Podcast
Literary Nomads
Hosted by Steve Chisnell · EN
Join me, Steve Chisnell, as we find and lose meaning across modern and classic tales, through ancient and distant verse, atop everything in our many cultures which might be read. For teachers, students, and lovers of reading, we will discover new paths to understanding!
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Bureaucracy of Erasure: Erdrich’s The Night Watchman
Feb 1300:51:41Tap to summarizeYour Interpretation is Colonial. When we turn Zen into a pop-culture vibe or a totem pole into a corporate metaphor, we aren’t learning; we’re committing interpretative violence. Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman and Simon Ortiz’s “Towards a National Indian Literature” confront the “Bureaucracy of Erasure.” We ditch the linear “vanishing Indian” myth for the Torus—a non-linear, sovereign loop of survival where the ghosts of the past still speak in the official transcripts of the present. Along the way, we learn about MMIWR (see below) and the 1953 Termination Act (House Concurrent Resolution 108). In this episode, we apply the Omelas Framework to that historical policy, identifying it as a state-sponsored “Hideous Bargain”. The US government used the euphemism of “Emancipation” to market the erasure of Indigenous tribes as a “deal” for full equality, effectively seeking to “prosper” by silencing the sovereignty of the victim. Rather than “walking away” from this systemic injustice, Erdrich’s protagonist, Thomas Wazhashk, uses the “Emperor’s tools”—the English language and parliamentary procedure—to “write back” against the bureaucracy, transforming the narrative from one of passive suffering into one of active, sovereign “survivance”. Episode 6.26 – The Bureaucracy of Erasure: Erdrich’s The Night Watchman Readings & Resources: Erdrich, Louise: The Night Watchman, Love Medicine (expanded editions) Ortiz, Simon: “Towards a National Indian Literature” (essay), from Sand Creek (poetry) MMIWR Not Our Native Daughters: https://notournativedaughters.org National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: https://www.niwrc.org Some Key Terms from this episode: Torus: A doughnut-shaped continuous surface used by Erdrich as a spatial metaphor for Indigenous time, a non-linear, cyclical reality where the “tribal private” core remains protected from the settler state’s linear mapping. Catachresis: The rhetorical abuse or misuse of a word (e.g., using “Emancipation” to name a bill that enacts “Termination”), which is the primary linguistic weapon of the “Hideous Bargain” in the 1950s. Here, “euphemism” is a kind of catachesis. Survivance: Gerald Vizenor’s term describing an “active sense of presence” that rejects the binary of “dominance/victimhood,” allowing indigenous peoples to use colonial tools (like English or bureaucracy) to ensure continuity rather than assimilation. Listener’s Guide Reflection Questions In what ways do we unknowingly use “museum culture” logic to view marginalized communities as static relics of the past rather than evolving, modern identities? Can you identify a “Hideous Bargain” in your own local or national community where the prosperity of many relies on the “euphemized” erasure of another group How does the metaphor of the Torus—time and space as a looping, overlapping substance—change your perspective on historical traumas like boarding schools? If language is a tool for both “colonization” and “liberation,” how can we consciously “write back” against systems that profit from silence What “monsters” in our current systems are we failing to name because our language has been sanitized by bureaucratic euphemisms? Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/ CHAPTERS 00:00 My Own Monsters 06:17 Intro Theme 06:50 The Bureaucracy of Erasure 16:08 Erdrich and the Emancipation Trap 23:01 Turning Back Upon Ourselves: MMIWR 26:05 Donuts & Time 41:03 Killing Metaphysics 44:42 The “Suffering Child” Who Won’t Stay Dead 50:25 Closing Credits === New to Literary Nomads? Check out my introductory episodes (0.1-0.3) to find out what’s going on here! I’ve got an episode for readers, for teachers, and for students: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords-podcast/ Have a Question? Literary Nomads Mailbag: https://forms.gle/WKGp1YWrazNZ3TLt8 Transcript and Bibliography (most accurate): https://waywordsstudio.com/general/transcript/6-26-erdrich-the-night-watchman === Literary Nomads is the main program of Waywords Studio (https://waywordsstudio.com). The podcast posts new material each week, with thought-provoking examinations of literature around selected questions or themes and several smaller supplemental episodes in between the larger programs: history, writing, and contemporary applications of ideas. Visit us for expanded resources for guests and the Waywords community, for other programs and writing, and for opportunities to support our goal to expand reading. Resources available can include full bibliographies of material referenced, full and partial texts, annotated editions, supplemental and expanded episodes, fictional explorations, teaching and learning resources, additional essays, and online courses. Website: https://waywordsstudio.com Newsletter: https://waywordsstudio.kit.com/ Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and BlueSky: @WaywordsStudio === CREDITS: Original music by Randon Myles (https://randonmyles.com/) Chapter headings by Natalie Harrison and Sarah Skaleski USING THIS WORK: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It is open to be used and adapted for all not-for-profit uses with proper attribution. MLA CITATION: Chisnell, Steve. “6.26 The Bureaucracy of Erasure: Erdrich’s The Night Watchman,” Literary Nomads. Waywords Studio, 13 February 2026, https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/.
Transcribe →Words from Nigeria 3 – Emezi’s Pet & Hunters for Truth
Jan 3000:37:49Tap to summarizeAkwaeke Emezi demonstrates how Nigeria’s contemporary writers turn our conceptual realities around. They offer a YA novel that doesn’t condescend, but more, one which shows that we should not “walk away” from Omelas, but perhaps “Stay and Hunt.” This is also the final of three episodes which offers a broader look at the history and newer trends in Nigerian literature along with recommendations for reading. Part 1 discussed Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Part 2 explored Wole Soyinka’s play, The Trials of Brother Jero. Episode 6.25 – Words from Nigeria 3 - Emezi’s Pet & Hunters for Truth Full list of African writers with sample works I recommend: Abani, Chris (Nigeria): Graceland, The Secret History of Las Vegas Achebe, Chinua (Nigeria): Things Fall Apart, The Anthills of Savannah, Arrow of God, Hopes and Impediments Adeyemi, Tomi (Nigeria): Children of Blood and Bone Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi (Nigeria): Dream Count, The Thing Around Your Neck, Americanah, Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, Dear Ijeawele Agualusa, José Eduardo (Angola): A General Theory of Oblivion Armah, Ayi Kwei (Ghana): The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born Bâ, Mariama (Senegal): So Long a Letter Braithwaite, Oyinkan (Nigeria): My Sister the Serial Killer Cole, Teju (Nigeria): Open City, Tremor, Known and Strange Things, Every Day Is For a Thief Dangarembga, Tsitsi (Zimbabwe): Nervous Conditions, The Book of Not Djebar, Assia (Algeria): Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade El Saadawi. Nawal (Egypt): Woman at Point Zero Emezi, Akwaeke (Nigeria): Pet, The Death of Vivek Oji, Freshwater, Dear Senthuran, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty Farah, Nuruddin (Somalia): Sweet and Sour Milk, Secrets Forna, Aminatta (Sierra Leone): The Memory of Love Gordimer, Nadine (South Africa): The Conservationist, July’s People Gurnah, Abdulrazak (Tanzania): Paradise, Desertion Gyasi, Yaa (Ghana): Transcendent Kingdom, Homegoing Head, Bessie (Botswana/South Africa): A Question of Power Iyay, Festus (Nigeria): Violence La Guma, Alex (South Africa): Time of the Butcherbird Mabanckou, Alain (Republic of the Congo): Black Moses, Broken Glass Makumbi, Jennifer Nansubuga (Uganda): Kintu; The First Woman; A Girl Is a Body of Water Marechera, Dambudzo (Zimbabwe): The House of Hunger Mbue, Imbolo (Cameroon): How Beautiful We Were Mujila, Fiston Mwanza (DR Congo): Tram 83 Nwapa, Flora (Nigeria): Efuru, This is Lagos and Other Stories Okorafor, Nnedi (Nigeria): Noor, Death of the Author, Binti Okri, Ben (Nigeria): The Famished Road, Starbook Owuor, Yvonne Adhiambo (Kenya): Dust Salih, Tayeb (Sudan): Season of Migration to the North Saro-Wiwa, Ken (Nigeria): Sozaboy Sarr, Mohamed Mbougar (Senegal): The Most Secret Memory of Men. Sembène, Ousmane (Senegal): God’s Bits of Wood Serpell, Namwani (Zambia): The Old Drift Soyinka, Wole (Nigeria): A Shuttle in the Crypt, The Trials of Brother Jero, Kongi’s Harvest, The Lion and the Jewel, A Play of Giants Thiong’o, Ngũgĩ wa (Kenya): A Grain of Wheat, Petals of Blood, and Wizard of the Crow African Instapoetry: Lebo Mashile (South Africa), Titilope Sonuga (Nigeria-Canada), Dike Chukwumerije (Nigeria), Yrsa Daley-Ward (Nigeria-UK), Upile Chisala (Malawi) Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Barbarians Block the Gate 06:06 Intro Theme 06:42 Exploding Canons 18:03 The Power of YA and Queer Ontology 25:48 Evasion Modeling 32:46 Reading Differently 36:33 Closing Credits ...
Transcribe →Words from Nigeria Pt 2: Soyinka’s Tiger & Brother Jero
Jan 2400:40:06Tap to summarizeWhy have so few read Soyinka? And can we find hope through his cynical dramas? I admit I am a victim of the myth-making around me which has made Soyinka and other African writers largely invisible. Let’s see why. Episode 6.24 – Words from Nigeria Pt 2: Soyinka’s Tiger & Brother Jero African writers named in this episode and some of the most rewarding reads: Soyinka, Wole: The Trials of Brother Jero, Kongi’s Harvest, The Lion and the Jewel, A Play of Giants Achebe, Chinua: Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, The Anthills of Savannah Cole, Teju: Open City, Known and Strange Things Emezi, Akwaeke: Pet, Freshwater Nwapa, Flora: Efuru, This is Lagos and Other Stories Saro-Wiwa, Ken: Sozaboy Iyay, Festus: Violence Okorafor, Nnedi: Binti, Noor, Death of the Author Braithwaite, Oyinkan: My Sister the Serial Killer Okri, Ben: The Famished Road, Starbook Abani, Chris: Graceland, The Secret History of Las Vegas Western writers from this episode: Kipling, Rudyard: Kim, The Jungle Book, “White Man’s Burden” Haggard, H. Rider: King Solomon’s Mine Cary, Joyce: Mister Johnson Ballyntine, R. M.: Coral Island Collins, Wilkie: Moonstone Boulle, Pierre: Planet of the Apes Burroughs, Edgar Rice: A Princess of Mars Cameron, James: Avatar Cooper, James Fenimore: The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder Heinlein, Robert: Starship Troopers Longyear, Barry B.: Enemy Mine Verne, Jules: Master of the World, The End of Nana Sahib Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/ CHAPTERS 00:00 My White Mythology 08:35 Intro Theme 09:08 Tigritude 13:24 Frictions and Flux 21:58 The Text: The Trials of Brother Jero 29:53 The Trickster and False Omelas 37:38 From Satire to Ontology 38:50 Closing Credits === New to Literary Nomads? Check out my introductory episodes (0.1-0.3) to find out what’s going on here! I’ve got an episode for readers, for teachers, and for students: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords-podcast/ Have a Question? Literary Nomads Mailbag: https://forms.gle/WKGp1YWrazNZ3TLt8 Transcript: https://waywordsstudio.com/general/transcript/6-24-nigeria-2-soyinka === Literary Nomads is the primary program of Waywords Studio (https://waywordsstudio.com). The podcast posts new material each week, with thought-provoking examinations of literature around selected questions or themes and several smaller supplemental episodes in between the larger programs: history, writing, and contemporary applications of ideas. Visit us for expanded resources for guests and the Waywords community, for other programs and writing, and for opportunities to support our goal to expand reading. Resources available can include full bibliographies of material referenced, full and partial texts, annotated editions, supplemental and expanded episodes, fictional explorations, teaching and learning resources, additional essays, and online courses. Website: https://waywordsstudio.com Newsletter: https://waywordsstudio.kit.com/ Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, and LinkedIn: @WaywordsStudio CREDITS: Original music by Randon Myles (https://randonmyles.com/) Chapter headings by Natalie Harrison and Sarah Skaleski USING THIS WORK: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It is open to be used and adapted for all not-for-profit uses with proper attribution. MLA CITATION: Chisnell, Steve. “6.24 Words from Nigeria Pt 2: Soyinka’s Tiger & Brother Jero,” Literary Nomads. Waywords Studio, 23 January 2026, https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/.
Transcribe →