Adam Levin (The Instructions, Mount Chicago) comes on the podcast to break down the Top Five Stanley Elkin novels according to Chad’s silly and fun “Power Rankings.” They talk about what makes Elkin so great, which books they both want to reread, the coincidence of having giving their respective fathers the same book gift, and arguing about some of the final rankings . . .

This episode’s music is “FugaziBlackHoleMirage (7 of Clubs)” by Hallelujah the Hills. (Which, if you’re into indie music of this sort, check out the whole Deck project. It’s one of the most ambitious releases of 2025.)

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