#217 | October 2024 Recap: A Literary Classic, How to ‘Act’, and Japanese Noir
episode SUMMARY:
Douglas Vigliotti recaps the month of October 2024, discussing the classic literary novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the pragmatic acting guide "True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor" by David Mamet, and the literary noir novel "The Rope Artist" by Fuminori Nakamura. With quick summaries, insights, and key quotes from the episodes, this recap is a great starter episode for new listeners and readers seeking inspiration. Good books await!
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Welcome back to “Books for Men”, a podcast to inspire more men to read and bring together men who do so as always, with these recap episodes, the first thing I like to do is send a big thank you to all of you, the listeners because, without you guys, this wouldn't be much fun. Although I don't get to chat with you, I know you're out there. This was actually the most downloaded and listened to month since I started the podcast, so I know it's not falling on deaf ears, and that makes me very, very appreciative and very, very excited. Also, I wanted to remind you that the best way for you to support this podcast is to click the subscribe button on whatever platform you listen to this on. So whether you are a first-time listener or a regular listener, it literally takes two seconds for you to do that, and it's the best way to get this show in front of new eyeballs and ears and in return, inspire more men to read.
(01:08)
And if you've got in you, of course, a little rate or review would be super helpful as well. And if you've been listening all month, then you've heard me drop in what I'm about to tell you at the top of each episode, and that is I have a new book coming out and it will be available November 29th, and it is titled “Aristotle for Novelist: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story”. And you can find more about that at AristotleforNovelists.com. In addition to that, here on the podcast, you'll be getting a heavy dose of Aristotle for novelists in the month of November. So each Monday I will be sharing some principles from the book, and I will walk through all of them by the end of the month. Ultimately, I think this will help you be a better reader, even if you are not a writer per se, or maybe it might inspire you to pick up the pen, which would be fantastic also.
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Alright, so now that I did some housekeeping, let's jump into the recap for the month of October 2024. It was a three-book month with two works of fiction and one work of nonfiction. The first episode was 214, “What Makes ‘The Great Gatsby’ the Great American Novel” In the episode, I discuss the acclaimed classic, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a story of the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and his pursuit of the elusive Daisy Buchanan and the American Dream. So tracing complexities of social class wealth and the very essence of the American spirit. This literary masterpiece remains a timeless testament to the allure and fragility of the human condition. A cautionary tale about the power of the stories we tell ourselves and we believe, and of course, I share more about the author and why many consider this the great American novel. So one of my favorite quotes from the book that I think gets at the essence of the American ethos is: “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.”
(03:30)
Episode 215 was titled “We're All Actors, No?—17 David Mamet Quotes That Will Make You Question Your ‘Role’ in Life”. In this episode, I dive into the pragmatic acting guide, “True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor” by David Mamet, and I share 17 essential quotes. Ultimately, I feel these quotes hold profound implications for anyone seeking to live more authentically and tap into their inner actor, or as the title suggests, we're all actors, right? So this episode and these quotes will deal with the true nature of performance both on the stage and in life. I think you'll discover how Mamet’s unorthodox, and hard-edged wisdom can transform the way you approach your role in the world with powerful lessons on honesty, courage, and the pitfalls of success. Just to name a few of the themes, one of my favorite quotes from the book is a direct blunt, hard-hitting one, and he says, “This ‘group’ that is judging you is not real; you invented it to make yourself feel less alone.”
(04:56)
So if that quote sparks some thoughts or provokes you, or maybe you just enjoy it, then you'll probably like the episode. As I mentioned in the episode, Mamet has been a major influence on my work in writing, and I think his advice on the creative life, in general, is one that should not be overlooked, even though it might be a little bit in your face and aggressive for some people, but such is reality. And this brings us to the final episode of the month. It was number 216, “Fuminori Nakamura: Subtle, Dark, Complex—Maybe the Most Underrated Author in America”. In the episode, I explore “The Rope Artist” by Fuminori Nakamura, an acclaimed Japanese author whose noir-tinged literary fiction delves into the underbelly of the human psyche. The episode delves into the author's lack of appeal in the United States, his distinctive minimalistic style, and most importantly, his powerful usage of metaphor.
(06:19)
And with this book, specifically, ropes as a symbol for tethering people to their past and struggles. All in all, Fuminori Nakamura combines the rarity of transgressive content with a more passive or subdue and subtle delivery making him for me, one of a kind author and undoubtedly an entire mood on the page. And one of my favorite quotes from the book is a very simple, bleak, exact two-line excerpt that does a good job of showing not only the author's sensibility but his style as a writer. “I had to get out of here fast. But if I wanted to get out of here, I could just leave.” I should mention that Nakamura is the first author who has been featured twice on this podcast, so that should say enough about how I feel about him and his work. Alright, so with that being said, if any of these episodes sounded interesting to you, I would definitely go back and listen to them because they dive into much greater detail about many of the things that I mentioned in this recap episode.
(07:42)
And of course, if you did enjoy it, please remember to click that subscribe button on whatever platform you're listening to this on or perhaps double down on that and leave a rating and a review because it's the best way that we could get this podcast in front of more people and in return, inspire more men to read. One thing I didn't mention at the top of the episode, but I'll mention here, is this podcast does have a corresponding newsletter that goes out at the end of every month and it just rounds up all of the episodes from that month complete with full book and author information, episode summaries, all of my favorite quotes and newsletter only book recommendations. You could sign up for that on the website BooksforMen.org. If you'd like to connect with me, you can on Instagram @DouglasVigliotti.
(08:31)
It's the only social media that I have, or by visiting my website, DouglasVigliotti.com. Lastly, if you'd like to check out some of my most recent work you can for free by listening to the podcast, “Slightly Crooked: Good Stories, Told Well”. Seasons one and two feature work by yours truly, “Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel”, and “mini heartbreaks (or, little poems about life)”. The link for that as well as my upcoming book, “Aristotle for Novelists”, will be in the show notes. Again, thank you so much for listening and if you want more on this podcast, you could always visit BooksforMen.org.
