers now have two options. You can support us either on Substack (here) or on Patreon (here) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we’re joined by Substack essayist, thinker, and fellow Australian Russell Walter who is also host of The Chudstack Review podcast. We talk about his essay on why LARPing (live action role playing) is important and Good Actually, as well as the idea of “quixotic hero”, an archetype that we need in these troubled times. Read Russell’s LARPing essay here. This is a free episode. But Getting Lit listeners now have several options to support the show. You can subscribe on Substack here or Patreon here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

Last year, Sini uploaded an episode to the paid feed of his personal Substack podcast, New Mythologies, discussing the oft-mentioned "literary man." Joining him? Glen from Rare Candy, as well as writers J David Osborne and Kelby Losack. This week, we are resharing it for free with Getting Lit listeners. Matt, Glen, JDO and Kelby have an exhaustive discussion about the “where are all the literary men?” thinkpieces, male reading habits, what to do if you’re a male writer, why “right wing art” is often a bad alternative, and much more. Time to put this narrative to bed and start reading and writing, my friends! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

To celebrate Easter, we have unlocked our paid episode on Eugene Vodolazkin's Laurus. To access the full archive of episodes and special Back Matter aftershows, got to patreon.com/GettingLit. This week, we're joined by Brisbane musician and composer, Stevan, to talk about Eugene Vodolazkin's novel Laurus. A strange, luminous novel that follows a 15th-century Russian healer whose life unfolds as a kind of spiritual journey through time, grief, and redemption. This was a fantastic, wide-ranging discussion on everything from music to holy fools, to our concept of time, as well as icons in Eastern Orthodoxy, and much more. Follow Stevan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.t.e.b.a.h/ Check out Stevan's label here: https://aktuelan-label.bandcamp.com/album/172?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio Music: "fugue (shedding)" by sone This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

Brad Kelly joins us once again to talk about and around his new novel, The Earthen Dark. We discuss why men loves holes in the ground, writing about jobs, why humans are so obsessed with underground, MFA writing, "literary men" and much more. Buy The Earthen Dark here: https://www.amazon.com/Earthen-Dark-Brad-Kelly/dp/B0GF67226L And follow Brad on X: https://x.com/bradkelly And Substack: https://bradkellyesque.substack.com/ "Disgraced anthropology professor Jim Murray has been drawn into the dark. Ousted from his career by the algorithm and mob rule, desperate for money, he joins a shabby crew of repairmen working in the tunnels beneath the City of Detroit. They say their job is to keep the earth from falling in. One day, waist-deep in the filth, they stumble upon an ancient secret and soon discover that the city above them is no longer home. In time, the sewer will show Jim worlds far stranger: a landscape scourged by fire and insanity, a dystopia ruled by a mad god...To find his way through the labyrinth will prove to be a brutal test of his soul—and a penetration into the nature of reality." This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This episode, Ivan Niccolai joins us to talk about his short story collection, Like You Have a Choice. We chat about growing up in a cult, Melbourne, wogs, luxury beliefs, the unfiltered earnestness of open mic nights, loving where you lay your hat, writing craft and much more. Buy Ivan's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Like-have-choice-Ivan-Niccolai/dp/B0FLTHP5MV Follow Ivan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artificial_authenticities/ This is a free episode. On the free feed, you're only getting half the content. To get access to all our episodes, bonus shows, and other exclusive benefits, go to https://www.patreon.com/c/GettingLit This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This is a preview. To get the full version of this episode and access to subscriber-only content, go to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/GettingLit This week, we're covering what T.S. Eliot called "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels." And who better to join us than self-confessed detective fiction fanboy, Alec Mouhibian, of Filthy Armenian Adventures podcast. We discuss detective fiction's enduring appeal, the sensation novel, Wilkie Collins' bromance with Charles Dickens, the joys of the long sentence, and much more. Subscribe to Alec's podcast: https://www.patreon.com/filthyarmenian Follow him on X: https://x.com/FilthyArmenian This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This is a preview. To get the full version of this episode and access to subscriber-only content, go to https://www.patreon.com/c/GettingLit This episode, we are joined by former guests and friend of the pod, Erik and Mac, to talk about Don Delillo's 1985 novel, White Noise. Follow Erik on X: https://x.com/catenjoyer81 Follow Mac on X: https://x.com/polished_steel This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Sini is joined by Amir Naaman and Pierre d'Alancaisez, editors of the new anthology Inversion, a book of essays about the current state of the homosexual. We talk about the sexual revolution's aftermath, gay vs queer culture, the lack of "telos" in homosexual, as well as why gays, once bearers of art and culture, seem to be flopping hard in that regard. Buy Inversion here: https://verdur.in/inversion/ Follow Amir: https://x.com/amir_naaman Follow Pierre: https://x.com/verdur_in Verdurin: https://verdur.in/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newmythologies.substack.com/subscribe