Subtext: Conversations about Classic Books and Films
Wes Alwan and Erin O'Luanaigh
Subtext is a book club podcast for readers interested in what the greatest works of the human imagination say about life’s big questions. Each episode, philosopher Wes Alwan and poet Erin O’Luanaigh conduct a close reading of a text or film and co-write an audio essay about it in real time. It’s literary analysis, but in the best sense: we try not overly stuffy and pedantic, but rather focus on unearthing what’s most compelling about great books and movies, and how it is they can touch our lives in such a significant way.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 23, 2026 • 39min
The Ethics of Seeing in Susan Sontag’s “On Photography” (Part 2)
Photography is a technology of contradictions. It is at once mechanical and mysterious, even magical. It furnishes evidence of presence while being a token of absence. It can show us proof but can’t, without accompanying narration or context, make us understand. And perhaps most perplexing of all, it is an imperialistic technology which, paradoxically, atomizes the world and democratizes all events and experiences, making each viewer of photographs the owner of a facsimile-world in his or her head. Wes & Erin discuss two essays from Susan Sontag’s collection, “On Photography,” “In Plato’s Cave” and “America, Seen Through Photographs, Darkly,” and ask what constitutes photography’s “ethics of seeing,” and whether Sontag suggests an alternative comportment towards the camera, the subject, and the photographic image.
Upcoming Episodes: Withnail & I; Waiting for Godot
Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail
For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.
This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.
Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.
Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Mar 17, 2026 • 44min
The Ethics of Seeing in Susan Sontag’s “On Photography”
A lively dive into Susan Sontag’s ideas about photography as both proof and illusion. They probe photography’s paradoxes, from memory prosthetic to democratic atomizer of experience. Conversations touch on smartphones, selfies, moral distance created by cameras, and whether images can stir conscience without narrative.
Mar 9, 2026 • 33min
The Music of Longing in “Amadeus” (1984) – Part 2
Are Mozart’s gifts a glitch in divine accounting? Or are his flaws attendant on or even the result of his genius? And how can we account for the glitch in Salieri’s design, which permits longing to go unanswered by talent? Wes & Erin continue their discussion of the 1984 film “Amadeus,” directed by Milos Forman.
Upcoming Episodes: Susan Sontag’s On Photography; Withnail & I; Waiting for Godot
Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail
For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.
This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.
Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.
Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Mar 3, 2026 • 39min
The Music of Longing in “Amadeus” (1984)
A close look at Salieri’s rivalry with Mozart and whether divine favor can be unfair. A debate over historical truth versus the film’s dramatic mythmaking. An exploration of Mozart’s laugh, scatological humor, and how prodigyhood shapes a life. Themes of order versus chaos, longing in music, and Christlike imagery in the Requiem.
Feb 23, 2026 • 32min
The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Part 6)
Wes & Erin continue their discussion of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” and its sustained reflection on how political power is constructed, located, and legitimated.
Upcoming Episodes: “Amadeus,” Susan Sontag’s “On Photography.”
Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail
For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.
This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.
Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.
Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Feb 18, 2026 • 51min
The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Part 5)
A close reading of rhetoric and power in Julius Caesar, from Brutus’s bank-account metaphor to Antony’s ambiguous praise. They trace wordplay on rank, blood, and authorship, and unpack theatrical visuals like bloody hands and the will as a political prop. The conversation moves from individual virtue to how authority is institutionally grounded and publicly narrated.
Feb 9, 2026 • 45min
The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Part 4)
Wes & Erin continue their discussion of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” and its sustained reflection on how political power is constructed, located, and legitimated.
Upcoming Episodes: “Amadeus,” Susan Sontag’s “On Photography.”
Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail
For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.
This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.
Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.
Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Feb 2, 2026 • 46min
The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Part 3)
Wes & Erin continue their discussion of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” and its sustained reflection on how political power is constructed, located, and legitimated.
Upcoming Episodes: “Amadeus,” Susan Sontag’s “On Photography.”
Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail
For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.
This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.
Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.
Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Jan 26, 2026 • 49min
The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Part 2)
Wes & Erin continue their discussion of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” and its sustained reflection on how political power is constructed, located, and legitimated.
Upcoming Episodes: “Amadeus,” Susan Sontag.
Pre-order Erin’s forthcoming book “Avail” here: http://subtextpodcast.com/avail
For bonus content, become a paid subscriber at Patreon or directly on the Apple Podcasts app. Patreon subscribers also get early access to ad-free regular episodes.
This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to other Airwave shows like Good Job, Brain and Big Picture Science.
Email advertising@airwavemedia.com to enquire about advertising on the podcast.
Follow: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Jan 20, 2026 • 50min
The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”
The hosts dive into the complex dynamics of authority in Shakespeare’s play, examining Brutus’s self-deception and his problematic morality. They discuss the powerful rhetoric of both Brutus and Antony, revealing how words shape political reality. The parallels between Brutus and Caesar highlight their shared authoritarian traits, while the fickleness of the crowd raises questions about popular leadership. Also explored are the omens that foreshadow chaos, underscoring the play's focus on misinterpretation and the nature of power.
