This week Amanda and Victoria discuss another book that probably should have been a trauma indicator, Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight. To Listen Along: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yoNOWXNbjZYdmqM27xWiN?si=NpLK4U-BQDi9OZyfeJkS2Q To Drink Along: Something comforting from your childhood, like an iced cold Diet Coke stolen from a parent or the thickest tropical punch Kool-Aid possible. Resources: Dicey's Song: Full Book... Continue Reading →

Welcome to our first "Book Club" episode, as Amanda and Victoria discuss Sinners, Conclave and the atrocious Lilo and Stitch live action. Fair warning: there's no outline, no script, and plenty of tangents. Back to our regularly scheduled programming in July! https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/episodes/The-Book-Club-e33ugfm

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss Henry James' novella, The Turn of the Screw. After Daddy's Little Harbinger shows up (Mothman) our audio started to have some problems, the episode crashing twice. To Listen Along: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unfortunately-required/episodes/The-Haunted-Audio-Turn-of-the-Screw-e2psssc To Drink Along: Strawberry wine, an energy drink, and some sort of cheese. The rest of the death story:... Continue Reading →

This week Amanda and Victoria unpack Of Mice and Men, the exploitation of the American worker, and the utter exhaustion of existence. CONGRATS TO BARON VON CHEESEPLATE ON COMPLETING YOUR MASTERS DEGREE! To Listen Along: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/episodes/Another-Robbie-Burns-Inspired-Book-Of-Mice-and-Men-e1ihglf To Drink Along: Grab a mini bottle of proseco and drink directly from it. Stuff your face with tortillas.... Continue Reading →

This week, Amanda and Victoria discuss the memoir Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. To Listen Along: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/episodes/Irish-Catholic-Childhoods-are-Hard-Angelas-Ashes-e1ga4gl To Drink Along: Grab a Guinness, a whiskey, bread, tea, and your tears. Resources: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/angelasashes/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B009DYNAKG/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_McCourt https://youtu.be/SskmdYBkNs4 https://youtu.be/Yr4pVemhatk https://youtu.be/gTyPRnoKe_A

This week Amanda and Victoria are exhausted and discuss James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. Join us in donating to the Innocence Project: https://innocenceproject.org/ For a refresher on James Baldwin: https://unfortunatelyrequiredreading.com/2020/06/13/episode-37-lets-f-off-to-france-and-ignore-our-problems-giovannis-room/ To Listen Along: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/episodes/And-Nothing-Has-Changed-Since-1974-e1ekk1n To Drink Along: https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/White-Tears-by-UnfortunatelyRR/41292871.EJUG5 Resources: Watch If Beale Street Could Talk Streaming Online | Hulu (Free Trial) If Beale... Continue Reading →

This week Amanda and Victoria discuss the often hidden and banned short story Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. You can read if for free here: https://www.sdfo.org/gj/stories/flowersforalgernon.pdf To Listen Along: https://anchor.fm/unfortunately-required/episodes/No-One-Gets-Flowers-ejspc0 To Eat and Drink Along: Grab a cup of your favorite juice, and a cheese to share with your lab mouse friend. Resources: https://youtu.be/9xTz3QjcloI... Continue Reading →

We end Amanda's birthday note with the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. This week we focused on three of his better known poems from Les Fleur du Mal: Be Drunk The Albatross A Carcass To drink along: Corpse Reviver 2 1 oz. gin 1 oz. Cointreau 1 oz. Lillet Blanc 1 oz. fresh lemon juice 1... Continue Reading →