Duck Town: Recent Episodes
Lodi Public Library
Alex, Emma, and John discuss two movies from 2024: the first chapter of Kevin Costner's movie Horizon and the third installment of the Quiet Place franchise called Quiet Place: Day One.
Alex and Emma talk about what's new, what they're reading, and then discuss the Esquire piece "Is It A Betrayal To Publish Dead Writers' Books" by Alex Belth.
Alex and Emily shine a light on what's going on in the library and behind the scenes in this crazy shelf life of ours. The topic this week: Why don't straight men read novels?
"If you know it in one podcast, it's legendary / What we thought was for all time was momentary"
Alex and John are back creating their individual playlists of Taylor Swift's latest album The Tortured Poets Department (2024). What are their favorite songs? What are the surprises? What are the cringiest lyrics? What do they choose and why?
0:30 to 4:00 -- Minnesota Vikings talk
4:00 to 34:00 -- Opening discussion about Taylor Swift
34:00 to end -- Playlists
Alex, Emily, and John discuss Christopher Nolan's 2023 movie Oppenheimer. They also discuss Taylor Swift's cultural omnipresence, Emily's ranking of the Jurassic Park franchise movies, the idea of "You Must Watch This..." as a future podcast theme, and the genre of science fiction.
Andrea and Emily discuss two albums of alternate rock band Death Cab for Cutie: Transatlanticism (2003) and Asphalt Meadows (2023). An episode 6 months in the making, they talk about these albums that are separated in time by 20 years but are connected by many themes. Topics include: our punk roots, the pandemic, the Beatles, glove compartments, and more!
Intro music: Bossa In My Heart by SergeQuadrado. Outro music: Life of a Wandering Wizard by SergeQuadrado.
Alex and Emily discuss two of the big movies released in 2023: The Killer (David Fincher) and Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese). They start the conversation with a short discussion of the band The Killers, and Alex gives a top 5 of songs with the word "Killer" in the title.
Music discussion at the start
"The Killer" discussion starts @ 11:00
"Killers of the Flower Moon" discussion starts @ 37:00
Vince Breunig and Bryan Bilse stop by the library to talk about the Lodi Pride Campaign, which aims to create a sense of unity around the wonderful things happening at the school and in the broader Lodi community. The theme this year is "Guardians of Lodi Pride" and it is the 10th anniversary of the pride campaign.
Vince Breunig is the District Administrator of Lodi and Bryan Bilse is the Project Coordinator with Lodi Community Action Team (LCAT).
Videos of past pride campaigns can be found on the school district Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LodiSchoolsWI
Alex, Andrea, Emily, and John share the meaningful songs of their lives in five year increments until the present day.
Andrea and Emily discuss The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)! Does it live up to the hype? Is it better than the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros.? Find out as they touch on topics of voice acting, story structure, adaptation, plumbing, and more.
Intro music: Bossa In My Heart by SergeQuadrado. Outro music: Life of a Wandering Wizard by SergeQuadrado.
Alex, Emily, and John discuss Iain Reid's psychological thriller I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS (2016).
What did you think the book was about when you first saw the title? Is the book funny? Is it frightening? What was your reaction to the end of the story? Are dramatic twists just storytelling gimmicks or do they add complexity to a story?
In addition to the book, Alex, Emily, and John chat about the Id, the Ego, and the Superego, as well as the ways that isolation impacts modern life.
"Monday, I'm all high
Get me out of FLA
In school, yeah
I fooled ya
Now I know I made a podcast"
Alex and John create individual playlists for Wilco's 1996 alt-country double album "Being There," discussing country music, Uncle Tupelo, unease with Tweedy's lyrics, and more!
Alex, Emily, and John discuss George Orwell's landmark fable ANIMAL FARM (1945).
Is the satirical allegorical novella funny? Does it secretly loathe the animals on the farm? What truth does it capture about life inside a totalitarian system?
In addition to the fable, Alex, Emily, and John chat about Louis Menand's character study essay about George Orwell that appeared in the New Yorker in 2003, entitled "Honest, Decent, Wrong." The last third of the pod touches on the negative influence of smart phones, digital photography vs. film photography, and Charlie Chaplin.
Not to be confused with Disney's Pinocchio (2022)! In this episode, Emily and Andrea discuss Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion masterpiece - a strong contender for Best Animated Film. You haven't seen Pinocchio quite like this, in a tale about free will, family, life, death, and hot chocolate.
Recommendations:
Uzumaki/Spiral into Horror by Junji Ito
Tomie by Junji Ito
Gyo/Fish by Junji Ito
No Longer Human by Junji Ito
Convenience Store Woman by Sakaya Murata
Metropolis (1927)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Intro music: Bossa In My Heart by SergeQuadrado. Outro music: Life of a Wandering Wizard by SergeQuadrado.
Andrea and Emily talk about the 1977 psychedelic Japanese horror film, House, which has gained a cult following for its unique visuals. They also talk about the differences between Japanese and Western horror and horror archetypes.
Recommendations:
Emma by Jane Austen
Why I Wake Early: New Poems by Mary Oliver
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Addams Family (1991)
Intro music: Bossa In My Heart by SergeQuadrado. Outro music: Life of a Wandering Wizard by SergeQuadrado.
Andrea and Emily talk about the animated mini-series Over the Garden Wall. It's a show full of autumn imagery and Americana that is sure to get you into the spooky spirit. We follow the adventures of the brothers Wirt and Greg and their friend Beatrice as they wander through the woods in The Unknown and encounter a town of pumpkin people, a riverboat frog band, a witch in the woods, and the beast of despair.
Grab an apple cider and join us as we discuss the themes and layered imagery of this funny and creepy show!
Recommendations:
The Stranger by Albert Camus
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen
SciShow Tangents podcast
Music throughout the episode is from Over the Garden Wall, performed by The Blasting Company. Outro music: Life of a Wandering Wizard by SergeQuadrado.
In light of the announced upcoming Super Mario movie, Andrea and Emily talk about the infamous 1993 film, Super Mario Bros! Critically and financially unsuccessful, this film has nonetheless gained a cult following. It's a wild, adventurous story about two brothers, plumbers, who fall into a gritty, alternate version of New York and have to save a princess.
Intro music: Kim Lightyear - Angel Eyes (Chiptune Edit) by Lightyeartraxx. Outro music: Life of a Wandering Wizard by SergeQuadrado.
We talk with Marian Buchanan about growing up on the farm, meeting her husband, dancing to their favorite tune, and much more!
Catherine Hochstein, who will soon turn 95, talks about growing up poor in a big family, shares memories of an influential person in her younger years, and much more!
We uncovered some lost audio from another discussion we had about Divided We Fall by David French, so we're releasing it a little belatedly as a part two! In this podcast Alex, Andrea, and Emily talk about how the community-wide read went, the challenges and benefits of leading book discussions, and how the library's Book Club is going.
In spring and early summer, the Lodi Library handed out 200 free copies of Divided We Fall by David French and then had Daniel Kapust, a political science professor from UW-Madison, present at the library. Afterwards, the group had lunch together and discussed the book.
Special thank you to Wisconsin Humanities and The Friends of Lodi Public Library for their support.
Media recommendations:
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Himawari House by Harmony Becker
The Penumbra Podcast
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
Peter Darling by Austin Chant
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Inky's Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? by Eric Powell
Alex and Emily discuss Albert Camus' landmark novella THE STRANGER. A writing style that is at times muted and reserved and other times profoundly poetic, this story has confounded and compelled readers since its release in 1942.
How does the book speak to our time and all times? Is the book funny? Why does Meursault do the things he does? Is he a sociopath? Is the book falling out of favor with today's readers and teachers? Listen and find out.
In spring and early summer, the Lodi Library handed out 200 free copies of Divided We Fall by David French and then had Daniel Kapust, a political science professor from UW-Madison, present at the library. Afterwards, the group had lunch together and discussed the book.
In this podcast, Alex, John, and Tori talk about how that all went, while also reflecting on last year's read. They also talk about the movies of 1995, and many other things.
Special thank you to Wisconsin Humanities and The Friends of Lodi Public Library for their support.
John, Andrea and Emily discuss legendary Japanese animator and storyteller, Hayao Miyazaki, and two of his visionary films: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Princess Mononoke (1997).
"Baby, I'm amazed at the way you podcast all the time
And maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you."
Alex and John discuss the individual Beatles albums of 1970 and draft songs from each album to make their own personal Beatles album of 1970.
"One more time on the podcast / One more time to be free."
Alex and John discuss The Clash and punk rock music before sharing their playlists for the 1980 triple album Sandinista!, released just one year after London Calling.
Opening conversation about The Clash and punk music 0:00-36:00
Sandinista playlists 36:01-93:00
Coda 93:01-END
"Guilty of being the God of Mischief? Yes. Guilty of finding this all incredibly tedious? Yes. Guilty of a crime against the Sacred Timeline? Absolutely not. You have the wrong podcast."
Lindsey, Emma, Jensen, and Becky dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to discuss the Disney TV miniseries' "WandaVision" and "Loki."
Produced by Becky Collyard
"You don't want to get mixed up with a podcast like me. I'm a loner, a rebel."
Lindsey, John, and Becky discuss three lesser-known "big" Tim Burton movies, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure," "Big Fish," and "Big Eyes."
"Why you no podcast? / Why you no even care?"
Alex is joined by Lindsey Meekhof and Emma VanderKooi to discuss the new HBO limited series "The White Lotus" and John Mayer's eighth full-length studio release "Sob Rock."
Intro - 0.00 to 1:09
The White Lotus - 1:10 to 43:00
Sob Rock - 43:01 to 01:39:30
Recommendations - 01:39:31 to 01:46:17
Lindsey: "Steam" by Leon Bridges
Emma: "Peaches" by Weston Estate / "You're the One" by Greta Van Fleet
Alex: "One Way to Go" by Cass McCombs
"Podcasts need three basic things in order to be content: they need to feel competent at what they do; they need to feel authentic in their lives; and they need to feel connected to others."
Alex, Jodi, and Laurie discuss Lodi's first Community-Wide Read of Sebastian Junger's book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. They reflect on the panel event in July, what went well and what might be done differently, and where things could go next.
"Podcasts don't mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary. it's time for that to end."
Alex, Becky, John, and Lindsey discuss Lodi's first Community-Wide Read of Sebastian Junger's book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. They reflect on the panel event in July, what went well and what might be done differently, and where things could go next.
00:00 - 03:14 Intro
03:15 - 54:00 Becky and John
54:12 - 1:28:00 - Lindsey
"But look, I made you a podcast. Daddy made you your favorite, open wide."
Alex is joined by Lindsey Meekhof and Emma VanderKooi to discuss two triumphant releases in May 2021: Bo Burnham's "Inside" and Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour."
Bo Burnham 00:00:30 - 1:04:13
Olivia Rodrigo: 1:04:14 - 1:43:49
End Show Recommendations: 1:43:50 - 1:50:59
END SHOW RECOMMENDATIONS:
Alex: "Traffic!" by Katy Kirby
Lindsey: "Hypotheticals" by Lake Street Drive
Emma: "Like the Movies" by Laufey
CONTACT US:
Website: lodipubliclibrary.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodiwipubliclibrary/
Email: staff@lodipubliclibrary.org
Produced by Alex Le Clair
"I won't be late for this, late for that, late for the podcast of my life."
John, Becky, and special guest Claire Schoenemann discuss the American folk rock band, The Lumineers, and make playlists out of their three albums: The Lumineers, Cleopatra, and III.
Produced by Becky Collyard
"Strange things are afoot at the Duck Town Podcast."
John and Becky discuss "The Mummy" and "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." They also delve into other things John hates and Becky loves...and vice versa.
Produced by Becky Collyard
"Lay down your money and you play your part / Every podcast has a hungry heart."
Alex and John talk about American music legend Bruce Springsteen. Then they make playlists out of The Boss's 1980 classic THE RIVER, using the official LP and the extra tracks released on 2016's THE TIES THAT BIND.
"Why a podcast, cousin? Why not an axe?"
"Because it's DULL you twit!"
Alex, Becky, and John discuss 1991's romantic adventure film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves."
"If you want to podcast, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
Alex, Becky, and John discuss two classic thrillers from 1991: Point Break and Silence of the Lambs.
Baby steps to the podcast feed.
Alex, Becky, Jodi, and John discuss two movies from 1991: The Fisher King and What About Bob?
Drive carefully and don't forget to fasten your podcast.
Alex, Becky, and John dive deeper into 1991 with a discussion of Sleeping With the Enemy and Father of the Bride.
I need your clothes, your boots, and your podcast.
Alex, Becky, and John kick off their series on the movies of 1991 with a discussion of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
We're doing good, we're on a new podcast. Been saying yes instead of no.
Alex, John, and guest Emma VanderKooi make playlists out of Taylor's Swift's two albums from 2020: Folklore and Evermore.
Never have we been a blue, calm sea. We have always been a podcast.
Alex and John discuss Fleetwood Mac's 1979 double album Tusk.
Why don't we do a music podcast in the road?
Alex and John discuss their history of listening to the Beatles and talk about their own playlisted versions of the White Album.
"It's people! The Duck Town podcast is made of people!"
Alex, Becky, and John talk about Soylent Green (1973) and Flash Gordon (1980) and discuss the essay "Notes on' Camp'" by Susan Sontag.
"This podcast means something. This is important."
Alex, John, and Becky discuss two movies about human encounters with aliens.
John's article "A Close Encounter of the Steam-Powered Kind" can be found here: https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wmh/id/52054.
Alex, Becky, and John give their choices for the 1990 Ducky Awards and pick the movies of 1991 that they will watch and discuss next.
"Yes, podcasts and podcasters, major league butt kicking is back in town!"
Alex, Becky, and John discuss the 1990 film version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They also decide the next year they're going to watch and discuss.
"Never let anyone tell you you're handicapped. You're...a podcaster."
Alex, Becky, and John discuss Edward Scissorhands and are joined by Jodi to discuss The Hunt for Red October.
01:09 discussion of Edward Scissorhands
34:52 discussion of The Hunt for Red October
“My father says that almost the whole world is a podcast. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are listening and they live in a state of constant total amazement.”
Alex, Becky, and John discuss the comedy adventure film Joe Versus the Volcano.
"Philosophy failed. Religion failed. Not it's up to podcasting."
Alex, Becky, and John discuss two movies about the afterlife: Flatliners and Ghost.
(0:49) Discussion of Flatliners
(29:50) Discussion of Ghost
"Broke into the wrong podcast studio, didn't you, you bastards?!"
Alex, Becky, and John discuss two movies about underground danger: Tremors and Pump Up the Volume.
Alex LeClair, Becky Collyard, and John Zimm talk about their memorable moviegoing experiences before drafting 8 movies from 1990 to watch and discuss on later shows.
"Plastic is a huge problem in our environment and world right now. We use so much of it every single day, knowing full well it isn't necessarily a good thing. But could it be?"
Hanna Heider breaks down plastic, examining what makes it so bad for the environment and what we're doing to fix it.
Kristi McMorris is the Executive Director of the Lodi & Lake Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce. We talk about how the Chamber supports the area businesses, the various events in Lodi, and how the pandemic has affected the community.
In late May 2020, Becky Collyard talked to Kayla Scott and Pastor Jacob Scott about life during the pandemic, both personally and profesionally. Kayla is an ICU nurse in Madison and Jacob is a pastor in a local church.
Meg Turville-Heitz is the grant program director and the "Beyond the Headlines" project manager for the Wisconsin Humanities Council. We talk to her to about managing the CARES grant program, what makes a good grant, and the different personalities of the different parts of the state of Wisconsin.
In the last 25 minutes we open the discussion to talk about the "Beyond the Headlines" project, the obstacles facing modern journalism, the perils of the internet, and the somewhat bleak outlook for the survival of local newspapers if something doesn't change.
"When an adolescent encounters a series of trauma that they later attempt to repress this can cause the brain to function in many different ways."
Kristin tells the story of Shirley Mason, Flora Rheta Schreiber, and Associative Identity Disorder.
"Did you know that in 2017, 38.4% of murders went unsolved?"
Samantha Mori tells the story of the DNA Doe Project, its founding and mission.
Louise Endres Moore talks about her book Alfred: The Quiet History of a World War II Infantryman. She shares stories of her father and the research process. She also reads an original essay for Father's Day.
Find more information about Louise's book at alfredthebook.com.
"Our early ancestors were hunters and gatherers. Finding the source of food meant their survival. But our earliest ancestors wielded nothing more than their will to live and their dependence on each other."
Brandon Grover tells the story of the runner's high, the mysterious sense of well-being that some runner's feel from the repetitive movement of running.
Alex talks to Brandon, Sam, and Julia about their memories of growing up in Lodi, their experiences during the lockdown, and what it's been like to plan for college in a such a strange time.
John Zimm talked to Cheryl in early May about the mannequins in her yard, living in Lodi, and her experiences with the lockdown.
“The vaccine created during the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak took 20 months to develop. This is even short compared to the 10-ish years for a normal vaccine.”
Melissa Burmeister tells the story of COVID-19 in its early days, describing what a coronavirus is, the symptoms of COVID-19, preventive measures that people can take, and more.
"Rogue waves are steep waves that appear to be walls of water, some over 100 feet tall."
Lacey Brooks tells a story of the Bermuda Triangle and the various theories that account for maritime disappearances.
"As of 2020, the Colorado River is the most overburdened river in the world."
Julia Wiessing tells the story of the Colorado River, its history, and its current environmental strain.
The students ask a question to people in their lives and then piece together the responses. An editing exercise full of life! DISCLAIMER: Not for kids.
We talk to Ann Groves Lloyd about her recent mayoral victory, her rich family history, her love for the french horn, and more!
Interview on May 7th, 2020.
We talk to John Zimm about his early experiences with the epidemic: walking his dog, the purchase that helped organize his home, a comically-dystopian idea for a novella, and more!
Interview on April 8th, 2020.
We talk to Laurie Gwynne about her early experiences with the epidemic: the worry, the relief, the dreams, and much more!
Interview on April 10th, 2020.
We talk to Delaney, Elijah, and Mae Collyard about their early experiences with the epidemic: the house arrangement for four siblings doing remote schooling, what they miss, the instruments around the house, and more!
Interview took place on April 9th, 2020.
We talk to Jodi Burgess about her early experiences with the epidemic: working an election during a pandemic, self-quarantining, new uses of sourdough, and more!
Interview on April 10th, 2020.
We talk to Becky Collyard about her early experiences with the epidemic: what it's like grocery shopping, what she sees outside in her neighborhood, Easter and religious services while under lockdown, and more!
Interview on April 9th, 2020.