The Proof is in the Pudding
Betsy Dunn on "The Pat Conroy Cookbook"
On the Pod This Week:
My mom is the reason I’m a reader. Some of my earliest memories are of trying to copy her by sitting next to her while she read on the couch in our little house in Palm Desert, holding up one of her books (probably a Danielle Steel) and pretending to read alongside her, long before I could actually read. She always encouraged us to read for just about any reason: to keep us out of her hair, to calm us down (I was a restless, nervous insomniac, even as a child) or to sneak some education in our brains. But more than that, my mom is the person who shares books with people just because she loves them and wants to talk about them. Many of my all-time favorite books come by way of my mom, who read them and then immediately pressed them into my hands, saying, “You have GOT to read this one…”
She surprised me by choosing to talk about a cookbook on the show. We’re both normally fiction junkies, but The Pat Conroy Cookbook made for a great chat. We talked about how we both cut our teeth on trashy novels and the joys of re-reading favorite books. She even spilled some tea about her book club!
It took some convincing to get mom on the podcast, and I’m so glad she did because it was a really fun talk. Maybe we can convince her to make this an annual tradition?
Show Notes:
Guest: Betsy Dunn
Discussed in this episode:
The Pat Conroy Cookbook by Pat Conroy
The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope (this is just one in a whole series of Bobbsey Twins adventures)
The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
The Great Santini by Pat Conroy
The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son by Pat Conroy
Beaufort, South Carolina really does look like a lovely town
Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home by Ina Garten
Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguingnon
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King
The Water is Wide: A Memoir by Pat Conroy
The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
Julie’s Current Read:
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Did y’all hear me and Erin Walker gush about TJ Klune books in last week’s episode? I decided to continue the fun and read this one. The back cover blurb calls it “A Man Called Ove” meets “The Good Place,” so it is silly and quirky and wise and made me laugh and sob my eyes out.
In other words, I am loving it.
Julie’s Current Listen:
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Still plugging through this one. I’ve sort of lost interest in the story, and have been wondering if maybe it’s time to quit? But then I saw a reel that hints at an upcoming aerial sex scene and - I’m sorry, what? So now I kinda want to finish it. For the sake of anatomical research, you understand.
Julie’s Current Obsession:
The Last of Us, Episode 3
OK, just HEAR ME OUT…
You already know I don’t do horror, so there must be a reason to recommend this one.
The Last of Us is an apocalyptic series based on a video game. (I know! Stay with me…) The zombies in this series are infected with a disease that creates a particular form of body horror that is my deepest, grossest, most nightmarish fear. When my kids and husband watched this show together, I’d shut myself in my bedroom with a nice book, and if I wandered out to the living room to refill my tea, they’d yell in unison, “MOM! DO. NOT. COME. OUT. HERE!”
But then I started hearing about Episode 3, “Long, Long, Time.” According to many writers I know, many cultural critics I read, and my own family, it was the single best episode of television ever. And then one night at dinner, I played Linda Rondstadt, and when “Long, Long Time” came on (possibly my favorite of all of her songs) Joe and the kids all gazed at each other with tears in their eyes.
I was informed that it was a capsule episode, not really related to the overall series narrative, and then it was decided amongst my Council of Protectors that I could, in fact, watch the episode as long as I skipped over the zombie parts. So the next night, when my bestie Denise was over, we watched together. And we cried.
My god, did we cry.
So let me tell you how to do it, if you don’t want to commit to the series but want to see a truly wonderful show: The series is about a guy (Pedro Pascal) who is helping a young girl, who is not his daughter, wander through the apocalypse. 1 At the beginning of the episode, they go gather supplies at a convenience store. This is the only part where you need to close your eyes if you are as scared as I am of gross things. There is a zombie hiding in the store and it is, according to my son, the most horrifying scene of the entire series. (!!)
But they get out of the store pretty quickly (I’d say within 10 minutes?) and then the plot pivots to tell the story of two residents of this abandoned town. My friends, I promise you it is absolutely stunning storytelling. On the surface it’s a zombie survival show. But this episode is a domestic drama, a love story, and a meditation about what is important in life, and what we ultimately want to stay alive for.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about it.
(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you shop using my affiliate link on Bookshop, a portion of your purchase will go to me, at no extra expense to you. Thank you for supporting indie bookstores and for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)
Fans of the game and/or show: Yes, I know there is a lot more to the story; no need to correct me. I don’t know much about the overall narrative but it’s not really necessary to enjoy this episode. This was the outline my kids gave me before I watched, and it was enough for me to love Episode 3 with every cell of my non-zombie self.